Posts from the ‘Gallery’ Category

Jan 22

100 Pearl Street Gallery: Q&A with Artist Daniel Bohman

From stunning snapshots of the universe and our world to iPhone photos of grumpy or cute cats, voyaging around the internet almost always includes sifting through a barrage of random, hilarious, or just plain weird images. Rather than just scroll past these pictures, local artist Daniel Bohman interrogates them through large oil paintings in “Collect & Transform,” the Arts Council’s newest exhibit in its 100 Pearl Street Gallery. Before the exhibit’s opening reception this Thursday, January 24 from 5-7pm, we asked Bohman to give us some insights into his artistic process, motivations and ambitions:

What’s your process for choosing images from Google? Do you have an image in mind when you start searching, or do you leave it up to chance?

My process usually starts with some sort of baseline idea. It could be as simple as two images that interact in an interesting way or speak to a theme I want to investigate. The chance usually occurs as the painting progresses and new ideas and paths emerge. It’s not uncommon for a painting to look nothing like I imagined it would.

The clashing patterns and images are the foundations of each piece. How do you strike a balance between your interest in the abstract and the representation of realistic spaces and figures?

I’ve always been drawn to opposites, and I would feel uncomfortable creating a purely realistic or abstract painting. I learned this a while back and have been trying to marry the two ever since. Even the pattern has dual dimensions. It not only creates tension, but has a wonderful ability to tie or weave disparate parts together.

When I look at some the pieces in the show, I immediately started crafting a soundtrack for each piece. For me, there were some hints of Sonic Youth, Arcade Fire, and some Tom Waits. I know Twin Peaks influenced part of one piece. Do you look to other music or film for inspiration? Any unexpected sources?

Well I certainly am influenced by music. I very much admire how music can drift between abstract (musical) and the more literal (lyrics). It’s something I try to accomplish in my paintings. It’s funny you mention it, but Tom Waits is someone I listen to a lot when I’m painting. There’s something about the theatrics and texture of his music that informs me as I work.

How has your experience with local arts schools (UCONN and MCC) informed the development of your work?

I think Connecticut is an interesting place to make art. It obviously suffers from being sandwiched in between Boston and New York but I think there’s a resiliency that keeps it intriguing. UCONN can sometimes feel a little far away, but I think my work has benefited from the lack of distraction.

What direction do you see your work taking this year? Are there any new areas you’re interested in exploring as you wrap up work on your MFA?

I think I’m going to keep pushing what I’ve been doing until I graduate in May. This semester I’ll be working on more printmaking though. Something I’ve always found difficult in the past.

Many thanks to Daniel for answering my questions. Check out “Collect & Transform” at the opening reception on Thursday, January 24 from 5-7pm in the 100 Pearl Street Gallery in Hartford, where you can snack on some apps and sip some wine with the artist himself. If you can’t make it then, the exhibition’s on display until March 23, 2013. Hope to see you this Thursday!

Oct 11

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100 Pearl Street Gallery: Q&A with Lori Robeau

As we brace ourselves for another transition from fall to winter, we’re often drawn outdoors to pick apples, gather pumpkins and enjoy the changing of the leaves. We often take for granted that in October, everything in nature will take on its orange hue and eventually give way to the grey-white days of winter. Lori Robeau’s work asks us to pause and consider the impermanence of the natural world around us. She was nice enough to answer a few of my questions about her life and work.

Much of your work deals with the use of shadows and negative space to represent the loss of natural materials and elements. What inspired you to tell this story?

I spent much of my childhood wandering off alone on walks, exploring different natural landscapes—open fields that led to a lake, trails in the woods or a path that wound along a small stream—these spaces were my own private sanctuary. Now, these natural spaces are disappearing before my eyes and what is left is a small void. There is emptiness, a longing that cannot be filled with all the shopping in the world.

