Art Found Out

Guillermo Martin Bermejo – at Arana Poveda Galeria

2012-02-04T23:32:00.007+09:00

A new exhibition by Guillermo Martin Bermejo is currently at the Arana Poveda Galeria in Madrid (February 3rd. - April 13th. 2012).

The works shown are diminutive in scale and emotionally intimate. Bermejo is an artist who reveals the personal with a storybook like narrative. The power of his work is delivered with a soft voice.

click here to visit the Arana Poveda Galeria web site

Fortune teller's front door

2012-01-26T07:38:00.007+09:00

These images were taken in Bangkok's Chinatown. Handmade signs like these are becoming rare in Thailand today.

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion – very, very blue

2012-01-25T07:57:00.006+09:00

The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is located in the historic district of George Town, the capital of the state of Penang, Malaysia. The “inner city” of George Town has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its remarkable colonial and multicultural buildings.

One of the most impressive homes in George Town is the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. Once the main house of self-made businessman, Cheong Fatt Tze, this eclectic structure reflects the trends and influences prevalent in the late 1800s. Artisans from the region and abroad had a hand in building the mansion. Chinese and European styles coexist in the building, creating a space filled with the unexpected.

Over the years, the mansion fell into disrepair, but recently it has been carefully restored and is now a hotel.

The hotel maintains an extensive web site with historical information and many images. To visit the site, click here.

HandEye - issue 07 / New Mexico

2012-01-06T00:47:00.011+09:00

The latest edition of HandEye takes a fresh look at the arts of New Mexico. These three essays are the original drafts for the articles in that issue.

Joe Morales - Carving under the New Mexican Sky

Joe Morales has been carving wood since he was a young boy. Self taught and motivated from the heart, this artist’s work is honest and authentic.

As a child, Morales endured many hardships. His mother died when he was only seven years old and from that time on, his personal needs were often neglected. Despite having poor vision, he was not given eyeglasses. Unable to see the blackboard in school, he could not fully participate in classroom activities and so he started to draw at his desk. His talent was acknowledged early on and his drawings were included in student exhibitions at local museums. Encouraged by the response, he carved his first piece of wood when he was just thirteen years old.

The light and landscape of New Mexico is raw and nuanced. It is the aesthetic embraced by many artists associated with the region. Morales has absorbed the understated elegance of the environment around him. He lets the wood speak, enhancing his art, giving meaning to the most traditional of forms. His hand is evident on the surface of each cross, yet he never overpowers the wood, intuitively knowing its natural beauty will add richness to the carving.

The work of Morales also resonates with the rich heritage of the Hispanic South West. His efforts show a strength that is direct and compelling, similar to the crosses found in old adobe churches throughout New Mexico. Morales has a personal voice as a carver, while staying true to the artistic traditions established by generations of artisans.

Since his late teens, Joseph Junior has assisted his father in the woodshop. Today they collaborate on each piece, from concept to completion. Remarkably they have developed an almost seamless hand, where the contributions of one are indistinguishable from that of the other.

Each year the Morales's participate in the Santa Fe Spanish Market, an important showcase for Hispanic art. This is the main venue where their work reaches the public. At the market, collectors come to view new sculpture and visit their favorite artists. Curators and art historians are also in attendance. This event has helped place their work in the homes of private collectors, as well as in the International Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe.

Like the men who made crosses four hundred years ago in New Mexico, Morales’s work transcend the decorative. Often people are drawn to these works for religious reasons. For generations of carvers, this has been the traditional purpose – creating for the devoted and for the Catholic Church itself.

Today Joe Morales lives in a rural setting, about twenty minutes from the center of Santa Fe. Home is a large family compound where his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren surround him. Even in the woodshop, a young great grandchild is frequently there, looking on.

Alexander Girard – collecting the ordinary, collecting the extraordinary

Alexander Girard (1907 – 1993) was one of the great mid-century modern designers and a colleague of Charles and Ray Eames as well as George Nelson. Girard is best known for the textiles he created for Herman Miller, many of which are still in production today. In addition, he was an exhibitions designer and planned the installation of the groundbreaking 1954 show at the Museum of Modern Art, "Good Design".

Yet Girard was not your typical modernist. While he embraced cutting edge design concepts and was a colleague to the most progressive innovators of his time, Girard had a passion for handcrafted objects grounded in traditional cultures. To call his interest a passion is almost an understatement; for in his lifetime, he collected over 106,000 folk art objects!

Today the Girard Foundation Collection is housed in its own wing of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe NM. In addition to giving his collection to the museum in 1978, he designed the exhibition and was on site for the permanent installation. The presentation is unconventional; objects are densely clustered together, at times grouped by country or by theme. The works on public view are in a massive gallery, displayed on platforms, pedestals and walls from floor to ceiling.

Girard was very specific about how his collection would be arranged and seen by the public. His connection to these objects was unlike a museum curator or art historian. As an accomplished designer, he had a heightened awareness of the universality of visual language. This installation highlights the similarities of objects from very different cultures, rather than focusing on an individual artist’s work.

The range of works in this collection is no less than extraordinary. Toys, costumes, masks, textiles, paintings and religious objects fill the gallery. Refined works, made by artisans who learned their craft in traditional settings, are displayed along side expressive efforts by self-taught men and women, who found their own creative directions.

Anonymous makers created most of the artwork in the collection. Yet some well-known folk art masters are represented. Countless clay figures made by the Aguilar family illustrate Mexican village life. While work by artists such as the Aguilars are seen by some as “tourist art” and hardly worthy of note, Girard appreciated their creativity and vitality. It was this ability to see the greatness in the ordinary that made Girard unique as a collector.

Two other notable artists in the collection are Manuel Jimenez from the village of San Antonio Arrazola, Oaxaca and Candelario Medrano, who lived in the village of Santa Cruz on the outskirts of Guadalajara. These men are now deceased, but both left important legacies. Jimenez is the father of Oaxaca woodcarving. He was self-taught and the great Oaxaca carving tradition did not exist before him. Medrano made ceramic Noah's arks, merry-go-rounds, jet planes, churches, and fantastic other worldly animals. A man without any formal education, Medrano started life making hand-made clay sewer pipe. In his later life through his creative drive and efforts, he gained international recognition for his artistic clay works.

While much of the collection is joyful and decorative, there are also pieces that are profound and religious in nature. Mexican Retablos, humble paintings, which would have been found in Catholic homes, are thoughtfully displayed in an intimate space. Devotional objects for Hindu rituals as well as objects made for temples in China and religious festivals in Africa can be seen in the gallery.

The shear beauty and exuberance of the works will excite and awe visitors. This collection gloriously stands as a testament to the creative spirit. Wandering through the exhibition one sees the passion and longing shared in all corners of the world to enhance the mundane and create richness and meaning in the simplest objects encountered every day.

Alexander Girard felt an affinity with the artists whose work he collected. Although highly educated and erudite, he was known for his colorful and at times playful approach to design. Girard’s work was accessible, inviting and generous in spirit, much like the thousands of objects he valued and collected.

Gail Rieke – a life perfectly calibrated

There is no line, no distinction, between life and art for Santa Fe based artist, Gail Rieke. Her world is about texture, surface, and the tactile materials of a considered palette. She collects and arranges in her art and her environment. Rich hues of browns, grays, and golds, perfectly calibrated, define her.

Rieke creates collages and installations by assembling elements, which in the end, give greater meaning to the grouping than to the objects alone. Hers is a vision based on relationships and interactions. In this work, found objects, man-made and from nature, coexist with a sense of grace and harmony.

It appears that Rieke’s aesthetic sensibility is rooted in the Japanese concept of “Mingei”. While this term is a reference to beautiful functional objects made by anonymous crafts people, it has also come to imply a quiet elegance enhanced by unpretentious materials. Rieke, who has spent time in Japan, clearly appreciates this orientation to beauty and has found a pathway to make it her own.

Rieke sees the wonder in humble forms that others might overlook, such as simple utilitarian baskets or gourds of varying dimensions, which she keeps in her studio. On one wall, a group of baskets carefully aligned, are clearly a collection displayed for inspiration and the simple pleasure of viewing. Many of the objects placed in boxes and drawers will one day be included in a collage. Yet even materials in storage have been placed with consideration. It is as if Rieke cannot stop herself from thinking about the relationships between forms whenever she handles an object.

