Robert Meredith Artist Talk, Emerging Art Scene

Flower Shop

It usually takes a medical miracle or divine mirage to deceive the human eye, yet Robert Meredith’s paintings effortlessly do just that.  His “trompe l’oeil” method of painting, literally translated from French to mean “to fool the eye”, has gained him renowned recognition across the country and throughout the art world.  Fortunately for Atlantans, he brought his little artistic miracles to Castleberry Hill where Emerging Art Scene is proudly displaying his work.

Before stumbling on his found success with the trompe l’oeil medium, Meredith painted landscapes and custom portraits for forty years.  He has had forty five one-man shows, his most recent exhibition being  a retrospective at the Creative Arts Guild in Dalton, Georgia.

Jack of All Trades

Merely looking at images of his work do not do the paintings justice. His realistic representations of open cabinets with three dimensional objects inside invite viewers to touch the canvas to see if they can reach out and grab the contents. His transcendent store window paintings with city street reflections make one think they are actually looking in a store window.  For once, the artist encourages the viewer to touch the work to understand the optical illusion.

Emerging Art Scene will be hosting an artist talk for Robert Meredith on Saturday, June 4^th from 1:00-3:00.  Stop by and hear the undoubtedly engaging talk the artist will give on his masterful work.  RSVP by emailing denise@emergingartscene.com.

FLORA, Kai Lin Art

Flora, Anne Esler

Flora is an arrangement of indigenous life, and Kai Lin Art’s appropriately titled exhibition is just that – a blending of art that represents life and artists who breathe the beauty of creativity.  Kai Lin’s FLORA opened in full bloom with flowers, intestines (!), and a strong pink pallet that filled the space with a springtime glow.

How do flowers and intestines co-exist in the same exhibition, one may ask? When the focus is on living, breathing objects, whether in nature or the human body, all bets are off. Artists Anne Elser, Drew Watts, Karen Divine and Lucha Rodriguez joined together to display their unique representations of the FLORA subject matter, and together formed  one of this spring’s most vibrant art exhibitions in Atlanta.

Cleveland native Anne Elser seems the perfect artist choice for an exhibition based on love and life. “I see our universe as a living, breathing organism, rich with color, passion, grace and infinite goodness,” she says in her artist’s statement. “Believing our worlds reflect everything about us, I use symbol and metaphor while creating in fullness and in love.”  Her feminine floral canvases contain optimistic singular words that send their own messages of life and of hope.

Twinned Apparatus Grisacio, Lucha Rodriguez

Drew Watts has a more a more surreal, unconventional portrayal of flora in his work for the show.  Though painted with oils, his work appears translucent, like layers of opaque flower petals overlapping to reveal figures interacting in the distance.  His contemporary techniques of portraying the figure in a landscape aim to have one think differently about painting and figural portrayal, and in his words, about “certain issues of our own culture and society” as a whole.  Bringing together people and nature in art is a concept not often explored.

Karen Divine is the sole photographer of the show, using photo montages to portray Alice and Wonderland-esque settings through a blurred lens.  In Karen’s world, kangaroos hold chickens in their pouches,  pigs fly, and imagination reigns king.  She “sees the world in layers, stacking colors and ideas, forms and stories onto each other as if one were walking through their day with blurred vision.” Her work is reminiscent of the mind of a child – playful, imaginative, and self-discovering.

Lucha Rodriguez took the living concept to a whole new level, exploring various definitions and conceptions of the internal, related to the human body and the mind.  The “internal” is taken literally as  the inside of a human body.  Her three dimensional works of hand cut and sewn etchings showcase intestines weaving through each other in interesting patterns and forms, inviting the viewer to become entangled among the organs.  The layering effect is most interesting, what the artist likes to call a dialog between science and metaphysics.

Join these artists and the staff of Kai Lin Art for an artist talk this Friday, May 13th, between 5-7pm to hear more about how the work was created and view the spectacular FLORA exhibit first-hand.

Blonde Bombshell exhibition, Huff Harrington Gallery

It’s the age old question whether blondes or brunettes have more fun, but this past Friday the blondes reigned supreme as they kicked off their Blonde Bombshell exhibition at Huff Harrington gallery in Buckhead.   The “Huffingtons” chose a group of artists whose paintings they thought worked beautifully together, who all happened to be blonde and beautiful in their own right, and the Bombshell exhibition was born.

Lorraine Christie I Wish

Artists Lorraine Christie, Melissa Payne Baker, Dawne Raulet, Bonnie Beauchamp Cooke, Liz Barber, and the lucky solo male artist Aaron Whitehouse wore the Bombshell label proudly as they worked the crowd, displaying their finest paintings.  The pieces had subtle tones, soft lines and cool colors, which contracted with the loud and boisterous crowd that evening… the gallery packed a full house, a sure sign of a successful show.