In looking at your work, especially Nature of Reality, there’s almost an ominous character to some of your work. Is that intentional? What do you want the viewer to experience with this piece?

Yes. I hope to prompt conflicting feelings of apprehension and compulsion and to effect a change of perception—not only in how the viewer sees the work once the illusion is revealed, but more importantly how they then interpret the content.

You use materials like recycled paper circulars, pinewood, vinyl and tar. How do these materials come together to tell your story of consumption and depletion of natural resources?

These materials represent consumption and depletion in a broad circle. First, the great pinewoods are harvested and processed into lumber (even the word timber contains in itself the shadow of the fall of the forest) to build more homes for the rapidly growing population. That population is targeted by media and marketing specialists to buy more products through advertisements that are printed on a by-product of the wood that is harvested.

Tar is produced from the roots and wood of pine trees which is distilled until it’s a thick and black liquid. Tar can also be made from petroleum, which is another name for crude oil. Plastics such as vinyl are made from petroleum as well. Oil is another natural resource that is being depleted.

As the population grows the demand for these products grow and in the process nature; plants, animals and organisms are displaced or worse, disappear altogether.

Shifting gears, you’ve shown work all over New England. What about the Hartford region inspires you?

Hartford already has a name in the Performing Arts but has recently been growing a name and gaining momentum as a more diversified Cultural Arts Center. I am seeing more exhibits and happenings all around the city and I am inspired and motivated by that momentum!

What are you working on now? Are there any other issues you’d like to tackle through art?

Yes, along the same lines of a loss of nature, I am interested in taking on the issue and growing concerns of “food” and our detachment from the process of attaining it.

Although, right now, I think I’m just going to paint for a while.

I’d like to thank Lori for answering my questions and to encourage everyone to check out “Consumption” while its on display until January 4, 2013 in our 100 Pearl Street Gallery. There’s no better time to see it than with Lori herself at the opening reception of “Consumption” TONIGHT (October 11) from 5-7pm in the Gallery.

Here’s hoping to sharing (or pouring you) some wine later! Cheers!

Jul 23

Q&A with Robert Loebell

Since graduating from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art in 1976, Robert Loebell has worked consistently as an artist. Along the way, he worked as a handyman and house painter before settling into his career as an art teacher in the West Hartford Public School system for nearly three decades. Wood sculpture has allowed Loebell to capture his artistic voice deeply rooted in literature and photography. Some of his previous pieces have looked to Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” and James Joyce’s “Ulysses” for inspiration.

In preparation for the opening reception of “Reminiscing,” a wood relief exhibit, this Thursday at 5pm in our 100 Pearl Street Gallery, Loebell answered a couple of questions about his work, his creative process, and what inspires him.

1. What inspired you to translate photography to sculpture on wood?

I started looking at photographs when I was thinking about what I wanted to do for my Weir Farm residence. I just went to look at the archives there and was totally fascinated by the old pictures.

2. Your work on display depicts images from Connecticut’s Weir Farm and New York’s Governors Island. What about those places’ made them rich for exploration? Are there any historic/significant sites in the Hartford region you would like to explore?

It was really luck. The Weir Farm archives got me started on the possibilities of using archival photographs, and the theme of the Governors Island show was ‘Encounters,’ so I just started looking at the history and found all these pictures on the Library of Congress web site. It starts as an art idea but the research is fun and gives another layer of meaning to the pieces. I’m sure there are places in Hartford I’d be interested in, but I haven’t researched anything specific. I’m open to suggestions.

3. Can you describe your process? How do you find your materials (wood, photographs) and then make your pieces?

They start with the photographs. I have a bunch of wood sitting around, although that may need replenishing soon. I try to figure out my idea (flat relief, 3-d), and then figure out what wood will work. Sometimes I buy a piece of a certain wood, but I like it better when the wood just jumps out at me. I do all the carving first, then the burning for the darks, and then white acrylic.