With a gentle touch, Rieke crafts her collages. Placement of elements is her primary method rather than the manipulation or transformation of materials. Color often unifies the work, creating continuity. In Dream of the Lioness, Rieke arranges simple rectangular shapes, different in material and patina, into an artwork of balance and tranquility. This work is restrained, but at the same time lush. The gold color tones seen throughout the collage have a depth that cannot be duplicated with paint on a page. Rieke relies on found objects as a color source. Her palette would be difficult to achieve with conventional artist materials.

One of the most remarkable features of Rieke’s studio is her wall of suitcases. Antique leather, canvas, and wood cases are placed within a structure specifically built to house them. Like an artist’s installation, it suggests a narrative that needs interpretation. Whose cases are these? What is inside? Who collected them and why? In response to such questions, Rieke explains, “The “suitcase wall” is a floor to ceiling structure which houses antique suitcases, boxes, baskets and trunks. When opened they display travel journals recalling the enigma of past adventure, calendars measuring out time in varied configurations and collections of objects of wonder.”

It is rare to find an artist whose vision is as comprehensive as Gail Rieke’s. While most artists think about working for a gallery or museum setting, Rieke draws no line between the personal and the professional. The world of found objects and cast off materials informs and motivates Rieke and her response is as clear in her art as it is in the space she has created for her studio.

click here to order HandEye

Thailand’s Spirit Tattoos – two new books

2011-12-24T21:10:00.007+09:00

Recently two books, Sacred Tattoos of Thailand and Sacred Skin, have been published on the tattoos of Thailand. These sacred tattoos are called Sak Yant in Thai. It is believed that this ink protects the devoted, enhances strength, removes obstacles and can bring fortune and good luck. Sak Yant is an ancient tradition using images and symbols deeply rooted in Thai culture.

Sacred Tattoos of Thailand by Joe Cummings is the more scholarly of the two volumes. Cummings, who studied Southeast Asian art history and received a master’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley, takes the reader deep into the world of the Sak Yant masters, as well as the people they ink. His academic background is apparent in the depth and organization of the information presented. British photographer Dan White’s pictures perfectly support the text. This comprehensive study is engaging and gives the reader an excellent overview of the subject.

Sacred Skin takes a very different approach to this material. Sacred Skin is an equal collaboration between author Tom Vater and photographer Aroon Thaewchatturat. The seductive and intimate images are as important to this book as the text. While Vater writes about Sak Yant, Thaewchatturat’s portraits show the complexity of an art form that radically transforms those who choose the ink. .

Sacred Tattoos of Thailand and Sacred Skin are both well-conceived books. Each book gives insights to an important cultural tradition that transcends the decorative and holds profound meaning to many Thais.

click here to see the Sacred Tattoos of Thailand web site

click here to see the Sacred Skin website

Joe Morales: Giving Form to Wood – from the Folk Art Messenger, fall/winter 2011

2011-12-22T16:28:00.004+09:00

Joe Morales, a New Mexican woodcarver, was not born into a tradition of santeros (saint carvers) nor has he studied with any master artisans. Morales found his direction on his own, looking inward, while at the same time absorbing the vibrant cultural heritage of the Hispanic Southwest.

As a child Morales endured many hardships. His mother died when he was seven years old. From that time on, his personal needs were often neglected. Despite poor vision, he was not given eyeglasses. Unable to see the blackboard in school, he could not fully participate in classroom activities, so he started to draw at his desk. However, his talent was recognized early on, and his drawings were included in student exhibitions at local museums. Encouraged by this response, he carved his first piece of wood when he was just 13 years old.

Today, Morales carves images of historical religious figures whom he admires. Although his works are available for purchase, commercial considerations do not seem important to him. His sculptures are created for the purest of motivations – the pleasure of the artistic process and sharing his vision with others. Every piece reflects this orientation, expressing the sentiments of a man committed to art.

The sculptures created by Morales do not easily fit into the traditional New Mexican carving styles. His work exposes the raw emotions of a passionate artist. While other well-known santeros make objects with formal elegance or folk art-like charm, Morales’s work stands alone. His figures are expressive and heartfelt. His approach to carving is inspired.

Since his late teens, Morales’s son, Joseph Jr., has assisted his father in the workshop. Today they collaborate on each sculpture from concept to completion. Remarkably, they have developed an almost seamless hand, where the contributions of one are indistinguishable from that of the other.

Each year, father and son participate in Santa Fe’s Spanish Market, an important showcase for Hispanic art, and the main venue where their work reaches the public. At Spanish Market collectors come to view new works and visit their favorite artists. Curators and art historians are also in attendance. This event has helped place their work in the homes of private collectors as well as the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe.

The works of the two Moraleses, like the figures carved by santeros 400 years ago, transcend the decorative. They bring form to well-known Biblical subjects. The emotional experience of many who are moved by their sculptures is religious in nature. For generations of carvers in New Mexico, this has been the traditional advocation – the creation of religious figures for the Catholic Church and for its followers.

Today, in a rural setting about 20 minutes from the center of Santa Fe, Morales lives in a large family compound where his children, a grandchild and several great-grandchildren surround him. Often, when he is carving in his workshop, a young great-grandchild is there with him, looking on. The richness of his life is reflected in his sculptures. After a lifetime of carving, the artwork of Joe Morales remains energetic and engaging.

Le Dinh Nghien – the last Hang Trong painter

2011-12-20T20:52:00.009+09:00

For generations, residents of Hanoi bought Hang Trong paintings to decorate their homes for Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year). In the past, there were two streets in the old part of the city where artists lived, worked and sold their paintings. Today, there is just one man who carries on this tradition.

Le Dinh Nghien has been making paintings since he was young boy, the only one of his siblings to take on the art of his father. Hang Trong are works on paper that combine woodblock printing and hand painting. When Mr. Nghien creates a piece, he is working with the same woodblock used by his father and by generations of family artists before them.

While Mr. Nghien’s son has expressed an interest in painting, it is not clear if the tradition will continue or if Le Dinh Nghien will, in fact, be the last Hang Trong painter.

For more information on Hang Trong painting, click here

click here to see a video the includes Mr. Nghien

Khoo Kongsi Temple - 36 Celestial Guardians

2011-12-13T21:31:00.007+09:00

These images are part of the “36 Celestial Guardians” mural painted on two walls of the Khoo Kongsi clan association temple in the city of Georgetown, Penang Malaysia.

The temple is elaborately embellished with colorful carvings and paintings. Yet these murals have a restraint and directness similar to classical Chinese calligraphy.

click here to visit the Khoo Kongsi clan association temple website

Ruddy Staffel – the art of almost nothing

2011-11-30T22:12:00.003+09:00

The aesthetic of Ruddy Staffel (1911- 2002) was esoteric, yet elegant. His simple white porcelain vessels, generally no larger than twelve inches in height, appear at first glance to be damaged wares. Fragmented, torn and twisted, these clay forms were groundbreaking when first exhibited. With a non-conventional sense of refinement, Staffel left a body of work built on a deeply personal conceptual platform.

Staffel was an artist who found his voice late in life. While early efforts were respectable, it was not until he created the “Light Gatherer” porcelain series, that his truly original art emerged.

Staffel was on faculty at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia from 1940 until his retirement in 1978. He was active with the local ceramic and craft community and had a strong affiliation with the Helen Drutt Gallery. The Philadelphia Museum of Art has a large collection of his ceramics.

click here to see the Staffel collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Ganesh Jogi – his voice

2011-11-24T19:53:00.003+09:00

While the drawings of Ganesh have been presented on this site, it was his voice that first brought him recognition.

Ganesh was recorded singing with his wife, Teju, by BeatofIndia.com

The above images are from a performance organized by Tara books - an evening of music for book and music lovers at Spaces, a venue in Chennai.

click here to listen to samples and order the CD

Felipe Morales

2011-11-19T22:42:00.007+09:00

Recently, Felipe Morales has put up a website.

Many examples of the artist’s work are on the site with text in both Spanish and English.

