(Caterpillars Only, on view June 7th at Aviary Gallery)
the invention of fantasy x same old same old x blessed unrest x is it something I said?
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Same Old, Same Old
When: On view through July 6th, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday June 1st, 2012, 7:00-11:00PM
Where: Lot F Gallery, 145 Pearl Street, Boston, MA 02110
How: Official Website
What/Why: “The Darkclouds started in Boston, sometime in late 2003. Being inspired by graffiti in general, and interested in new ways to display ones work, they became an icon deemed worthy of mass production. The first oddly painted sign was hung at Commonwealth and Brighton Avenues. The obsession was somewhat instantaneous. Since then, it gained momentum, exploding outward and increasing in style and in number. From Boston they moved to NYC and traveled around wherever and whenever possible. The image of the cloud has changed slightly over the years, but yea, not really all that much. The iconic form looms constantly over the scene while the shape, colors, size and surroundings of the cloud morph, and mutate.
The meaning behind the Darkclouds can be constructed by the passerby, (many believe they resemble brains, or other bulbous figures) but it was initially painted as an image representing the angst and general downtrodden shit that one goes through, trying to figure out the point of themselves… or something of that nature… didn’t really know that at the time. The concept was formed and became clear over time as more clouds were produced. Overall, they were a bi-product of a pissed off friend, an angst ridden individual, hellbent on pain and suffering… but an inspiring one.
Other than its an engaging and super fun image to paint, the clouds were a way to use an incredible amount of energy previously detained and invest it into a serious habit. Thousands of hand painted stickers, numerous signs and other discarded scraps have been affixed in the states and around the world. The challenge to create and deploy as many as possible soon became the driving force behind the project. A constant visual reminder of the things in life that you just can’t escape. But, for many, simply a quick aesthetic stimuli and a game to find as many as you can.
The showing of the Darkclouds at Lot F Gallery will feature paintings in a variety of styles. These various styles, with the use of the Darkclouds image, have been cycled through and experimented with over the years, but this series will focus more on the original look when the project first began in Boston. Using signs of the same nature and incorporating elements of the first pieces created, it will pay homage to, well, to itself.. several years back.”
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Spring Open Studios in Southie
(Margaux with Morning Hair, Nick Ward)
When: Sunday June 3rd, 2012 Noon-6PM
Where: KING TERMINAL 110 K St / 574 E 1st St THE DISTILLERY 516 E 2nd St
How: Official Website
What/Why: “Dozens of artists & craftspeople of South Boston open their studios to the public for one afternoon each Spring. Come tour the spaces and support the local art scene!”
List of Participating Artists here.
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Planes, Trains and Automobiles
When: On view through July 9th, 2012
Where: Panopticon Gallery, 502c Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215
How: Official Website
What/Why: “Panopticon Gallery is proud to present Planes, Trains and Automobiles, a group exhibition on display from May 30 – July 9, 2012 featuring photographs by Keith Johnson, Candace Gaudiani, Frank Armstrong, Andrew MK Warren, Gustav Hoiland, Todd Sanchioni and Ken Harvey. “
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EVERYDAY ANGLES – Exhibition Closing Reception and Walk-Through
When: Monday June 4th, 5:30PM-7:30PM
Where: David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard, 1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
How: Official Website
What/Why: “The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Liz Munsell, and the artists Jessica Mein, Daniela Rivera, María Rondeau, Johanna Unzueta and Ingrid de Aguiar Sanchez invite you to join us for the closing reception and curator’s walk-through of the exhibit Everyday Angles on Monday June 4, 2012. (Reception will begin at 5:30pm /Exhibit Walk-through will follow at 6:00pm.)
The curator, Liz Munsell, will guide us through the exhibit and give us details about each of the pieces on display. We will also have the privilege of hearing from two of the artists, María Rondeau and Ingrid de Aguiar Sanchez. “
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Flashed
(Untitled Interior(planet book), prior work of Sarah Malakoff)
When: On view through June 14th, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday June 1st, 6-9PM
Where: Robert Klein Gallery, 450 Harrison Avenue #75, Boston, MA
How: Official Website
What/Why: “Eunice Hurd of the Robert Klein Gallery and Jason Landry of Panopticon Gallery are excited to announce FLASHED, a group exhibition showcasing ten photographers whose roots are in New England.”
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The Invention of Fantasy
When: On view through September 30th, 2012
Where: Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115
How: Official Website
What/Why: “Venice in the eighteenth century, the age of Casanova, was one of the pleasure centers of Europe, famed for its theater and opera and its carnival maskers. Even today, the city, when compared with ordinary cities, appears to be a fantasy, a dream, a hallucination. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s voluptuous painted cloudscapes with figures opened illusionistic light-filled vistas in ceilings; his drawings and prints have a comparable aerial lightness and luminosity. He was assisted by his son Domenico, who, when he retired from painting about 1785, concentrated on making finished drawings on biblical and mythological themes, as well as remarkably playful and whimsical scenes of Venetian daily life. The Museum’s The Milliner’s Shop (above) is one of the finest of these drawings. Other artists in the exhibition include Canaletto and the early Piranesi.”