4. You work as an educator and some of your past work has drawn inspiration from literature. How do your students and your work as a teacher inform your work? What literary or cultural figures/works are you interested in lately?

Students ask the best questions, so when I show them my work, I better be ready to answer their honest and direct questions. Why? How much? How long does it take? What’s it about? I’ve been reading Hillary Mantel’s books about Oliver Cromwell, which are fun and bawdy. They probably won’t find their way into any works but who knows? I’m interested in seeing the show at the Guggenheim by Rineke Dijkstra the photographer. Her work strikes me as deceptively simple and intimate.

Many thanks to Loebell for answering my questions. “Reminiscing” will be on display until September 28^th in our 100 Pearl Street Gallery. Join us to celebrate Loebell’s work with the artist himself at the opening reception of “Reminiscing” this Thursday, Jul 26 from 5-7pm in our 100 Pearl Street Gallery—click here for more information.

Hope to see you there!

Jun 11

Q&A: Photographer Don Bell

Whether its Robert Frank’s images of blue-collar 1950s America or a Diane Arbus photo of a marginalized sideshow performer, photography can leave the subject’s out of the picture. The photographer often speaks for the subject (through framing, composition, lighting…) , which creates a host of unanswered questions for the viewer. We have all encountered a photograph that we wish could tell us more.

As a journalist and an artist, Don Bell knows a lot about asking questions. His series “Portraits of Wisdom” catalogues his encounters with people he meets on the street and their answers to the deceptively simple question: “What have you learned?” It’s a direct question that yields surprisingly honest answers.

Don’s photographs treat his subjects with the same sincerity. This photographic honesty is something that Susan Sontag notices in her 1977 essay collection “On Photography.” For her, it’s a trait that links back to Walt Whitman’s belief that each moment or condition ‘exhibits a beauty.’ As I spent time with the series, I realized that Don’s work engages all of these voices.

Don was kind enough to answer some of my questions about his work as a photographer and what inspires him.

Your technique depends largely on conversation and interaction with strangers. Is that journalism influencing the photography? How do you think your work as a journalist affects your photography?

My journalism background has a powerful influence on my photography – especially in this project. I’ve been interviewing people professionally for ten years, so talking to strangers on the street actually comes naturally. A smooth interview leads to a comfortable subject and therefore a natural looking portrait.

You mentioned running into your 1^stHartford subject a week or so ago; any other memorable stories from being out in the field meeting people and taking photos?

I was on the corner of Pratt and Main Street downtown when I ran into a writer named Brian. He was one of the very first subjects for this project. It’s amazing how eight months later we bump into each other while I was literally holding a flyer for the exhibition. I’m not good with names but I always remember faces and his is tough to ignore – strong, dark features with penetrating eyes. We had a quick chat and I walked away knowing why he made the final cut – powerful presence.

Most of the subjects I interviewed made an impact in someway. Peel back each layer, of each person and you’ll discover that we’re all unique in some way.

I think of Gordon Parks when I look at your work. What other photographers, artists do you look to for inspiration? Any other sources of inspiration?

I wish I had some brilliant answer for this question. The truth is that I’m inspired by ALL photography. There are a million different ways to capture life. Most pictures that I see cause some type of creative friction in my head: Why that light? Why that composition? Why that depth of field? Flushing out the answers to those questions spark creative inspiration. And way before that process ever starts, it’s the hunger to create and give birth to an image that is entirely your own. You can’t teach give-a-damn. Either you do or you don’t.

You’ve lived all over (Boston, Philly, St. Louis), what about Hartford do you enjoy?

I have a love affair with every place I’ve lived. I had a crush on Boston like a 10-year-old boy who had just discovered girls. St. Louis was love at first sight. Philly’s courage and heartbeat energizes my soul. Hartford embraced me and gave me fuel to blaze a new path. I enjoy the tight nit community of the Heartbeat. It’s like living with extended family.

What projects are you working on now?