For additional information on Morales, click on his name on the list to the right.

click here to visit the site

Rew Hanks – linocuts

2011-11-10T20:02:00.003+09:00

At first glance, the linocuts of Rew Hanks seem to be from another time. Appearing historic in subject matter, his works are reminiscent of prints from the 1800’s. Yet on close inspection, these edgy complex pictures are grounded in the contemporary.

Hanks is from Australia and his imagery generally relates to the Australian narrative. With a master’s hand, he renders a world both real and fantastic. His prints are often as large as 100 x 71 cm, with a surface created by an almost mesmerizing range of grays.

click here to see more of Hanks work to be shown in an upcoming show at the Watters Gallery in Sydney

Ganesh Jogi – a narrative of his own invention

2011-11-07T23:28:00.008+09:00

On November 2, India lost one of its most charismatic artists, Ganesh Jogi. Ganesh started life as a singer of devotional songs in a small village. His path to drawing was unusual and his story was reported in Minhazz Majumdar’s article for the Folk Art Messenger (click on “Ganesh and Teju” in the list to the right for the article).

Ganesh was a self-taught artist. Unlike most of the other artists documented on this site, Ganesh was not born into a visual artistic tradition. He created a personal narrative with figures of his own invention. His work is rich in fine details, but does not reproduce well in print or on-line. Only when seeing an actual drawing can one truly appreciate the greatness of his efforts.

He is survived by his beloved wife Teju and several children, many of whom were inspired by their father to become artists themselves.

Nahum B. Zenil - two prints

2011-11-03T19:40:00.004+09:00

Two recent works by Nahum Zenil.

Kyoko Okubo - at Mobilia Gallery

2011-11-03T01:51:00.004+09:00

Works from the current show of Kyoko Okubo at Mobilia Gallery.

click here to see Okubo's sculptures on the gallery site

Amit Ambalal - painting a world slightly out of balance

2011-10-12T20:52:00.010+09:00

Amit Ambalal, born in 1943, began his career running his family’s textile mill. In 1977 he left the world of business and became a full-time painter.

Ambalal established himself as one of Indian’s most innovative, yet curious artists. He paints a world slightly out of balance, a place of the senses and unintended events.

The narratives in these paintings are suggestive; little is clearly defined. To interpret this work, it is best to relay on one’s intuition, rather than one’s intellect.

click here to read an interview with the artist

Kalighat Painting – upcoming from the V&A Museum

2011-10-09T12:17:00.005+09:00

Currently the V&A is putting together a traveling exhibition of Kalighat Painting. The show will include works by Kalam Patua. Patua is the leading Indian artist who is reinvigorating this art form. This work is one Patua painted for the V&A.

For more information on Patua, click on his name in the list to the right.

click here to learn more about the exhibition

Wayacon

2011-09-26T21:35:00.011+09:00

Born in Remedios, Cuba in 1931, Wayacon (Julian Espinosa) is an intensely liberated man who is not restrained by notions that limit most artists. He is as likely to paint on paper or canvas as he is to use a shirt or a pair of paints as his surface. Some may say his work looks childlike. Yet no child would create art with this intensity and depth of focus. There is a directness to his efforts that is always fresh and unencumbered.

Waya is represented in the United States by the Cuban Art space in NYC. Click here to visit their website

The Indigo Gallery in Philadelphia also shows his work. Click here to visit the Indigo Gallery website

The Mokin Museum – Seoul Korea

2011-09-10T01:37:00.007+09:00

The Mokin Museum is a small intimate exhibition space committed to Kkoktu (Korean funerary figures). There are more than five hundred remarkable objects in this collection.

While the museum has only been open for a few years, it’s influence has been impressive. This art form was virtually unknown outside of Korea, yet due to the efforts of this institution, exhibitions have taking place in important museums around the world.

The Mokin Museum has also published an impressive book on the collection.

click here to visit the museum’s web site

Allyson Mellberg - in HandEye

2011-09-06T04:09:00.006+09:00

Allyson Mellberg's paper cuts were featured in HandEye.

Click here to read the artical

Bhil and Gond art - on line

2011-08-20T10:13:00.005+09:00

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) has put on line a massive site defining the works of the Bhil and Gond tribes.

click here to see the site

Joe and Joseph Morales - Giving form to wood, under the New Mexican sky

2011-08-17T23:49:00.010+09:00

Joe Morales has been carving religious figures since he was 13 years old. He is self-taught and has found his artistic voice entirely on his own. Joseph, his son, has been working with his father since he was in his late teens.

Currently the Folk Art Messenger is preparing an article about these remarkable carvers which will also be posted on this site.

San Camilo de Lelis – two remarkable examples

2011-08-13T08:38:00.005+09:00

These two remarkable Mexican retablos depict the Catholic saint, San Camilo de Lelis. Both are painted on tin and are from the late 1800's.

San Camilo is the patron of the sick. He is always shown in a black robe with a red cross, a reference to the order which he founded, the Ministers of the Sick. In these two paintings, he is seen ministering to a dying person. Around him the conflict between good and evil, represented by the angel and devil, is playing out. These two opposing forces vie for the soul of the departing patient.

Dennis Filling - At the Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art , Santa Fe NM, Aug. 4-7

2011-08-05T03:42:00.012+09:00

The Ames Gallery brought examples of Dennis Filling drawings to the Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art. Filling, who was born in 1949, created a group of intensely focused drawings in the 1960s/70s. He is still alive, but has not worked since that time. Although small in number and size, this body of work is so defined and accomplished, it should gain Filling recognition as one of the great self taught artists to emerge in recent times.

Ames does not have images of this art, so these are informal snap shots taken at the art fair. Better pictures will be coming later.

Philadelphia Museum of Art Acquires a Major collection of American Outsider Art

2011-08-03T09:26:00.006+09:00

From the Philadelphia Museum of Art's recent press release:

"Approximately 190 works by self-taught artists have become promised gifts to the Philadelphia Museum of Art from Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz, who have assembled over the past three decades one of the finest collections of outsider art in private hands in the United States. Their donation, which the Museum will celebrate with an exhibition and catalogue in spring of 2013, will increase the Museum’s holdings of outsider art by more than sixty percent."

click here to read the full press release

Pushpa Kumari - Speaking against Sex-Selective Abortion

2011-07-23T10:31:00.004+09:00

A work by Pushpa Kumari for the Poster Woman Project.

click here to learn more about the Poster Women Project

Allyson Mellberg - new papercuts

2011-07-20T12:10:00.012+09:00

New paper cuts from Allyson Mellberg.

click here to see Mellberg's etsy page

Folk At of the Andes - Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, NM

2011-07-18T06:43:00.005+09:00

From time to time, an exhibition takes place that is a “once in a lifetime” event. These shows are monumental and comprehensive, defining an area of art completely.

Folk Art of the Andes at the International Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe, NM is such an exhibition. Curated by Barbara Mauldin, with over 850 works are on display, this show presents the extraordinary range of objects found in the highland region of South America. The artworks, dated from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, reveal the influences of Western culture on an indigenous population. The diversity seen in the exhibition aesthetically as well as conceptually is immense.

In one gallery, Aymara weavings, as subtle and nuanced as a Rothko painting, fill the walls. In another space, Corpus Christi Dance headdresses made of light bulbs and plastic toys are displayed, reminiscent of efforts of the most eccentric Outsider Artists. The religious and the secular coexisted throughout the exhibition, as well as object both humble and rarefied.

While this region of the Andes is well known as a place of accomplished craft traditions, Mauldin brings to light many creative and individualistic works which reveal the hand of the self taught artist. Throughout the exhibition, one sees the exuberance of intuitive expressions.

To accompany the show, the museum has published a three hundred page catalog, "Folk Art of the Andes". This document will stand as the definitive text on the art of the region. Well organized, with fine images, this book is an excellent stand in for those who cannot view the show first-hand.

The majority of the works on display are from the permanent collection of the museum, with additions lent by collectors. The Museum of International Folk Art is one of the few institutions in the world committed to folk art and that they could mount an exhibition of this scope, primarily from their own holdings demonstrates the dedication and the clarity of their mission.

