My recollection being rather fuzzy this far removed from the first part of the month, this entry will be rather truncated in comparison to my other FtCRG posts.
First Thursday: 07 October 2004
Epitome
Don't think I've ever written about this gallery before. Usually, the curator has exhibits by artists that are too... artistic for my tastes. Not bad art, just not my cuppa tea. The installation pieces by sculptor/artist David Herbold didn't fall into that category. Hanging on the walls were painting/sculptural pieces, fusing canvas and clay. A sense of longing, of loneliness, emanating from almost every piece. Then there was the hard-to-miss "Searching II": a sequential sculpture series of a man in a small boat, in obvious despair, watching fish swim by, all suspended from the ceiling. Very raw.
Angry Fairy
Another installation piece, one where the format was more interesting to me than the subject matter, but still worth the mention. Entitled "Dirty Laundry," photographer Michael Rubenstein takes us behind the scenes of the sex industry. I've been there kids, and Mr. Rubenstein's photographs are still a tad too glamourous to really be "behind-the-scenes." But, as I said, it was the installation format that interested me more than the subject matter. The photos were hung from laundry lines on old clothespins, and the combination of photos & lines made for a rather forced path for the viewer to follow. Sure, you could just duck under any of the photos and look at the images willy-nilly, but to walk the path that had been mapped out seemed more interesting.
Freedom Box
The honorable mention of the evening goes to Poliat, an artist who works in felt. Yes, I said Felt. Inlaid Felt Art. Laser-cut and fitted together like a puzzle. Just the sheer novelty and precision of the pieces warranted an entry.
Compound
Looking at the postcard flyer for this last artist, I'm still at a loss to adequately describe the artist known as Rockin' Jelly Bean. Dressed in a vintage tuxedo w/ a ruffled shirt, and wearing a luchadora mask, Mr. Jelly Bean (or RJB) mingled with the crowd. Kind of a performance art piece himself. His art is very PoMo, with influences ranging from Rat Fink, Barbarella, Mexican masked wrestlers, R. Crumb, and the like. All over the map and very well executed. Still not so sure about the artist, but I did like the art.
The only other thing that happened worth mentioning is that I ran into Harvest Henderson again. Not surprising since she lives there. We made small talk for a moment before she said, "Oh. You're the blogger guy." I just smiled and nodded, while desperately attempting to remember what I had written, to determine how much of it was incriminating/embarassing. I vaguely recalled writing something about her being stunning, and then made a mental note to kick myself later. She said she'd almost sold the painting that I liked, "Kestrel" to a guy from Kansas, but he backed out at the last minute. So she said if anyone lends me the $600 to let her know.
As it happens, I've just made a deal with her to buy the painting. Which will make this the very first piece of artwork I've ever purchased. She has another show starting this upcoming Thursday at Pepper Gallery. With any luck, my entry for next First Thursday isn't as late as this one.
Epitome
Don't think I've ever written about this gallery before. Usually, the curator has exhibits by artists that are too... artistic for my tastes. Not bad art, just not my cuppa tea. The installation pieces by sculptor/artist David Herbold didn't fall into that category. Hanging on the walls were painting/sculptural pieces, fusing canvas and clay. A sense of longing, of loneliness, emanating from almost every piece. Then there was the hard-to-miss "Searching II": a sequential sculpture series of a man in a small boat, in obvious despair, watching fish swim by, all suspended from the ceiling. Very raw.
Angry Fairy
Another installation piece, one where the format was more interesting to me than the subject matter, but still worth the mention. Entitled "Dirty Laundry," photographer Michael Rubenstein takes us behind the scenes of the sex industry. I've been there kids, and Mr. Rubenstein's photographs are still a tad too glamourous to really be "behind-the-scenes." But, as I said, it was the installation format that interested me more than the subject matter. The photos were hung from laundry lines on old clothespins, and the combination of photos & lines made for a rather forced path for the viewer to follow. Sure, you could just duck under any of the photos and look at the images willy-nilly, but to walk the path that had been mapped out seemed more interesting.
Freedom Box
The honorable mention of the evening goes to Poliat, an artist who works in felt. Yes, I said Felt. Inlaid Felt Art. Laser-cut and fitted together like a puzzle. Just the sheer novelty and precision of the pieces warranted an entry.
Compound
Looking at the postcard flyer for this last artist, I'm still at a loss to adequately describe the artist known as Rockin' Jelly Bean. Dressed in a vintage tuxedo w/ a ruffled shirt, and wearing a luchadora mask, Mr. Jelly Bean (or RJB) mingled with the crowd. Kind of a performance art piece himself. His art is very PoMo, with influences ranging from Rat Fink, Barbarella, Mexican masked wrestlers, R. Crumb, and the like. All over the map and very well executed. Still not so sure about the artist, but I did like the art.
The only other thing that happened worth mentioning is that I ran into Harvest Henderson again. Not surprising since she lives there. We made small talk for a moment before she said, "Oh. You're the blogger guy." I just smiled and nodded, while desperately attempting to remember what I had written, to determine how much of it was incriminating/embarassing. I vaguely recalled writing something about her being stunning, and then made a mental note to kick myself later. She said she'd almost sold the painting that I liked, "Kestrel" to a guy from Kansas, but he backed out at the last minute. So she said if anyone lends me the $600 to let her know.
As it happens, I've just made a deal with her to buy the painting. Which will make this the very first piece of artwork I've ever purchased. She has another show starting this upcoming Thursday at Pepper Gallery. With any luck, my entry for next First Thursday isn't as late as this one.
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