I just launched my new website www.donbellphotography.com. Even though I had help with the design, it was a monster undertaking. At least a half dozen decisions went into every single click of the mouse. Now that it has been completed, I’m turning my attention toward commissioned work and travel related images.

And what direction do you see your work taking?

My parents once told me that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to. In general, I’m not sure if parents really believe that when they speak to their children. It doesn’t matter. When they said it, I believed it. And I still do. So, I’ll keep creating art and I’ll happily go where it takes me. What direction is that? I’ll let you know after the shutter snaps.

Many thanks to Don for his answers. If you’d like to see the work yourself and meet Don, join us at the opening reception of “Portraits of Wisdom” this Thursday in the 100 Pearl Street Gallery from 5-7pm.

Jun 8

An Intern’s Inside Look at Don Bell’s “Portraits of Wisdom”

Ever since I was young, I have had an interest in photography. Simply with a keen eye and a camera you can unlock the world around you to better define your own personality. That’s why I was really excited to check out the Don Bell photography exhibit in the 100 Pearl Street Gallery to explore Bell’s intriguing works.

“Portraits of Wisdom” by Don Bell features black-and-white portraits that give a compelling and candid look into the faces of everyday people from Philadelphia to Hartford. Don pairs these images of individuals from all walks of life including students, artists, attorneys and others with answers to the question “What have you learned?” Seeking to capture life’s priceless but fleeting moments, Bell provides a rare glimpse into the worlds of the strangers we pass by everyday without much thought.

Looking at the portraits more closely, I noticed the exhibition’s wide emotional range from lighthearted and clever to very serious. One portrait that touched me in particular was “Ginny,” a Hyperrealistic Artist. Although she has a very sad look in her eyes in her portrait, her quote discusses the importance of taking care of your parents as they get older, claiming that even though it wouldn’t end well, it would be the most meaningful thing you ever did. This selfless sentiment, hidden behind a simple statement, conveyed a very thought-provoking and powerful message intensified by the sad tones from the portrait itself.

Michele poses with Bell’s photography

Switching gears slightly, as a student myself, some of my favorite pieces included those also currently enrolled in college. One quote that really spoke to me was from “Jay” and read, “Do what you love, even if they say you’ll be poor.” After this summer, I will be a senior at Eastern Connecticut State University, and getting ready to pick a career path and there’s a lot of pressure to go into certain fields simply because they make decent money. Although at this point I don’t know what my future holds, I hope I can find a position that fully supports and that I love—the best of both worlds.

To learn more about Don Bell, visit www.LetsGoArts.org/Gallery or head to his website: www.donbellphotography.com/#/exhibitions. You can also celebrate Bell’s work at the exhibition’s opening reception on June 14 from 5 to 7pm with Bell himself.

(Entry prepared by Michele Lodigiani, Summer Marketing Intern at the Arts Council)

May 25

Hiding in Plain Sight: ATOM Space

Last week, Liz and I took a walk and poked into ATOM Space: downtown Hartford’s only (that I know of) pop-up gallery space.

The project started months ago in the former ATM space attached to our office complex at 100 Pearl Street. Local artist David Borawski’s installation exhibit, “It’s Only a Game if You Win,” the first-ever ATOM showing, became the gallery’s last in its former location when the building leased the office space to a new tenant. Ever plucky, the gallery managers moved a few blocks away to the abandoned “Chinatown” storefront on Pratt Street, and have since put on two additional exhibitions in their new home.

Borawski’s “It’s Only a Game if You Win”

ATOM is the latest “guerilla” exhibition gallery in Hartford, a found space right in the heart of downtown. Each gallery show represents a selection of work from local artists—many of whom are good friends of the Arts Council. Liz and I caught the latest show, “As It Ever Was,” featuring work by artists Anne Cubberly, Barbara Hocker (she showed in the 100 Pearl Street Gallery last year), Nina Salazar (she created a sculptural martini glass for our ARTini event last fall), Howard el-Yasin, Gene Gort, Carol Padberg, Patrick Schmidt, Gil Scullion, and
Dave Sinaguglia.