Folk Art of the Andes is a testament of the creative spirit. Encountering the works on display, one is reminded of the significant role art can play as a physical manifestation of culture.

click here to learn more

Fay Ku

2011-07-12T12:57:00.007+09:00

With an elegant hand, Fay Ku illustrates a world that is sinister and disturbing. Yet, while the narrative of her work can seem frightening, the sheer beauty of her line and the perfection of her color sense is seductive.

This contrast is what makes Ku’s art compelling. Her renderings pulls one to the image, when at times, one wants to look away.

click here to view Fay Ku’s website

Masao Obata - on the cover of Raw Vision

2011-07-11T01:49:00.008+09:00

Raw Vision looks at the works of Masao Obata and Takeshi Shuji in the current issue ( Raw Vision #72 Spring 2011).

click here to visit the Raw Vision site

Prince Twins Seven-Seven - obituary in the NY Times

2011-07-05T03:22:00.003+09:00

Prince Twins Seven-Seven, who passed away on June 16, was remembered today in the NY Times.

click here to read the obituary

click here to see examples of his work at The Indigo Gallery, in Philadelphia

Felipe Morales - a watercolor

2011-05-18T12:10:00.005+09:00

In the late 1980s and early 90s, Felipe Morales painted a group of watercolors that were intensely focused in detail and concept.

This example may be the most complex of all of those works.

To see more works by Morales from this time, click on his name on the list to the right.

Click on the images for a bigger view.

On the road

2011-04-22T12:31:00.002+09:00

On the road for a few months. More posts when I get back.

Aris Moore – drawings

2011-04-08T21:38:00.009+09:00

Aris Moore’s drawings emerge from the page.

It is as if her figures could appear and then disappear, existing in an intimate environment overtaken by fog.

This sense is enhanced when Moore works in her sketchbooks where she draws on both sides of the page. The paper is thin and parts of the drawings on the reverse side can be seen, creating impression rather than clarity.

Moore’s drawing style is full of contradictions. Clearly an accomplished draftsperson, she chooses to render images that are intentionally distorted. Parts of her drawings are dense and detailed while other areas are only suggested.

Her narrative imagery is reminiscent of Outsider artists such as Henry Darger or Martin Ramirez. All the drawings seem connected and suggest clues to a story larger than any of its parts.

click here to learn more about Aris Moore

Ai Weiwei - held by the Chinese government

2011-04-05T17:22:00.014+09:00

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has been detained by the Chinese government. It is unclear where he is being held.

click here for more information

Pushpa Kumari - two works

2011-03-31T22:52:00.006+09:00

Two recent works by Pushpa Kumari.

Top - "Tsunami"

Below - "Shiva and Shukracharya"

Click on images for a larger view.

For more information on Kumari's work, click on her name in the list to the right.

Matthew Feyld - drawings

2011-03-20T17:06:00.006+09:00

Three pencil drawings by Matthew Feyld, each 8 X 10 inches.

For more information on the artist, click on his name on the list to the right.

Allyson Mellberg - at Galerie LJ

2011-03-06T16:23:00.007+09:00

A few examples of Allyson Mellberg's new work from her upcoming show, The Lotus Eaters, at Galerie LJ in Paris. The show runs from March 12 to April 30.

click here to see the gallery's web site

Mei Ling Hom: Cultural Voyaging - in Sculpture Magazine, March 2011

2011-03-03T14:14:00.006+09:00

Mei Ling Hom is featured in the current Sculpture Magazine.

Click here to see the article

For more information on Hom's work, click on her name in the list to the right.

Outsider Calligraphy - in ART iT magazine

2011-03-02T15:05:00.012+09:00

Kyoichi Tsuzuki writes about "Outsider Calligraphy" in ART iT magazine.

The focus is on artists Yuichi Saito and Kunizo Matsumoto.

For more information on these artists, click on their names on the list to the right.

To read the article in ART iT, click here

Pushpa Kumari – new works

2011-02-27T12:44:00.011+09:00

Pushpa Kumari is an artist in transition.

No longer bound by the limitations of her inherited artistic tradition, Kumari now is working with imagery totally of her own invention. These new drawings have only the slightest connection to classical Mithila art and referring to Kumari as a “Mithila artist” now seems inappropriate.

click on images for a larger view

These drawings can be seen at the Cavin Morris Gallery in New York City.

click here to see the Cavin Morris website

For additional information on Pushpa Kumari, click on “Kumari” in the list to the right.

Isan Wats – additional information

2011-02-19T17:55:00.018+09:00

Wat Sanuan Wari - below

Wat Sa Bua Kaeo - below

Wat Chai Si - below

As discussed in the previous post, a number of wats in Isan Thailand were embellished by self taught artists.

This group of photographs shows additional details.

Scholars concerned with Thai culture have begun to study these wats, focusing on the religious and cultural aspects of the paintings. While this orientation is useful in understanding such sites, it does not address another equally important aspect.

These wats share common ground with the great site specific environments found throughout the world - works by outsider/self taught visionaries. Only a handful of such structures can be found in Thailand.

There is a need for research on these sites beyond the perspective of Asian religious art. Self taught artists invented remarkable imagery to tell traditional stories in unconventional ways. To fully understand these murals, the contributions of self taught artists must be a part of the research.

Maps to these wats can be found in the book Buddhist Murals of Northeast Thailand – Reflections of the Isan Heartland. English spellings of the Thai names may vary.

Thanks to David McClellan for the use of these photographs.

Click on the pictures to see a large view

Buddhist Murals of Northeast Thailand – Reflections of the Isan Heartland by Bonnie Pacala Brereton and Somroay Yencheuy

2011-02-15T00:54:00.007+09:00

The paintings discussed in the book, Buddhist Murals of Northeast Thailand – Reflections of the Isan Heartland, are raw and vibrant. In a country known for its refined art forms, the works are unexpected.

Painted by self-taught artists, these murals lack any of the self-conscious restraint evident in classical Thai wall art. Painted on small wats (temples) in the early to mid-twentieth century, it is assumed that the artists were monks associated with the wats or men who at one point lived as monks and therefore were acquainted with Buddhist texts.

Authors Bonnie Pacala Brereton and Somroay Yencheuy write about these murals from historical, cultural, religious and artistic perspectives. Buddhist Murals of Northeast Thailand – Reflections of the Isan Heartland is the first study that acknowledges the contributions of self-taught artists to Thai religious culture.

click here to order Buddhist Murals of Northeast Thailand – Reflections of the Isan Heartland

Also, click on “Jataka Tales – scrolls from Thailand” in the column to the right for a related art form.

Daniel Martin Diaz - passion and mysticism

2011-02-06T15:52:00.005+09:00

The paintings and drawings of Daniel Martin Diaz appear religious. Reminiscent of imagery found in Mexican Catholic churches, he renders an esoteric world of passion and mysticism.

Yet Diaz’s aesthetic is something of his own creation, not at all the classical iconography of Catholicism. Reinterpreting and manipulating the visual language of the church, Diaz makes imagery from the past, relevant to our time.

Click here to visit the web site of Daniel Martin Diaz

Manjit Bawa

2011-01-29T12:12:00.006+09:00

Manjit Bawa (1941- 2008), an artist from India, wanted his work to be “Indian”.

While many painters of his generation looked to the West for direction and validation, Bawa found inspiration at home in India.

His paintings are simple and straightforward… usually, just one, or at most, a few figures on a solid color ground. Subjects are stylized in form, seeming at times, almost elastic.

Yet beyond the brilliant colors and the accessible imagery, there is a profound sense of spirituality in his work.

Regarding this, Bawa stated, "I find a wealth of wisdom in the scriptures. Sufi philosophy has taught me that man and man, man and animals, can co-exist”

Tom Rippon – 1954 / 2010

2011-01-18T22:23:00.008+09:00

Tom Rippon passed away on December 2, 2010.

Rippon helped redefined American ceramics, pushing the medium beyond expectations.

His work is delicate, playful, and in a soft way, provocative. Rippon could be viewed as an anti-clay, clay artist. The skin of his works resembles marzipan, his forms, cartoon-like. Yet beyond the cheerful veneer, the work is grounded and informed.

Rippon’s sculptures are in the collections of many museums, including the Los Angeles County Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution.