Despite their similarities, each artist brought their own unique style and flavor to the exhibition; Dawne with her subdued animal paintings on contrasting stark black backgrounds; Liz with her whimsical abstract configurations and cool color choices;

Melissa Payne Baker Colorful Landscape

Bonnie with her beautiful horse paintings and country-girl flair;  Aaron with his moody and textured canvases; and Melissa with her serene  impressionist landscapes and soft brushstrokes- the show had something to offer all artistic tastes and was truly an art lover’s delight.

The Blonde Bombshell exhibition will be at Huff Harrington Gallery until April 2nd.  Stop by the gallery and see the Spring’s hottest color palettes, in the paintings and in the coiffure.

Fay Gold Home and Collection Tour, April 3rd

Atlanta’s art scene has Fay Gold to thank for its modern flair and international contemporary status.  This grand dame of the art world single-handedly put Atlanta on the art map by bringing talents such as Cindy Sherman and Robert Mapplethorpe to her gallery in the early 80’s.  Their satirical photographs were so ripe with controversy the budding talents instantly became international superstars – and they took Fay along for the ride.  Like a modern day Peggy Guggenheim, Fay jump started the careers of major contemporary artists like Sherman and Mapplethorpe and was Atlanta’s connection to all things avant-garde.  From its initiation in 1982, Fay Gold Gallery remained the most esteemed art space in Atlanta for almost 30 years (read her full bio here).

With a career this exhilarating, one could image the plethora of art she accumulated in her personal collection. Now the Atlanta public, through the High Museum’s Art Partners, will have the opportunity to see Fay Gold’s art collection first-hand when she opens the doors of her Buckhead home for a private tour on Sunday, April 3 at 3:00 pm.   Those who attend will experience her passion for art though her personal stories and unique contemporary collection.  RSVP for your spot by emailing artpartners@woodruffcenter.org or call the box office at 404-733-5000 .  Tickets are $25 for museum members and $35 for non members.

Earth: Natural Organic Beauty, Kai Lin Art

James P. Garrett birch trees

In an event as rare as a snowstorm in Atlanta, Kai Lin gallery kicked off their 2011 exhibition schedule with en plein air style paintings in their EARTH: NATURAL ORGANIC BEAUTY show which opened this past Friday. Kai Lin, known mostly for its more modern, abstract expressionist art, pleasantly surprised its patrons with realist landscape pieces that offered up a glimpse of spring and were as refreshing as a breath of fresh, “natural organic” air.

Brett Osborn, Georgia Leaves

The exhibit is the gallery’s first dual solo exhibition, featuring artists Brett Osborn, Professor and Dean of SCAD, and James P Garrett, a London-born Venetian plaster painter. Both artists are clearly inspired by the earth and nature in general; their abundant landscape paintings transformed Kai Lin’s space into an awe-inspiring eco-forest.  Garrett clearly has a knack for painting birch trees with a mastery of texture.  His isolation of the white birch stumps in their surroundings gives his natural paintings an artistic edge, which can be attributed to the use of plaster and perspective.  Osbom’s work definitely has a more “painterly” feel – his use of depth and color capture the unrefined feeling of the great outdoors. Together, the artists’ work comes together to compliment each other and create one beautiful exhibition.

Earth will be on display at Kai Lin until April 6^th, 2011.  Contact the gallery for more information or to purchase a piece for your collection.

Toulouse-Lautrec & Friends at the High Museum of Art

The Clowness

The Belle Epoque has Toulouse-Lautrec to thank for turning the forlorn streets of Paris into bright and cheerful corridors decorated with bright advertisement art.  From Cancan dancers at the Moulin Rouge and the decadent world of Montmartre to advertising posters for rowdy cabarets, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec created some of the world’s most recognizable images of turn-of-the-century Paris.  The city of Atlanta is lucky  to have access to these most impressive and rare pieces by Lautrec now on display at the High Museum courtesy of collectors Irene and Howard Stein.

Among the legendary works included in the exhibition is The Clowness at the Moulin Rouge, a lithograph of twenty impressions that Lautrec created in the Moulin Rouge.  The Clowness is a quintessential Lautrec piece, showcasing his obsession with Parisian nightlife and highlighting his skills as a turn of the century artist.

The exhibition runs from January 29th through May 1st. Don’t be the last to see this spectacular exhibition, reserve your tickets here and experience a little piece of Belle Epoque Paris!

Anima & Animus, Young Blood Gallery and Boutique

Amelia Netto, Come Away

Young Blood Gallery in Virginia Highlands just joined Ponce powerhouses Kibbee and Beep Beep Galleries for PONCE CRUSH!, a monthly gallery stroll along Ponce de Leon Ave.   They kicked off their collaboration on January 8^th with Anima & Animus, a mixed medium show which aimed to explore a glimpse of Atlanta’s collective unconscious through animal inspired artwork by 15 local artists.  The exhibition was entirely dedicated to animal imagery and media and the exploration of the animal/human connection.