It’s a cool space and a very cool exhibit. Take a look at some of the pictures below and get a feel for the artwork—but believe me, it’s worth seeing in person.

My favorite thing about the whole ATOM concept is the idea that art can flourish almost anywhere. You don’t need a museum, or even a dedicated high-brow gallery space to show excellent artwork; old storefronts, abandoned buildings and even busy street corners can be the perfect place to display local art.

If you’re in downtown Hartford, consider stopping by on a lunch break or during a coffee run to see what ATOM has to offer. Hopefully this is the sign of things to come. Hartford certainly isn’t short of empty retail space—perhaps this can be an enduring solution.

Want to learn more about ATOM? Check out their participator site.

Apr 19

100 Pearl Street Gallery: Matthew Best’s “Interface: New Work” Opening Reception

Tucked inside the first floor of our office building rests the 100 Pearl Street Gallery. The venue provides a great space for local artists in the community to showcase their work, usually displaying about 5 artists a year. Last Thursday (Apr 11), the Arts Council celebrated the opening of our newest exhibition “Interface: New Work,” Paintings by Matthew Best with the artist himself.

Amidst the wine, delicious hors d’oeuvres provided by The Kitchen @ Billings Forge and fine company, the reception presented me with the great opportunity to analyze and appreciate the intricacies of Matthew’s work. Let’s be clear – I am no art critic. Reading Evan Johnson’s construction of Matthew’s work in his interview introduction on our blog a few weeks ago only further solidified that notion in my mind. Regardless of my lack of knowledge of art history and theory, Matthew’s colorful and engaging shapes still intrigued me to learn more about his work.

So. What’s a person to do when he or she hasn’t a clear place to start interpreting a piece of art but still wants to give it a shot? Luckily, the answer came to me in the form of a large poster containing the artist’s statement, where I learned that Matthew’s paintings are heavily influenced by his study of yoga and the body. Viewing his work in that vein, I focused on how the concept of balance inter-played with the positioning of the colors and the usage of the shapes. From there, I could see how both forces worked to keep the pieces in harmony together, relying on each other to somehow keep the painting from metaphorically falling over.

Moments away from what I’m sure would have been an artistic epiphany, my brain’s strain was relieved by Cathy Malloy, the Arts Council’s CEO, stealing the floor with Matthew on her right to thank everyone for coming to support Matthew and the Gallery itself. Reluctantly passing the floor to Matthew shortly thereafter, Matthew repeated Cathy’s warm sentiments of appreciation for everyone’s attendance and encouragement.

To learn more about Matthew’s work, check out www.LetsGoArts.org/Gallery, his Twitter (@Matthew_Best) and his Tumblr pages: http://newparkave.tumblr.com/ http://matthewjbest.tumblr.com. Also, make sure to stop by the Gallery and see the exhibition before June 1^st. I promise the artist’s statement will still be there to inspire many musings about Matthew’s dense, impressive paintings.

Apr 11

Q & A: Artist Matthew Best

Last week, the Arts Council’s 100 Pearl Street Gallery opened its doors to “Interface: New Work,” Paintings by Matthew Best, which will be on display until June 2^nd. After spending some time with the work, I was impressed with the texture of Matt’s canvases. There are layers of brushstrokes and drawn lines that catalog his choices and movements in each piece. I immediately thought of Harold Rosenberg, the art critic who coined the term “action painting” to describe the work of young painters like Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline in 1952. He saw in their work a new interaction between painter and canvas, where the surface was a space in which to act – the painting became a record of the encounter between the artist and his canvas. Matt upholds this tradition, but reinvigorates it.

To delve deeper into his work and thoughts, and to prepare for his exhibition’s opening reception this Thursday, April 12^th from 5pm-7pm, I asked Matt a few questions about what inspires his art.

