Landscape art dead or alive?

Is it live or dead?
To what am I referring?
The art of landscape painting, often the most prominent in many galleries, the prestigiously framed and positioned works that depict a coastal scene, a farm field, a forest. You know what I'm talking about.

Recently at a seminar over beers with friends one of Maine's most vibrant soldiers of color pronounced, those works depicting landscapes as "boring art".   I had to concur, not moments before our imbibe I was touring a gallery and almost out loud pronounced a death had occurred in the art gallery as all of the works viewed had no pulse.

Technically beautiful works, but they reminded me of a Californian 30-something at the beach bar, primped, proper, perfect but without soul! Without substance!

Racing Forms by Paul Stone

If it were not for the cold crisp Sauvignon  blanc I would have departed the gallery but save a higher power to intervene in some strange way and cause me to wandered downstairs into the basement of the gallery. It was there I discovered works with color and an impressionistic quality that was worthy of recommending a trip to see them. In a way I felt like the great French critic Emile Zola, it was in a review of the Paris Salon of 1868, the novelist and critic Zola pronounced classical landscape painting dead, “murdered by life and truth.” This, for Zola, was not a lament but rather a celebration. He had found a beat of life in the new works of the late 18th century artists Corot & Monet'.

I digress,  the Gallery located in Brunswick Maine is called the Bayview and it is proud, it's pretentious & for many prestigious, but for me in need of a jump start.  Fear not lovers of art there is hope in the works of Paul Stone,  Paul brings a beat of life with a fresh stroke of color and a dash of whimsy.

Is artistic expression murdered by life and truth in the name of making a buck?
I'm not sure, what I do know is artists have to eat, so a compromise for creation of what sells and generates income is inevitable. Is my opinion a reflection the age where nothing less that bold images bombarded at machine gun pace can hold a viewers attention?  Perhaps, but I suspect it may be my wayward mind searching for that spark of imagination, that flash of color, that beat of life in yet another landscape painting.

Why go see the work of Paul Stone in Brunswick , Maine's BAYVIEW GALLERY?

Because your good mind needs good art! 

The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the WMPG Radio listening community. The blog is the text version of the art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on WMPG college and community radio
Broadcasting from the University of Southern Maine
90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/

Flock lands in Frontier Cafe's Aviary

Do you know what an Aviary is?
 

If you answered a large enclosure used for confining birds, you would be correct.

Here's some avian trivia; the aviary called the "Raven Cage" constructed in 1829 is one of the oldest structures at the London Zoo.

Frontier Cafe "Go Beyond"

Did ya also know there is a temporary aviary in Brunswick's Andross Mill!  It's actually in the Frontier cafe.  For those not familiar with the Frontier their motto is "Go Beyond"  and it is quite often that folks at the Frontier go out on the ledge with unique offerings in food, drink, music, cinema & art.  They have much to offer I could on for ever on the delicious food (carrot curry soup) or the worldwide selection of German Weissbiers to the English black ale,or that the Frontier is the local host for Five River Arts Alliance  Pecha Kucha and host for mid coast screening of the Manhattan film festival, bottom line this place rocks!

Let me get back to the avian event,

Aquila Motorola by Terry Grasse

The Frontier is host to a temporary aviary, it's actually an art exhibition called the Aviary "A winged celebration" and it's descended upon the walls of the cafe like spring grackles to my feeder.  It is the collective works of over 50 artists and they have come to roost in the cafe for the next 75 days. The show is curated by the wonderful folks at Spindleworks  (if you do not know about Spindleworks click on the hyperlink they provide adults with disabilities an opportunity for a fuller life, art is a big part of it, but there's so much more check them out) anywho spindleworks has coordinated -curated and hung an art exhibit that is a cacophony of color-image-idea all with an avian theme.  It is art for a cause, a fundraiser for Maine Audubon.  In reality it is a unique opportunity for artists to share their passion and support an organization that helps educate, protect and promote the Maine that many of us take for granted.
The Show is called The Aviary A Winged celebration
The Show Opens May 13th and runs through July 31st.
It has roosted in The Andross Mill's Frontier Cafe  (map & directions)

Why should you migrate to the Frontier Cafe 

and partake in the Avian Art exhibit "A winged Celebration"?

Do it because your good mind needs good art! 

The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the WMPG Radio listening community.  The blog is the text version of the art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on WMPG college and community radio
Broadcasting from the University of Southern Maine
90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/

Photography in 2011 and the Addison Woolley Gallery

Lately I've felt photographically challenged.

The Addison Woolley Gallery

Not in the taking of the pictures but in the ideology of photographic art.
It seems now if you have a smidgin of an eye (not required) and a camera phone (required) you can snap and post any picture as art on Facebook and be instantly recognized as a photo artist. That's powerfully cool but it's not for everyone.   

My view changed Yesterday I read a quotation from Walker Evans 

" Whether he is an artist or not,

the photographer is a joyous sensualist, 

for that simple reason that the eye traffics feelings, not thoughts"

Fran Vita-Taylor 

Now enter Portland's Addison Woolley Gallery (AWG), located right on Washington Ave on Monjoy hill, The AWG could be the premier gallery for Portland's elite photo artists.   It starts with the artist but in reality the artist doesn't "get show" unless the curator sees something that stirs emotion.  "Emphemeral Nature & Surrealligories" is the title of the current show and it has the ability to emote.   This two artist show with only 12 images is subtly powerful.  The photographic artists are peas in a pod and yin and yang simultaneously.  The artists offer images that are JOYOUSLY SENSUAL and quite different, one commonality is both involve creative composition as a main ingredient. Woolley founder and curator Susan Porter recognized that and has hung one powerful show, I for one am very thankful.

Detail from Darrell Taylor's Transfiguration, Assumption ...

  The show has the larger than "Sill life" photos of Fran Vita - Taylor (Ephemeral Nature) .  I can describe Fran's work in four words; Big, Bold, Colorful, Composed!   The Yang to Fran's Yin is the "Surreallegories" from Darrell Taylor   What's a surreallegory?   Well I can discribe it as "collage photo meets where's waldo & has several adult beverages".  First off it's big 2 foot x 9 foot photo murals, secondly they are just FUN. Darrell Taylor shows off his prowess as a photographer, photocollage creator & photoshop manipulator par-excellence!  Each photomural has hundreds of images melded -merged -humorously poised to create a new form of photo art, a refreshingly fun take at photo art.  In conversation with Darrell he mentioned that he felt like a painter he just uses photos instead of pigment to create his new age "photage frescoes".  For a bigger taste of the images click on the above Surreallegories hyper-link it will take you to this cool mural gallery page with software that allows you to cruise and zoom in to view the image to your hearts content!  Try to find Sara Palin sporting a mid 1930's pro German arm band . Or look for Dubi's Empire State building at the gateway to the shopping mall in heaven.  Its all there this month at the Addison Woolley Gallery.  Where larger than still life hangs with photocollage art.  It all gushes creativity, composition & humor, in large scale and/or panoramic format, it's guaranteed to make Walker Evans proud whilst "trafficking feelings".   

Why go to the Addison Woolley Gallery to see the show "Ephemeral Nature & Sureallagories"  
Because your good mind needs good art! 




The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the WMPG Radio listening community.  The blog is the text version of the art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on WMPG college and community radio
Broadcasting from the University of Southern Maine
90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/