In his Curator’s Statement, James O’Donnell states:

Animals are engrained in our universal experience, populating our shared systems of symbols, stories, and beliefs.

Tamara Argo

They are the ancient sources of wisdom that we look to for inspiration and survival.  They belong to everyone and no one.  But our relationship is not simple.  We eat them.  We wear them.  We cage them.  We kill them.  We love them.  At times, they seem captivating and familiar while at other times unpredictable and frightening. They can be our guardians and our enemies.  They are nothing if not open to interpretation.

The artwork on display was certainly open to interpretation as well.  Young, up-and-coming artists and first time exhibitors (see here for a complete listing) put their best work forward to correspond with the theme.  Amelia Netto literally displayed the animal/human connection by use of a string in her piece “Come Away.”   Tamara Argo created a half-bird, half-human sculpture reminiscent of Max Ernst’s famous Loplop birds from the Dada movement (according to Tamara, it was purely coincidental!).  All the works were imaginative and aesthetically pleasing.  Kudos to first time curator James O’Donnell, who is also a visual artist who participated in the show.

Young Blood prides itself on its diverse selection of work by emerging artists and independent designers.  The boutique in the front of the gallery is full of eclectic and affordable gifts for the artistically inclined.  They contribute the growth and success of their new gallery and boutique to contributions from artists around the Atlanta area.  The pieces are AFFODABLE, edgy, and the atmosphere is bohemian chic.  Anima and Animus will be on display until January 29th.

Dali ’til Dawn, High Museum of Art

One of the "Surreal Performances"

I went to the High Museum to bid farewell to the Salvador Dalí: The Late Work exhibit at 1am on Sunday morning.  Why?  Because I could. 

The High kept its doors open for 31 hours straight during their Dali ‘til Dawn event this weekend, and sent the mustached matriarch off with a bang.  Patrons were entertained with performances by Imperial Opa Circus of the Surreal and WonderRoot, music from the Morningside Chamber Musicians and DJ Heart Disease, kids workshops, sales at the gift shop, and more. 

It’s a well known fact that the Surrealists relied on sleep deprivation (and sometimes absinthe) to provide the hallucinogenic visions that inspired their art…  so the all-night, insomniatic escapade was a very suiting send off and tribute to the Surrealist master! Night owls and art aficionados alike roamed the museum until wee hours of the morning during what I believe to be the most successful, passionate, and  well-attended closing to an exhibition in the High’s history.  Way to go, High Museum! And way to go Atlantans for coming out and supporting the arts.  Adios, Dali!

Screaming Souls

Terry Check’s Screaming Souls head to New York

Terry Check, a local photographer, was selected to exhibit his work, Screaming Souls at the 14^th Annual Friends of Friends Photography Auction in New York City on December 7^th from 6-8:30pm. In addition, work of international photographers such as Elliott Erwitt, Andre Kertesz and Hiroshi Sugimoto will be auctioned to benefit the Angkor Hospital for Children in Cambodia. From the Urban Living series, Screaming Souls, exhibited at the Jewish Museum in Berlin, Germany, depicts the extermination of six million European Jews during World War II.

Urban Living, a segmented journey through Europe, documents people as themselves without their facades. Look once, you see a picture … look twice, you see the essence of others, and maybe yourself. Terry said “I love people …. the diversity, interaction and emotions of people. Love, suffering, fear, laughter, anger, despair and complacency are powerful, without color or language”.

Wherever people gather or their memoirs linger behind, Terry strives to capture the moment transcending time and place. His work explores the meaning of life on earth and thereafter. Noticing what others don’t … reaching without consequences to expand his photography.

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali at the High Museum

Salvador Dali’s most famous painting, and perhaps the most famous Postmodern painting of the 20th century, is being uncrated and hung at the High Museum tomorrow (November 12th) at 10am.  The Persistence of Memory (1931) will join Dali’s other paintings and drawings in his Late Work exhibition currently on display, and will be on view through the run of the exhibition, which ends January 9, 2011.

According to his autobiography “The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí,” the painting was done one evening after dinner while his wife Gala was out. Dalí was looking at a landscape that he had painted, trying to think of something memorable and fantastic to insert into the landscape. Nearby was a piece of Camembert cheese that had begun to melt. As he looked at the melting cheese, he got the idea to paint a soft clock. When Gala came home Dalí put his hands over her eyes, revealed the painting and asked what she thought. Her response was that once someone had seen it, they would never forget it, hence the title The Persistence of Memory.

The iconic soft clocks became Dali and the Surrealist’s unconscious symbol of the relativity of space and time and one of the most recognizable works of art in history.