Monday, October 10, 2011

A colorful group show opens in Culver City

ʻThe Future Is Not What It Used To Beʼ
A group exhibition curated by Mike Stilkey

Includes New Paintings by Aaron Smith
LeBasse Projects :: Culver City
October 8th – November 5th 2011
Artist reception: Saturday, October 8th, 6-9pm
Los Angeles, CA – LeBasse Projects is proud to announce, ʻThe Future Is Not What It Used To Be,ʼ a group exhibition curated by Mike Stilkey. Stilkey is one of the represented artists at LeBasse Projects and this exhibition is his first curatorial effort.
The title of the show was inspired by a quote from the French poet Paul Valery, “The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be.” This idea resonated with Stilkey because the future seems to show as much promise as when we were young.
Stilkey suggests: “Our vision of the future is that society will evolve and progress and our situation will improve. As you get older you realize that these things often do not turn out the way you expected. I think this is especially relevant at this time, with global concerns and anxiety around climate change, economic and financial crises, environmental destruction, etc. When I was a kid, I thought that in 30 years I’d be flying around in a Jetson’s car, not worrying about global warming and widespread extinction of species.”
Artists invited to participate include: Kelsey Brookes, Brian Dettmer, Katrin Fridriks, Jim Houser, Dave Kinsey, Ryan McLennan, Cleon Peterson, Dena Schuckit, Aaron Smith, Tara Tucker, Mario Wagner and Mike Stilkey. Artists were selected because of the nature of their work and how it resonated with Stilkeyʼs own vision of the future. While the theme of the show is based on the poetic title, Stilkey has left artists open to interpreting the ideas entirely at their own direction.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Nicole Etienne lays out a feast for the eyes at Sloan Fine Art, NY

A certified romantic, Nicole Etienne seduces the viewer with luscious views of opulent interiors, teaming with floating flowers, cavorting animals, and sensual nude women. Photography and painting combine to disorienting effect. Nicole's work seems a perfect foil to these austere times, if only for a moment. It is her first solo show with Sloan Fine Art.







Nicole Etienne earned her MFA from the New York Academy of Art and her BFA from the University of California Santa Cruz. She has mounted solo exhibitions in London, Dublin and St Barth’s and been included in group shows at galleries worldwide including London, Tokyo and New York. This is her first solo exhibition in New York. She currently splits her time between London and New York.


Sloan Fine Art
Reception: Wednesday, September 7th, from 6 to 8 pm
Exhibition: September 8 through October 8, 2011Sloan Fine Art



Monday, May 16, 2011

Accidental Bear names me Hair Ball of the Day!

I apologize for this narcissistic moment BUT, the wonderful Mike Enders of Accidental Bear posted this pic on his fantastic website and also wrote up my upcoming show "Coterie of the Wooly-Woofter" at Sloan Fine Art in June. The show will be paired with Anthony Iacono's fabulous photos in the project room. Anthony and I are proud to be showcased.
Hair Ball of the Day
Accidental Bear

Friday, March 25, 2011

Jonathan Viner nerds out at Sloan Fine Art, NYC



COMPUTER SCIENCE


Reception: Wednesday, March 30th, from 6 to 8 pm
Exhibition: March 31 to April 30, 2011

Shortly after his first son was born, artist Jonathan Viner naturally had fatherhood and his own childhood on his mind. As children, Viner and his twin brother spent hours visiting the robotics lab at the New York Institute of Technology, where their father taught and worked. Faded memories of “computer nerds” playing Dungeons and Dragons, sharing ideas, and celebrating on New Year's Eve came back to him as the artist shuttled between infant care, painting and conversations with artists, critics and enthusiasts over Facebook. 

Inspired by the stunning impact these unlikely heroes from his childhood have had on the world, Viner began hunting online for class photos of computer science majors from the 1970's. Those old photos, mined through Google on an iPad, became the starting point for “COMPUTER SCIENCE.” Further influenced by great portrait painters from the canon of art history, including Ingres and Currin, Viner set out to recreate these symbolic figures from his youth, infusing them with all of the idiosyncratic humor and thoughtfulness from his memories. Google, Facebook and Apple are blended with hog hair bristle brushes, oils and turpentine. By merging contemporary content and high tech resources with the centuries-old tools and methods of oil painting, Jonathan Viner pays homage to his own father and to the prophets of Computer Science from his childhood who went on to shape the world in which his own son will grow up.

A native New Yorker, Jonathan Viner earned his BFA from Rhode Island School of Design. “COMPUTER SCIENCE” is his fourth solo exhibition in New York and second at Sloan Fine Art.


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Richard Haines Shows Work in LA

http://designerman-whatisawtoday.blogspot.com/2011/03/los-angeles.html

After meeting Richard along with my friend Nick Wooster in NYC for dinner, I can say that the charm and charisma of his drawings are directly related to the man himself. I can't wait to celebrate his achievements in fashion illustration in Los Angeles.

Friday, January 21, 2011

David Patel catches me again....

My very talented student has a bad habit of drawing caricatures of his teachers in class. http://davidpatel.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

A great friend Martha Rich opens at SFA Projects

Martha Rich
"Nuts, Charm & Rejection"
@ CultureFix, 9 Clinton Street, NYC
Opening Reception: Friday, January 14th, 7-9pm
Show runs through February 6th.
Manned gallery hours are Friday through Sunday, Noon to 6.
View the entire show online at:http://www.sfaprojects.com/11RichCF.html