Hung Tung

2011-01-16T13:41:00.002+09:00

When Hung Tung (1920-1987) was fifty years old, he decided he would become an artist. One day, he simply told his wife he was going to devote his life to painting.

For a poor illiterate Taiwanese man, this was an odd choice. His wife did not understand his motives and others in his village simply thought he was mad.

Yet in just a few short years, he was “discovered”. Ironically, Tung, who had actively pursued recognition, was uncomfortable with his success and the attention it brought. He withdrew from the public, turning away visitors from his studio.

During his lifetime, there were several major exhibitions of his work in Taiwan. After his death, at least two books in Chinese have been published about him.

Yet other than a feature story in Raw Vision Magazine (issue #48) and a few other minor mentions in books and periodicals, Tung’s work is almost unknown in the West.

Without question, Hung Tung is one of the great self-taught masters of twentieth century. Hopefully there will be more exhibitions and new publication of his innovative work in the future.

click here to order Raw Vision – issue #48

Daehyun Kim – pictures of 2

2011-01-12T10:25:00.003+09:00

Daehyun Kim's drawings are simple and direct.

In most, just two figures are seen, connecting, without distractions, suggesting a narrative of intimacy.

Small in scale (11.6 in x 16.5 in) and intensely focused, these works show a private moment, as if captured by a camera.

click here to visit Daehyun Kim’s website

Gonkar Gyatso - buddha in our time

2011-01-08T17:00:00.007+09:00

detail

These works by Gonkar Gystso present the image of Buddha in a manner relevant to our time. They are grounded in the classical, which Gyatso, by heritage clearly understands.

Yet in these depictions, the Buddha is rendered with an unconventional surface. Small fragmented shapes of trite sayings and images come together to reveal Buddha. Even though they are made of colorful, lighthearted, and ordinary elements, a spiritual aspect is felt in these works.

Born in Lhasa, Gonkar Gyatso studied in Beijing and London. He currently maintains studios in London and NYC.

click here to visit Gonkar Gyatso’s website

The Electric Pencil Drawings – on line

2011-01-05T19:36:00.013+09:00

The Electric Pencil drawings can now be seen on-line. John Foster first brought these works to the attention of the art world in December 2008. John has posted the story of his find on Accidental Mysteries, his art blog.

Now artist Harris Diamant, the current owner, has created an excellent website of the collection, documenting every drawing from the group. Later this year, Electric Pencil Press will be releasing a book of the drawings with an essay by Lyle Rexer.

click here to see the Electric Pencil site

click here to read part one of John’s story

click here to read part two of John’s story

Sopheap Pich - in the New York Times

2010-12-30T10:58:00.007+09:00

Sopheap Pich is featured in a New York Times article, "Cambodian Art Emerges From Horrors of a Murderous Past".

To read more about Pich (who is referred to as Pich Sopheap in the article) , click on his name in the list to the right.

To read the article, click here

Kyoko Okubo - a new work

2010-12-29T00:36:00.003+09:00

To read more about Kyoko Okubo, click on her name in the list to the right.

Ten Nathadwara drawing - in a private collection

2010-12-23T17:14:00.013+09:00

These works are small studies, most smaller than 12 in. x 14 in.

Click on image for a larger view.

For more information, click on "Krishna/Shrinathji/Nathadwara" in the list to the right.

Lisa Cline - a few new works

2010-12-19T21:20:00.010+09:00

For more information on Lisa Cline, click on her name to the right.

Click on images to enlarge.

Matthew Feyld – suggested narrative

2010-12-10T21:52:00.007+09:00

These works by Canadian artist Matthew Feyld are visual clues to a story that is implied, but not fully revealed. In a format which is intimate and stylized, Feyld renders figures that express emotions with the simplest gestures. Birds, bears, and humans interact, at times wearing masks, often in ways not grounded in the real world.

These works are from 2007/8 and show Feyld’s interest in the narrative, yet much of his current art presents the figure in a nearly abstract form. To see examples, click below.

Click here to see more works by Matthew Feyld

Allyson Mellberg – papercuts

2010-12-06T21:39:00.008+09:00

Allyson Mellberg is known for her watercolors. This medium enhances her rendering, giving form to gentle figures with washes of color.

When making her papercut works, Mellberg takes another approach. In these efforts, wash and color are gone. Simple sheets of paper are cut to shape, defining figures that suggest their stories with nuanced gestures.

Unlike most artists who rely on a heightened contrast between figure/ground when making papercuts, Melberg uses non-opague paper giving an unusual softness to the images.

click here to see Allyson Mellberg's Etsy page

Allyson Mellberg - new work

2010-11-26T11:17:00.006+09:00

New work from Allyson Mellberg's recent show (Sept 10/Oct 10) at Cinders Gallery.

Click here to see more works from the show

Kalam Patua - two new works

2010-11-22T15:34:00.005+09:00

Two new works by Kalam Patua. To read more about Patua, click on his name on the list to the right.

Guillermo Martin Bermejo

2010-10-20T21:28:00.006+09:00

There is a gentle intensity seen in the work of Guillermo Martin Bermejo. His figures appear still and quiet, turning inward, yet sensing the world around them. Berejo has created many drawings of a single figure on a page, revealing emotions with the slightest of gestures. Simple expressions such as the twist of the body or downcast eyes convey a state of mind. Even when his compositions are more complex, the imagery is defined with a nuanced hand.

Beyond drawing on paper, Bermejo does “projects” that take his work out of a gallery setting. In his Lost Boys Project, small cutout figures appear as if abandoned on the streets of Madrid, New York City, and at the art event, Art Basel.

Bermejo is a prolific artist and maintains an extensive site on-line.

Click here to visit Bermejo’s site

Herbert Freeman: Truth and Vision by Scott Rothstein - from The Folk Art Messenger, Vol. 22, N. 1, Summer 2010

2010-10-17T20:03:00.006+09:00

Herbert Freeman speaks like a preacher, talking about truth and vision, about right and wrong, about God and God’s creations. When addressing these issues, his words are heartfelt, his voice filled with emotion. He uses his paintings and drawings to enhance his message; like diagrams, they bring clarity to his complex world view.

Freeman, who is 59 years old, lives in Orlando, Fla. He is self-taught and has been making art for more than 30 years. Life has not always been easy for this artist. At times he has been homeless and up until recently, he sold his work on the streets of Orlando. Yet Freeman has touched many people and he has his supporters. One friend, James Lane, has collected many of his works with the sole purpose of preserving them. It was Lane’s efforts that brought Freeman to the attention of the America Folk Art Society. In addition, Lane introduced Freeman’s work to Shari Cavin and Randall Morris, who now represent him at the Cavin Morris Gallery in New York City.

Some of Freeman’s drawings are portraits depicting people he has encountered, while other works resemble maps or charts used by a teacher. All his efforts are intensely focused. In them we see the concentration of an artist deeply connected to his vision.

Freeman works on a range of found materials. He has used wood, cardboard and other random surfaces as a base to draw and paint. Friends bring what they pick up from construction sites as a gesture of support and encouragement. Freeman is exceptionally talented at adapting to whatever surface is at hand. He can create images with a range of mediums, from paint to markers, but he says he feels at his best when using a pencil.

Most of Freeman’s portraits are simple and straightforward. A face fills the page, either with eyes wide open, staring out at the viewer, or with eyes closed as if the subject is deep in thought or meditation. Sometimes a name will be written above the head, or maybe a word that suggests a profession or a calling is inscribed.

When the word, “teacher,” is written, is the artist telling us this is an actual schoolteacher or a person of great wisdom – a teacher of life? His figures are presented with such dignity that one can imagine that all his subjects are wise and empowered with exceptional knowledge.

Nobility is seen in the gallery of Freeman’s portraits. Some figures are dressed in what appears to be royal attire; at other times the hair is rendered as a halo or crown. In these works, we see an artist with the greatest respect for humanity. He shows the benevolent and inner beauty in the faces he renders.

While Freeman’s figurative work is almost classical in approach, he also makes drawings that are distinctly complex and esoteric. With a personal iconography, Freeman creates diagrams that illustrate his ideas. Here we see the artist using words and images to guide the viewer. “The All Seeing Eye,” “Truth,” and “Vision” are titles often written on such works. In addition, the face of a clock or a large eye is presented as a symbol waiting to be deciphered.