What led you to pursue painting in your artistic career?

I had always done a lot of drawing for most of my life. It wasn’t until I took my first painting class in high school that I had a kind of aha! moment. While I had always enjoyed drawing, I absolutely loved painting. I don’t quite know what it was, in part I think it was being able to use color. Also perhaps the paint itself, I just liked playing with it.

My first experience with painting in high school was with children’s tempera paint which was really difficult to work with, but I did what I would consider my first “real” painting. It was a monochromatic landscape painting of a river in France. I was really excited and proud of that painting.. .

I later majored in painting at Hartford Art School, I worked with two amazing professors who have since passed on, Susan Wilmarth-Rabineau and Stephen Brown. I learned the expressive power of paint from them; that paint isn’t something that you just place on a canvas – it is a wonderful substance that you manipulate and play with. I will always be in their debt.

Can you talk about some of your creative influences, where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration everywhere. Specific art influences would be 20^th century modernism, in particular the Abstract Expressionists. I’m constantly inspired by the works of Joan Mitchell, Willem De Kooning, Phillips Guston and Richard Diebenkorn. Cubism is always in the back of my mind. I fell in love with Cubism while in high school and I’ve never gotten it out of my system. I like how it organizes and distorts space. It is probably more of an influence on me than I realize.

I am constantly inspired by my practice of yoga which has deepened and expanded my awareness of my body, both positively and negatively. Yoga requires great mental focus and physical strength to maintain the poses – if one of these elements is missing, you fall. These paintings strive to achieve this same balance. Art, like yoga, can be difficult. If something is out of balance it can ruin the piece, or make it…you never know. Yoga has taught me to be patient with my work.

Twitter has been a surprising source of inspiration. Thanks to Twitter I have met exciting and interesting artists all over the world that I otherwise would never have had the chance to. It is a source of constant stimulation. I even got the titles for a number of paintings for my current show from Twitter. I explained the ideas I wanted to express and tweets came back with words describing that exhibition’s theme. Interface…perfect.

How does Hartford factor in to your work? Anything that really makes this a great place to live and create work?

My first experiences viewing art were at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford. I still vividly remember elementary school field trips to the museum and seeing the mummy and the Sunbather by Duane Hanson. In high school after I became more interested in art I used to go to the Atheneum as often as I could. It was an essential part of my education as an artist. I was exposed to so much art. I was really lucky to have the museum as a resource. Much of their collection has been a constant presence in my life, kind of like old friends.

My studio is in the same building as Real Art Ways and I’m grateful to have such a great space to work. There is such diversity of people and scenery within the Hartford area, these influences are constant within my work. And with venues such as the Greater Hartford Arts Council showing and bringing in new talent its great to see the city building up its arts community. What I love about living here is that Hartford is a city, with all the character and diversity of larger cities, but without having the more negative realities and pressures of living and working in those larger cities.

What are you working on now? What direction is your work taking?

Since finishing my paintings for the 100 Pearl Street Gallery show, I have mostly focused on drawing. I have been working on a series of somewhat large ink on paper drawings focusing mainly on mark-making and gesture repeated over and over again. They have a sort of disorienting feeling to them, as you look at them different layers of the drawings seems to emerge. The impulse is to interpret them as writing but they are, of course, purely abstract. After working so intently on the paintings I have found them more relaxing and somewhat playful to work on.

I recently took a trip to Detroit to visit friends and the graffiti combined with the decayed architecture was really exciting and interesting to me. A few sketches I have done since have reflected this but nothing concrete has come out of it yet. A rougher way to working, the application of paint is looser.

Thanks to Matt for answering my questions! You can learn more about Matt by following him on Twitter (@Matthew_Best) and checking out his Tumblr pages : http://newparkave.tumblr.com/ http://matthewjbest.tumblr.com.