Pattern Pulp

Tuesday's Gallery Picks




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The art of construction and destruction reign in this week’s gallery picks.

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1.With a relationship to concrete poetry, Katsumi Hayakawa’s 3D works make visual connections between the complex and unseen substructure of the information age and the increasingly dense landscape of modern cities at McClain Gallery
2. Don Kimes’ new works are inspired by the old and blemished paintings that were destroyed by a flood almost a decade ago in the artist’s home. Kimes was fascinated by the outcome, drawing incentive from the way the ruined work looked after the natural incident at Denise Bibro Fine Art
3. Elise Ansel’s paintings are derived from Renaissance and Baroque depictions of bacchanals and figures in the landscape. Her work is about reclaiming, re-visioning and re-presenting paintings that were created at a time when women were seen as objects rather than primary participants in the creative dialog at Pheonix Gallery
4.In Alon Kedem’s paintings, complex entanglements of human beings, x-ray machines, production lines of figures and body parts constitute works full of humor that by their nature elude the expectations created by a theoretical system. They create an attempt – connected with foregone failure – at organization and order.  The works are found in a transition, in an interim world of examination, lack of success, in processes without conclusions at Feinberg Projects
5. The relationship between destruction and creation is an underlying concept in Ori Gersht’s work. “I’m interested in those oppositions of attraction and repulsion and how the moment of destruction in the exploding mirrors becomes for me the moment of creation.” at CRG Gallery
6.Charles Gaines is celebrated for his photographs, drawings, and works on paper that investigate how rules-based procedures construct order and meaning. Working serially in progressive and densely layered bodies of works, Gaines explores the interplay between objectivity and interpretation, the systematic and the poetic at Hammer Museum

Modern Art in Palma De Mallorca




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This past summer, I visited Palma de Mallorca. Interestingly, there weren’t many Americans, though there were lots of Brits and Europeans poking around the cobblestone streets, enjoying their summer holidays.

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I found myself wandering between gelato stands, hidden beaches, food markets and cultural institutions. Along the way, I visited Es Baluard, the Museum of Modern Contemporary Art in Palma.

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Here are a few snaps of the Implosio Carte Blanche a Comicnostrum exhibit. The works on display ranged from well known Spanish artists to modern up-and-comers and presented a flow that was very engaging. The vast walls in contrast with clustered groupings worked brilliantly – the visual approach complimented the diverse collection.

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In between the paintings and mixed media, was a looping video and costume display (artist unknown). It featured two women in transparent bodysuits doing an athletic dance routine. It reminded me a bit of The Class, a yoga-meets-bootcamp full body workout I try to regularly do when I’m in New York.

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It was all very captivating in an unfamiliar way, and the accompanying outfits presented a balance of high concept fashion and athletic irony. The graphic shadows and red stitched anatomy completely desexualized the nakedness of the women. It was unexpected and mechanical in a refreshing way.

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Then there was Joan Miro in 3D. This was one of the highlights of the exhibit. His works have a playful maturity to them. If you’re a fan of his drawings, the sculptures will make you yearn for animated accompaniments to the art. There’s boundless expressiveness to each colorful mark.

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Baltazar Torres also made a big impression – his metallic urban sculptures are an interconnected maze of buildings that any city dweller can appreciate. Stacks of shiny rectangles are adjoined to create geometric landscapes.

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And last but not least, this piece (artist unknown) merges two distinct worlds: one filled with a cultural Spanish icon and another with futuristic florescent lights emulating the guts of a bull. It sparks a debate on the graphic nature of death on display.

Artist Profile: ChiChiLand




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Meet Çiğdem Michalski, aka ChichiLand. Based in San Francisco, Michalski melds urban environments with adorable mini creatures to create folk art that’s both modern and whimsical. Her primary focus is on illustration and textile design and the results are fresh and kid friendly. Who doesn’t love an alligator in a bikini, a strawberry ballerina, or a one-eyed dancing ice cream cone? Keep your eyes peeled for what’s to come, as we’re certain Michalski’s repeats will continue to surprise and delight.

 

Tuesday Gallery Picks




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Myth and ephemerality play a large part in this week’s gallery picks.

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1. A group show with a throughly playful vibe at Andrea Schwartz Gallery
2. Saner’s works are heavily influenced by traditional Mexican customs and folklore. ForPrimitivo, the artist created lively portraits of characters wearing Nahuale masks reminiscent of those found on the streets of Mexico and according to legend, have the power to transform human beings into animals at Jonathan Levine Gallery
3.Integrating memory, literature, art history, and contemporary culture, Heidi Howard deftly paints portraits with loose, lively, gestural brush strokes, full of color, pattern, line, and a figuration, abstract to defined, reminiscent of old masters such as Matisse, Bonnard, Vuillard, Botticelli at Nancy Margolis Gallery
4.On the theme of the artist as mythologist, in her series ‘I remember Paradise’, Lakwena Maciver uses the relationship between myth and adornment to explore the possibility that myths – expressed through films, paintings, songs, advertisements – carry ‘echoes’ of paradise, pointing to a past and a future glory which we only see glimpses of in the present at Papillion Art
5. The Making of Personal Theory: Mysticism and Metaphysics in the Work of Sara Kathryn Arledge, Charles Irvin, and Jim Shaw is a three-person exhibition that takes notions of “the mystical” as an entry point to consider daily encounters that are marked with eccentricity, the surreal, and a dream-like passage of time at Armory Center for the Arts
6. Yellena James’ ethereal ecosystems at LeQuiVivre

News to Share…




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Fun news to (finally) report…I’m creating a Pattern Sketchbook with Chronicle, and it’ll be coming out in Spring 2016. (Yay!) We’ll be focusing on pattern spotting in the world around us, and how inspiration becomes a purposeful repeat.

I know that sounds like a massively long time from now, but everything is actually due rather soon, so…here’s where you come in.

I have a nice outline coming together of who I’d love to include in this book, but I’m always on the hunt for new pattern designers, artists and illustrators- especially young talented ones. I’ve always been a strong believer of following the experienced creators as much as the fresh up-and-comers.

So, please feel free to submit work that follows these guidelines. I’d love to include 1 or 2 art students to the mix.  

Please address your emails to: editor@patternpulp.com with the subject title: Patterns & Inspiration. Please, no heavy files – just links and jpgs.

Thank You!

Shayna

Spotting Texture on Instagram




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I recently saw this image, screenshot it, and decided to do a quick post about the simplicity and dimension. A few days later, Megan Morton posted this prism-paper-cut-pineapple, citing Australian stylist, Marsha Golemac. As one does with Instagram, I dove into the exploration hole. To be expected, Golemac’s feed was fabulous. The array of work spanned cool styling, crisp photography and varied grids of all shapes and sizes.

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Like me, I’m sure many of you used to find this kind of imagery in print publications – now, nearly everything is in real time and on Instagram. While I still buy bodega magazines for the editorial spreads, the never-ending stream of visuals has become my most valued source of inspiration.

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If you have a photographic memory, it’s almost sport to connect photos from unrelated sources. Scouring for new talent is much simpler as well. The interconnectedness of it all feels like we’re all intertwined, if not approachable – especially within niche communities.

So, back to 3D prisms. I think they’re great, and these creative variations explore a trend we’ve been seeing for a while. Curious to hear your thoughts, what’s the last thing you’ve seen multiples of in your feed? Share away!

Tracking Repetitive + Awesome.
On Instagram.