Beth Dary – Near the Water’s Edge

Beth Dary, Elements of Ambivalence, 2006, fabric, pins, encaustic, 10’x17’x4″, photo courtesy of the artist

Beth Dary‘s sculptures, installations and drawings have in common deep layers of meaning, imaginative combinations of materials, and subtle delicacy in form and color. Her insatiable curiosity in exploring diverse materials and processes results in a wide array of formal expressions, ranging from ceramics to photography; fabric to glass. She shares with Art Spiel some insight into her work throughout the years, her process explorations, and her upcoming projects.

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Austin Thomas – Lots of little things at LABspace

All images: Austin Thomas collages, photographed by the author

 

Austin Thomas’s drawings, Lots of little things, currently on view at LABspace, a small gallery in a tiny town, are diminutive in size but vast in scope.  Arranged in three irregular rows on one wall, these forty-odd drawings offer the viewer enough to look at for several hours.  I have been to the show three times and was sorry to leave each time. They seem to display almost everything drawing can be.
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Jeanne Heifetz – Ordered Chance

Jeanne Heifetz‘s art has evolved from weaving and fiber early on to drawing and painting later on.  While her previous body of work has typically derived from a process of material  exploration, the impetus for her more recent work has been prompted by concept. As Heifetz puts it, “in spite of herself,” after the election it can  also be seen as politicized.  She was recently awarded a LABA fellowship for 2018-2019 at the 14th Street Y, where she will study ancient Jewish texts on a given theme with other artists of different disciplines. In this interview for Art Spiel Jeanne Heifetz talks about her art, ideas, and projects.

Jeanne Heifetz, Pre-Occupied 18, 2016, silver graphite on flax paper tinted with iron oxide, 21″ x 29″ Photo: Paul Takeuchi

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Melissa Stern – Walking the Line

Melissa Stern‘s artworks depict abstracted narratives with complex emotional layers,  projecting altogether an urgent psychological presence. The figures  in her drawings and sculptures inhabit an absurd universe which is  darkly funny  in a deeply felt way. Her imagery is precise, poetic,  and overall underscores  a close affinity with language – bringing to mind an artist who is both an acute observer and a witty commentator.  That said, it is Stern’s sensibility of raw and expressive forms that makes her not only an observant narrator but also  an empathetic participant in her own human comedy. The artist  shares with Art Spiel her modes of thinking, process of making, and some plans, including her solo show opening on Oct 11 at Garvey Simon Gallery.

Melissa Stern, Red Boots 30 x 8 x 10 inches, Clay, graphite, object, linoleum, 2016

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Anne Gilman: Marking Beneath the Surface

Anne Gilman, Up close / in the distance / now, 2018, pencil, graphite, tape, ink, BIC ballpoint pen, matte medium on mulberry paper, 340 x 38 inches, photo courtesy of the artist

The surface of Anne Gilman’s scrolls and drawings is characterized by incisive and often repetitive graphic marks which altogether create portals to the artist’s fluid emotive states.  In her Interview for Art Spiel, Gilman reflects on the roots of her intricate process-oriented approach and also sheds light on some of her current projects. Continue reading “Anne Gilman: Marking Beneath the Surface”

Viviane Rombaldi Seppey – Mapping her Road

Viviane Rombaldi Seppey, “Fragile”, hand cut atlas page (The World), wire, glass dome, plastic base, diameter 6 inches, 2017. Photo credit Etienne Frossard

In her poetic and playful installations Viviane Rombaldi Seppey coalesces everyday objects and materials, altogether bringing to mind  contemporary issues of identity, culture and environment. Maps, phonebooks, and books become directly embedded in her work as drawings, collages or sculptural objects. She has recently shared in an interview with Art Spiel some of her ideas and experiences. Continue reading “Viviane Rombaldi Seppey – Mapping her Road”

 Rosaire Appel – Cajoling sound and image

Rosaire Appel, your face, abstract comic, 2016, 16×20” pigment print, photo courtesy of the artist

Rosaire Appel ‘s rigorous graphic explorations reveal an acute sensibility to the elusive line between language / sound and image. Her skills as a photographer, writer and draftswoman seamlessly coalesce in her book forms. We first met when I covered her exhibition at Schema Projects in 2013 – her  abstract comics engaged me with their endless imaginative iterations and I have been curious to learn how her work has evolved since. Continue reading ” Rosaire Appel – Cajoling sound and image”

Andrew Cornell Robinson – Transgressing Across Time and Line

Andrew Cornell Robinson in the studio, photographed by Alex Reyes 2017

Andrew Cornell Robinson ‘s website indicates: “art + crafts research studio.” Largely known as a prolific ceramicist, Robinson’s oeuvre embraces a wide range of craft and design methods – resulting in an extensive body of drawings and diverse mixed media installations, all the way to performance. Throughout our multiple conversations I have been increasingly intrigued by his multi faceted imagination and asked him to learn more about his visual explorations. Continue reading “Andrew Cornell Robinson – Transgressing Across Time and Line”

Aspects in Landscape at Galerie Protégé

Murphy Chang, GRANT, 4x6in, 2017, carbon on paper
Murphy Chang, GRANT, 4x6in, 2017, carbon on paper

All photos courtesy by the artists

“Aspects in Landscape”, curated by  Stacy Greene at Galerie Protégé, juxtaposes the work of six artists whose interpretations of landscape range in sensibilities – from sensory to surreal and media. It runs the gamut from two dimensional artworks like drawing, painting, and photography, to sculptural installations. Continue reading “Aspects in Landscape at Galerie Protégé”