Herbert Freeman gives us two worlds to consider when we encounter his art. He depicts the human figure, something that is familiar and tangible. On the other hand, his charts/diagrams are abstract and conceptual – like road maps drawn to enlighten. This creative output reveals an artist inspired by intellect and motivated from the heart.

click here to see the Folk Art Messenger web page

click here to view The Freeman Project site

5 YEAR PLAN – Aaron Sinift’s artist book now available

2010-10-05T00:00:00.005+09:00

Printed on Khadi, with works by artists both from India and America, Aaron Sinift’s artist book, 5 YEAR PLAN is now complete.

Examples shown here are (from top to bottom), Aaron Sinift’s cover, Francesco Clemente’s page, Yoko Ono’s page and Pushpa Kumari’s page. This small selection is an example of the range of artists participating in the project and the diversity of their visions.

For more information/observations on the 5 YEAR PLAN, click the “five year plan” link on the right.

click here to see all pages of the book and for ordering information

Margarita Fick – new works

2010-09-28T22:24:00.010+09:00

These are four new papercut works by Margarita Fick.

click on image to enlarge

Lisa Cline – playing in the park

2010-09-23T04:45:00.006+09:00

Lisa Cline is a recent graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She writes the blog - Playing In The Park -where she presents her art as well as her general observations.

Cline’s drawings are quirky and relaxed, suggesting a narrative about relationships. These engaging efforts reveal Cline’s feel for line and her sense of detail.

Born and raised in Osaka, Japan (her mother is Chinese, her father American), Cline’s work reflects a sense of nuance often seen in Japanese art and design. Yet her imagery and drawing style are intensely personal, intuitive while at the same time direct.

Click here to visit Playing In The Park

On the Road

2010-08-13T11:33:00.002+09:00

On the road until the last week of September. More posts at that time.

Manuel Mendive

2010-08-10T02:57:00.010+09:00

Cuban artist Manuel Mendive was born into a family that practiced La Regla de Ocha (Santeria) and his work shows this influence. Afro-Cuban roots are at the core of his art, inspiring both form and color.

Mendive studied at the San Alejandro Academy of Plastic Arts, yet seems more influenced by personal heritage than formal art training.

Considered one of Cuba’s more important and innovative artists, Mendive has exhibited extensively around the world. In addition to painting on canvas and paper, Mendive sculpts, using a range of materials. He also is known for his dynamic performance pieces, where he paints the bodies of dancers to mimic figures seen in his paintings.

Manuel Mendive lives and works in Havana.

Thanks to Cernuda Arte in Coral Gables and The Cuban Art Space in NYC for the use of these images. Please contact The Cuban Art Space to use the above photo of the artist.

To see more Cuban art at The Cuban Art Space, click here

Christopher Al-Aswad

2010-08-04T15:40:00.020+09:00

Christopher Al-Aswad, writer, poet, and founder of the online journal, Escape into Life, passed away last week. He had just turned 31 on July 16.

I had only met Chris six months ago. He had used information from this site for Escape and we developed a friendship from there.

Often we emailed several times a day, as I found myself in an informal role of consultant to Escape. We talked about the possibilities for his site as well as specific artists to present and articles he wanted me to write.

From the very start I was impressed with Chris. In only a year he had grown Escape into a site that received 200,000 visits a month. He did this with integrity and without hype. When we talked about art, he was astute, thoughtful and always clear thinking.

Chris was also humble. He did not want too much from Escape. He was planning to sell art on the site for support. But his motivation was not about money, but to create a place of words, images, and ideas.

It is heartbreaking to think that Chris is no longer with us.

Click here to visit Escape into Life

Margarita Fick – cutting paper

2010-08-03T22:30:00.007+09:00

Decorative banners of Papel Picado (perforated paper) can be seen throughout Mexico. Yet few artists have explored the potential of this form like Margarita Fick, who has pushed paper cutting beyond the expected convention.

Fick clearly understands the possibilities of cutting paper and has produced a body of work that is both lyrical and restrained.

Like many of the great Mexican artists who preceded her, Fick works with images that are a part of her heritage. Day of the Dead skeletons are often incorporated in her paper cuts, as they were in the paintings of Diego Rivera or the woodblock prints of Jose Guadalupe Posada.

Fick has reinvigorated a well-known Mexican art form, creating evocative work that transcends the decorative.

Click here to visit Margarita Fick’s web site

José Garcia Montebravo - October 1953 – July 2010

2010-07-17T12:04:00.013+09:00

After a long illness, Cuban artist José Garcia Montebravo died at home in the town of Cienfuegos.

Examples of his work can be seen on this site (click on his name on the right).

click here to read a biography of the artist

Herve Perdriolle – a voice for Indian art

2010-07-12T22:35:00.006+09:00

Herve Perdriolle lived in India during the late 1990’s. Since that time he has been an advocate for a group of Indian artists, who he refers to as “Other Masters”. These are artists who are informed by the traditions of their heritage; yet create work that is relevant now.

Perdriolle “Other Masters” have not enjoyed the commercial success or institutional recognition that art school trained Indians have experiencing over the last decade. Yet Perdriolle is convinced of their importance.

Perdriolle has curated exhibitions of the “Other Masters” and maintains three websites that are important resources.

They are-

The Contemporary Indian “Other Masters” Collection
click here to visit “Other Masters”

Indian Art Collection
click here to visit Indian Art Collection

India Home Page
click here to visit India Home Page

Herve Perdriolle is currently based in Paris. The works shown are from his collection.

Lindsey Carr - an artist's response to the BP oil spill disaster

2010-07-09T22:24:00.003+09:00

Lindsey Carr is an artist intrigued by nature. Her eye is sharp; her hand controlled.

Carr’s paintings are almost too beautiful. She presents a world inspired by the real, but enhanced by an artist’s imagination.

So it is not a surprise that Carr’s response to the BP oil spill disaster is strong.

A single Ibis dominates the picture. The bird stand in water that seems polluted, as does the sky behind it. In the distance, on the horizon, an oil rig, the darkest point in the painting.

The damaged environment, the majesty of this bird, defines the situation. Tragedy and struggle observed.

To see more of Lindsey Carr’s work, click here

Hermenegildo Bustos

2010-06-28T15:58:00.003+09:00

The paintings of Hermenegildo Bustos (1832-1907) are small in scale, simple in composition and rendered with a limited palette. Figures in his portraits are usually shown from the waist up, often holding a small object such as a flower or a book. Always, the subject looks out from the painting with focused concentration.

Bustos was born in Purisima del Rincon, a small town near the city of Leon, in central Mexico. He lived in Purisima del Rincon all his life, painting as well as taking on other work to support himself. Little is known about his personal history, but it is assumed he was a self-taught artist.

Primarily a portrait painter, Bustos also painted exceptional exvotos, commissioned by the faithful and displayed in the local church. His exvotos are unlike any others that were painted in Mexico, both in detail and intent.

With exceptional restraint, Bustos created a body of work that is psychologically charged. Like a modern minimalist, he stripped away what was unnecessary and distracting. Bustos used a modest format, enhanced by the simplest composition, to reveal the profound.

Li Jin – pen/ink/paper

2010-06-16T23:08:00.021+09:00

On paper, with ink, Chinese artist Li Jin presents a world of pleasures, all connected to the senses. His figures eat, dance, bathe, and embrace; they seem relaxed and unencumbered. These are pictures of the most personal aspects of domestic life.

Li Jin also creates long scroll paintings that are like love letters to food. It may be difficult for a Westerner to truly comprehend the role food plays in defining Chinese culture. Regional, nuanced and complex, cuisine is more than a meal to many Chinese. Food in China can define identity, suggest history and play a role as vital a theater. The energy seen in Li Jin’s food paintings brings the concept of food as culture to the page.