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Monique Johannet -Is It Something I Said?
When: On view through June 30th, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday June 1st, 2012, 5:30 – 7:30
Where: Carroll and Sons Gallery, 450 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118
How: Official Website
What/Why: “Carroll and Sons supports contemporary artists who work in painting, photography, sculpture, video and works on paper. The gallery focuses on building the careers of lesser-known artists and promoting ones who are under recognized.
Joseph Carroll ran the Bernard Toale Gallery before taking it over in the summer of 2008 and reopening the space as Carroll and Sons that September. Prior to managing Bernard Toale Gallery for five years, Joseph worked for three years with Dan Elias at Elias Fine Art. Joseph holds an MA from New York University and a BFA from Miami University in Ohio.”
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Jodi Colella “Phyla”
When: On view through June 22nd, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday June 1st, 5-8PM
Where: NK Gallery, 450 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118
How: Official Website
What/Why: “NKG is pleased to present the newest installation by Jodi Colella, “Phyla”. Her work references the biological world, uses found and manufactured materials, and incorporates a methodical and meditative work practice.
Jodi notes “I create structures that act as metaphors for being human often taking on anthropomorphic gestures and emotions. I want to inspire questions about where an individual ends and the world begins.
Found fishing ropes morph into nerve capillaries, tubes of screen congregate into honeycomb, and wool grows from the crevices of driftwood – as if creating new species. The repetitive handwork techniques mimic the incremental growth and accumulations that happen in nature. I want to engage - to create a physical attraction that beckons the viewer to “touch” and be “touched” by what they see.”
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Blessed Unrest - New Paintings by Judith Brassard Brown
(Source)
When: On view through June 30th, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday June 1st, 2012 5-8PM
Where: Kingston Gallery, 450 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118
How: Official Website
What/Why: “Brown’s work most often references the Italian landscape and the many centuries of history it contains. Created through building and deconstructing many layers of drawing, painting, wax and collage, she arrives at each painting’s particular viewpoint through a lengthy process of travel, research, and observation. Responding to Martha Graham’s description of art making as characterized by a ‘divine dissatisfaction and a blessed unrest’, Brown creates images that are at turns beautiful while others are darker, messy and conflicted. “
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UMass Dartmouth - 2012 MFA Thesis Exhibition
When: On view through June 30th, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday June 1st, 2012 6-8:30PM
Where: Bromfield Gallery, 450 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA
How: Official Website
What/Why: “Artwork by 17 MFA students from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, including ceramics, metal work, sculpture, painting and digital design.”
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Salem Arts Festival
(The photography of Paris Visone)
When: On view June 1st-3rd, 2012
Where: Salem, MA. Festival schedule here.
How: Official Website
What/Why: “For three days each summer, this free festival transforms downtown Salem into an opportunity for the arts community to showcase their talents. Now in its fourth year, the festival boasts attendance numbers of 4,000. It celebrates all the arts: painting, photography, sculpture, dance, music, writing, film, new media, performance, theatre, poetry, culinary, etc. in a free city-wide arts festival.”
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Tandems
(Grimalkin’s Opus. prior work of Tom Chambers)
When: On view through June 30th, 2012
Where: Chase Young Gallery, 450 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118
How: Official Website
What/Why: “An exhibition creating connections between works of art by gallery artists.”
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Scale, Tail, Tooth and Nail
(Bear Woman)
When: On view through June 24th, 2012
Opening Reception: Saturday January 2nd, 5-7PM
Where: Loading Dock Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA 01851
How: Official Website
What/Why: “Scale, Tail, Tooth and Nail is the latest Loading Dock Gallery exhibit. If that title has you picturing alligators, you’d be on the right track –so bring your Indiana Jones hat. Jeffrey Engel has created animal-related artwork that evokes the feeling of being in a swamp, beach or border region like the Everglades. You won’t be in the city anymore; in this exhibit, the wildlife is dynamic, adaptable and very competitive. Mr. Engel captured that feeling when he took his wildlife photographs and manipulated and transferred them to paper in a way that brings out their wildness. Mr. Engel drew inspiration for his artwork from his experiences of living in Florida and working at the Museum of Discovery & Science in Fort Lauderdale during the 1990’s. There were alligators, fish, and the largest Atlantic coral reef in an aquarium. On a recent trip back to visit friends, he also explored some old haunts like the Everglades. He says “When you’re down there and can see alligators in the wild while you’re riding your bike or hiking, you are aware of how far removed we are from nature.” Be sure to ask Mr. Engel any questions you have about his artwork at the artist’s reception. He is happy to answer any questions and has said “I even like it when someone points out something they see that I didn’t even intend.” He has always been doing art, either for fun or with a serious concept in mind so there’s no need for you to feel that your question is not serious enough. Just come and have fun experiencing the wildness of his wildlife exhibit.”