Li Jin is one of the few artists working in China today that has found a voice, which is relevant to the current, without turning to the West for direction. His art does not take on the look of Western art, with a patina of “Chinese”. Li Jin mastered the brush, as generations of artists have done before him. However, he has applied his acquired skill in an unprecedented manner, painting images that are totally his own.

click here to see more of Li Jin’s work at the Ray Hughes Gallery

Allyson Mellberg Taylor

2010-06-03T22:33:00.016+09:00

Allyson Mellberg Taylor's drawings are intimate, reminiscent of things seen in an artist’s most personal journal/diary. Gentle figures find a stage on the page to breathe, to interact with others. Everything in Taylor’s world seems docile, void of confrontation or extreme emotions.

Rendered with pencil and wash on paper, Taylor speaks with a nuanced voice. These paintings look as if they are copies of old family photographs. Figures are dressed simply, usually wearing garments patterned with stripes. They connect, one to the other, directly, yet softly.

While there is a realism in Taylor’s works, many paintings show a world that is not quite right. Her figures are at times distorted, often depicted with rashes and spots.

About this, Taylor explains -

“The spots started out as a visual way to represent pollutants; in my work it is endocrine disruptors, bacteria, spores, things that were entering our bodies, that have a permanent effect on them but cannot be seen. So the spots, sores, tumors are manifestations of all of this inert stuff welling up.”

Taylor frequently collaborates with her husband, Jeremy Taylor (last 4 paintings on the post). In these works, each artist enhances the other. Several of the collaborations appear to be symbolic self-portraits. A strong supportive, loving emotion is evident, as if the artists are expressing their most private feelings on the page.

click here to see more of Allyson Mellberg Taylor’s

Pushpa Kumari - posted on Escape into Life

2010-05-31T16:01:00.018+09:00

Pushpa Kumari is an artist informed by heritage.

Her world is one of intimacy and lines, gods and mythology. She draws on paper creating works that look like engravings, using only a bottle of ink and a simple pen. When in process, it is as if she is in meditation. Her focus is intense, defining forms directly on the page. This bold approach leaves no room for error; if her hand slips a drawing can be ruined, weeks of work wasted. While Kumari’s finesse with materials shows a master’s hand, her art is compelling for reasons beyond technique.

A woman in her early forties, Kumari has devoted her life entirely to drawing. In India, a country of arranged marriages, Kumari remains single. She values her freedom and independence, focusing all energies on her art. By accepting an unconventional Indian lifestyle, she has been able to develop a unique body of work, different both in concept and form from her peers.

Born in a part of India known for painting, Kumari was surrounded by art. The women of Madhubani, Mithila, in the State of Bihar, have for generations embellished the floors and walls of their homes with complex/cultivated images. These works were not just decorative, but used to teach the epic Hindu myths to the children of the Mithila.

Kumari absorbed the artistic energy of the women closest to her, partially her grandmother, Maha Sundari Devi. Devi was one of the first women to explore the possibilities of applying the wall painting imagery on paper. She was passionate and innovative, and an inspiration to Kumari.

While Devi made the leap from wall to paper, her renderings conform to the standards of Mithila culture. Kumari’s work transcends tradition, in approach, concept and intensity. Kumari has taken the basic elements of Mithila painting and created a lexicon all her own. She is informed by her heritage, but like most artists in the West, she creates drawing for reasons that are motivated by the personal, not driven by cultural obligations.

Kumari does draw subjects that at first glance appear traditional. However, she uses these images as a platform to build upon. When Hindu myths are depicted, the drawings are much more than stories illustrated. Figures interact, emotion is evident; Kumari presents her ideas with an intensity which communicates how completely absorbed she is in the creative process.

Kumari generally works within a modest format, drawing on sheets of paper approximately twenty by thirty inches. In the last few years she has created larger works by combining several sheets of paper. Like Japanese wood block triptychs, each page can stand alone as work in its own right, but when viewed together the images link in ways obvious as well as implied.

“The Tulsi Drawing” is Kumari’s most ambitious effort to date, consisting of eight panels totally 24 in height and 12 feet in length. The drawing took over three years (2004 - 2006) to complete with the line quality finer than any of her previous drawings. Depicting the Hindu myth of a woman’s transformation into the revered Tulsi plant, this work is poetic and spiritual, while at the same time violent and sexual.

This complicated story is rendered in an equally complex manner. Parts of the composition are dense with lines; others open, relying on negative space to define form. In some panels the image flows from one to the next; in others the relationship of the connecting drawings is less obvious. It is almost unimaginable that there were no preliminary sketches for the Tulsi Drawing. Kumari simply started with the first sheet of paper on the left and kept drawing until all eight panels were complete. This is even more remarkable given the conditions under which Kumari works. , Kumari has no actual studio. She lives in New Delhi, in one room with many other family members. She draws on the floor in the corner of their communal space, without the possibility of ever seeing the total work arranged sequentially.

(to see the Tulsi drawing, click on "Kumari" in the list to the right)

Kumari can also be provocative in a simple small format. One untitled drawing, less than 9 x 12 inches, is emotionally charged and powerful beyond it’s humble scale. A scene that is repeated daily in rural India, behind closed doors, is revealed…female infanticide. The power of this drawing is overwhelming, almost unimaginable. Standing pregnant, back to a wall, a woman faces trauma from another, who lying on the floor for support literally kicks the baby from the womb. This brutal image is simply presented, with just the slightest of emotions suggested, three tears from the mother’s eye.

Here we see Kuamri as feminist, aligned with the young women of India who may lose all their freedoms when married. Political in orientation, this work confronts the inequities and harshness of India society, straight on, without hesitation. Kumari has an especially close relationship with her many younger sisters, her mother, and grandmother, so it is not unexpected that women are often the dominant subjects in her drawings.

Western curators and critics often misunderstand artists like Kumari. It is common to see American and European curators visiting India to develop a show on the new “Indian” art. These professionals tend to gravitate to work that seems familiar to them. What they see as “contemporary” is often closely related to formats known in the West. However, Western art media and markets profoundly influence many Indian artists, resulting in efforts that are derivative, with a seasoning of heritage/nationalism.

Pushpa Kumai influences are purely India. Her voice is authentic and her vision non-compromised. She is stimulated by the complexity of modern India and those interests direct her work. Her approach to drawing may be personal and intuitive, or direct and confrontational, yet always distinctly Indian.

click here to visit Escape into Life

Badri Narayan

2010-05-29T20:57:00.011+09:00

Badri Narayan is one of India’s most respected artists.

Born in 1929, in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Narayan has been prolific, creating images that are narrative. He is known for his paintings of Hindu Gods as well as still life watercolors. His works are playful, expressing Narayan’s very personal sense of beauty.

Yet occasionally, Narayan creates paintings that are profoundly sober. In these compositions, the central figure is always in lying in a bed. At times that figure is rendered in what appears to be a dream state, others time, as if ill or close to death. There is a stillness in these works, which is enhanced in most cases by a subdued palette.

Contemplative and psychological, these works suggest a moment of reflection. The figures on the page are both connected to each other while at the same time deep in their own thoughts. At first view these paintings seem simple in subject matter, only to reveal their complexities to the patient viewer.

Image Courtesy: Saffronart

Julianna Swaney - quietly, without bravado

2010-05-24T14:25:00.012+09:00

The small paintings of Julianna Swaney seem familiar; reminiscent of illustrations from a Victorian children’s book, or folk art works found in a New England antique store. Her figures wear clothes from a time long past, inhabiting a world different from our own. These works imply a narrative, as if there is a complex story behind each rendering.

It is easy to underestimate Swaney’s work. The paintings might seem sugar sweet or sentimental, yet that would be a misread. Like a playwright, who creates a historical drama, Swaney uses the imagery of another era to explore provocative contemporary issues. Quietly, without bravado, her figures express fear, isolation, longing and possibilities. This is work that delivers the artist’s intent with nuanced gestures and a delicate hand.

To see more work, click her for Julianna Swaney’s art site

Sopheap Pich – forms of heritage

2010-05-23T14:45:00.017+09:00

"In 1993, I took school trips to photograph Mayan ruins in Mexico and Guatemala. It was during this time that I first realized that I had to return to Cambodia one day. It was the sound and smell of the forest and the temples at Tikal that conjured up so much childhood memories.”

Sopheap Pich received a formal education in the United States, graduating with a MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago, 1999. His work reflects this experience.