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Make Happen Faster
(Crisis Engine, collaboration with Fionn McCabe, Cody Hoyt, and Sri Whipple)
When: On view through June 24th, 2012
Opening Reception: Thursday June 7th, 2012 6-9PM
Where: Aviary Gallery, 48 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA
How: Official Website
What/Why: “Make Happen Faster brings together artists Cody Hoyt (NYC), Sri Whipple (Salt Lake City) and Fionn McCabe (LA). While all three have distinct individual styles, they share similar influences and visual sensibilities. Each artist takes a common visual element, be it lettering, the human figure, or a Saturday morning cartoon and breaks it down to varying degrees of abstraction: a letter becomes line, an arm a curve, a high heel an arrow, leading into a surreal landscape that is at once strange and familiar.”
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Taking In 2012: The Best of AIB Photography
(photo by Samatha George)
When: On view through July 15th, 2012
Opening Reception: June 1st 2012, 6-10PM
Where: Laconia Gallery, 1200 Washington Street #116
How: Official Website
What/Why: “Taking In is a student run project featuring a selection of work created by students attending the Art Institute of Boston. The project focuses on the business of promoting art and culminates each year with a juried exhibition, publication and a website all designed to promote selected works of AIB artists. The selected pieces were chosen anonymously by a jury of distinguished members of the Boston art community to represent the best of AIB Photography.”
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stART on the Street
(The work of Derek Ring)
When: Sunday June 3rd, 11am-5pm
Where: Green Street, Worcester, MA
How: Official Website
What/Why: “stART, an innovative arts celebration ‘on the street’ was the brainchild of an independent group of local artists and art lovers at it’s inception in 2002. stART on the Street is organized by a group of dedicated volunteers committed to changing the cultural scope of Worcester and Central Massachusetts. stART on the Street is the signature event; a day long arts, music, and cultural celebration on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA.
Initially held on Main Street in Worcester, the festival moved to Park Avenue in 2006, to overwhelming accolades and the largest attendance to date. The stART on the Street festival has hosted an increasing number of arts and crafts vendors each year, from 165 in 2006, 240 artists in 2007 and and anticipated 275 in 2008, all demonstrating and selling their handcrafted items. A main stage area hosts a variety of live bands from rock & roll, alternative country, jazz, world music and more. Street performers entertain on the street level; everything from Africa-Brazilian Capoeira demonstrations, a cappella groups, acoustic music, dance and many more genres of performance art. A Youth Activities area with local organizations hosting interactive art activities has been a popular attraction for families throughout the years.”
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The Narrative is a Funny Thing, New Sculpture and Drawing from Peter Frantz
When: On view through June 30th, 2012
Where: Galatea Fine Art, 460B Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118
How: Official Website
What/Why: “Tales of life – the summary of home and the path to rhythm. The narrative is a funny thing.
Perceivable and changeable; no boundaries and only a grudging acceptance of the millions of voices that make up a single instant of existence. The tales may weave, but the intersections are where the symbols turn to color; up and over broad swaths of your story, my story, their story. Ubiquitous. Universal in origin and parochial in understanding. We sing our own song by the music of others. It is human. These bronzes begin as wood, frequently roots; knurled, always twisted, with stories of their own. My interpretations tend to be from clay, embossed with symbols and other graphic variables that are important to me. Telling a story from my lifebook. Roots tend to tell the story of a life underground we do not know a great deal about. Etched with the travails of locomotion through the dark and dense, the stones and the water, the non-space and the airless regions. They also, in the light of day, speak to the vast unknown that is unseen, and become fascinating with their otherness.”
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♂/☺/♫
(Sadie. My legs. His legs., detail of photo by Duncan Pollard)
Sorry this past month or so has been a bit slow with new and exciting content for the site. My 9-5 has been burying me and I’ve been doing lots of behind the scenes work for FLUX. Artist interviews, research, writing content for TBA projects, and figuring out how to sneak dog pictures into wrap-ups.
On that note, I should also mention that my four legged assistant, Sadie, has a tendency to slack on her FLUX. internship duties during the summer months in favor of fun in the sun.
Although I can’t say I blame her.
And finally, the rain has fallen, the tears have washed my eyes, and I am starting to get antsy about taking FLUX. offline again for an exhibition, event, or some other reason to get the work of local artists in front of your eyes. Do you have/know someone who has an empty warehouse or large non-traditional gallery space I can take over for a short while this Fall or next Spring? Let me know!
25 hours in a day. ♥