Yet the strength of his sculptures, their presence, their substance, their directness, does not come from time spent in an art school studio, but from legacy and heritage.

His work mirrors an aesthetic seen in humble objects; simple Asian baskets or fishing traps come to mind. These timeless forms are a starting point on which Pich has built a personal vocabulary. Manipulating bamboo and rattan, he tweaks traditional craft techniques, creating sculptures that are reminiscent of functional forms.

Pich finds his voice creating pieces that reference objects made by anonymous hands. It is this nod to the artisans of Cambodia that gives Pich’s art its insightful power.

photos courtesy the Tyler Rollins gallery, NYC

click here to see more work by Sopheap Pich

Hyper Real - 3 paintings at Wat Pan On

2010-05-20T22:46:00.006+09:00

To contrast all the bad news coming out of Thailand in the last few days, I wanted to post something positive. I live in Bangkok… it is a very sad place right now.

These works painted in an almost hyper-real style are from Wat Pan On in Chaing Mai.

Except for these three paintings, Wat Pan On is a classic Thai temple. The two monks were abbots associated with the Wat and the third image is of a patron of the temple.

From Bangkok - thursday, may 20, 2010

2010-05-20T19:33:00.017+09:00

We are all very sad today

here in Bangkok.

sculpture by Indian artist, Ravinder Reddy

Top two photos from Richard Barrow who has been reporting from the streets for days.

To Read and see more about the last few days in Bangkok, click here

Anne Siems – current and historic

2010-05-15T21:05:00.002+09:00

At first glance, the paintings of Anne Siems seem from another era. Her art feels historic, heirlooms from a Europe family, circa 1840. Yet beyond a casual encounter, Siem’s work reveals the efforts of an artist grounded in the current, using metaphor to express narrative.

Siem’s paintings look familiar, like things seen in the back rooms of smaller European museums, painted by self-trained artists. Her figures resemble landed gentry, often shown in a landscape, stately and entitled. But things are a bit off kilter in the world she presents. Clothes are transparent, a group of colorful birds decoratively perch on branches of a tree that seems to grow from a woman’s head, a child floats in the air, dressed in a garment made of flower petals.

Anne Siems is a storyteller, speaking softly, in a verse open to interpretation.

To see Anne Siems web site, click here

Liang Changsheng – cut paper

2010-05-05T21:47:00.009+09:00

When Chinese artist, Liang Changsheng makes work using cut paper, he does with a knife what seems only possible with pencil or pen.

Unlike traditional Chinese paper cuts, often balanced in geometry and rigid in form, Changsheng’s work is charged with energy, infused with emotion.

His volatile imagery denies his technique and the limitations of the medium, seeming almost spontaneous. Yet these works are labored, taking intense concentration to conceive and fabricate.

Liang Changsheng stands out from other contemporary Chinese artists. He has honestly responded to something ancient from China (woodcut art) and transformed it into a relevant and current art form.

Click here to see more of Liang Changsheng’s work at the Ray Hughes Gallery

5 Year Plan – a book project with artists Francesco Clemente, Yoko Ono, Pushpa Kumari and 29 others

2010-05-01T22:45:00.009+09:00

It is rare to see an Indian artist like Pushpa Kumari included in a contemporary, New York City based art project with artists such as Yoko Ono and Francesco Clemente.

Yet Aaron Sinift, who conceived and curated the “5 Year Plan” artist book, has a vision of inclusion. He sees that Kumari is more similar to rather than different from her New York peers. In this project, he brings together a diverse mix of visual artists, each responding to this endeavor and the material in their own way.

The 5 Year Plan is an unprecedented project, both in concept and in format.

Sinift states -

“The 5 year Plan is an ongoing effort to produce editions that bridge cultures and re-orient art and art production towards generosity and participation.”

This volume is being produced on hand woven Khadi cloth. To date, the project has created 4000 plus days of work for the residences of the Manav Seva Samiti Ashram. Profits from the project will be donated to Doctors without Borders.

To see the 5 Year Plan web site, click here

To read more about Pushpa Kumari, click on “Kumari” in the list to the right.

Ravinder Reddy – art and political crisis

2010-04-27T16:39:00.003+09:00

As tensions increase on the streets of Bangkok, art and politics intersect.

This monumental sculpture by Indian artist, Ravinder Reddy, sits in the area occupied by Red Shirts (anti – government) protesters. The Red Shirts have controlled this part of the city for over three weeks.

During this time, protesters, who are mostly from the northern rural areas of Thailand, can be seen having their picture taken in front of the Reddy head. As soon as one person is finished with their photo shoot, another takes their place.

This unusual circumstance provides an interesting insight into the relevance and power of art works placed beyond museum/gallery settings.

Kantha: The Embroidered Quilts of Bengal from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz and the Stella Kramrisch Collections – installation

2010-04-25T17:53:00.017+09:00

Philadelphia Musuem of Art, December 12, 2009 - July 25, 2010

To see works from this exhibition, click here

Kelly Ludwig - detour art

2010-04-23T22:44:00.013+09:00

Kelly Ludwig is the force behind, “detour art”, an online resource with a vast amount of information on American Outsider Art. “detour art” is by far the most comprehensive site dedicated to this subject.

What is remarkable about detour art is it is a labor of love. Ludwig is a professional graphic designer/photographer who maintains this site totally on her own. She has traveled extensively across the country, meeting artists and documenting their work. Site specific work is of particular interest to her and most of the major American sites are found on “detour art”.

Kelly Ludwig with Sam Mirelez

click to see the detour art web page

Patchwork Quilts – Siddis in India

2010-04-05T19:28:00.007+09:00

The Siddis who live in Karnataka, India are of African descent.

Siddis women craft dynamic quilts, which they make for their children and grandchildren.

These utilitarian efforts have a visual strength one sees in the most sophisticated works of art. Bold and complex, the Siddis quilts present a geometry that transcends the decorative. Reminiscent of Gee’s Bend quilts from rural Alabama, the Siddis quilts show that the extraordinary can be found in the simplest of domestic endeavors.

Only recently have the Siddis quilts found their way to the West. Henry Drewal, an American professor of African art, has written about the Siddis, their art and society.

To read more about the Siddis quilts and the activities of Mr. Drewal, click here

Mario Mesa - “I started to paint the day Tamayo died”

2010-03-31T23:50:00.013+09:00

Mario Mesa was born in Cuba and came to the United States in 1980 as part of the “Mariel” boatlift.

When Mr. Mesa tells his story, he states, “I was abandoned at birth. I was poor and couldn’t go to school. I never played the games children play. I was always working.”

Mr. Mesa never had the opportunity to study art, but later in his life he found his direction with brush and paint.

Today Mr. Mesa is an artist with a passionate feel for color and a visual language distinctly his own. He lives in Miami in a home he has enhanced with his imagery.

For more information on Mario Mesa, click here

Painted Songs and Stories: Contemporary Pardhan Gond Art from India - Davis Museum, Wellesley College, April 7 – June 6, 2010

2010-03-28T15:52:00.007+09:00

"Rich in detail, color, mystery and humor, these artworks brilliantly employ modern means to evoke the pre-modern psyche. The exhibition, organized by the Wellesley College South Asia Studies Program, features selected works from the private collection of guest curator John H. Bowles." - from the Davis Museum site

to see more Gond artists on Art Found Out, click on Shyam, in the list to the right

Lalitha Lajmi - intimacy and isolation

2010-03-21T15:41:00.010+09:00

The subjects in Lalitha Lajmi’s paintings suggest both intimacy and isolation. Her figures connect in highly personal ways, yet one also senses a distance separating each from the other. These are very psychologically charged works.

Lajmi is self-taught and states that she did not find her true direction as an artist until the late 1970’s. Her strongest works are her watercolors. This luminous / transparent medium enhances her renderings, allowing for works to be both simultaneously vibrant and subtle, direct and nuanced.

Lajmi is well respected in India, but she has not enjoyed the mega-success that many artists of her generation have experienced in recently years. This is ironic as she is one of the most original and honest artistic voices in India today. Her vision is compelling and truly her own, never derivative or contrived.

Lajmi lives in Mumbai.

Image Courtesy: Saffronart