Author: ArtsyChowRoamer

Powerful Artists

INSPIRING ME TO SHARE

Some artists just stand out to you; they touch you. You are struck by something that can be hard to put into words. You might not be able to describe it but you know it when you see it.

In today’s post I want to talk with you about 5 artists who inspire me to share with you; you know, the ones who do that thing and make you stand in front of their works and study them long and hard.

Number 1: Harry Paul Ally

ABSTRACT FIGURATIVE WORK

I first saw Harry’s work many years ago when he was showing with a gallery in Tula Art Center down on Bennett Street in Atlanta. I remember walking by and catching one of his pieces in the corner of my eye. I literally stopped and backed up to peer into the windows of the gallery.

That drew me in to look at all of his works on display. I loved the strong mark making rendering quality to his female figures; not illustrated and finished but rather deconstructed and incomplete.

Because they were women, there was a suggestion of beauty, fragility and vulnerability but also of decay and ending with no complete face. The suggestion of gender with just the minimum of marks and movement and with the color from piece to piece was mesmerizing then and still is for me today.

The layering in these pieces are a part of his process; his thoughts, ideas and meanings. Harry himself explains, “They are excavations, a palimpsest of surfaces layered with a variety of materials...dry pigments, acrylics, tar, fabrics, oils, bonding agents, along with different clays dug from the Georgia soil”.

Harry is originally from New Jersey with an MFA from the University of North Texas. He is retired from teaching at Valdosta State University in Georgia and maintains a studio in Ohio. He is presently showing at Mason Fine Art in Atlanta, Georgia where you can see more of his beautiful work.

READER UPDATE: Harry had a show recently at Mason Fine Art and I thought you might also enjoy the video below which shows you a little more about Harry’s technique.

Number 2: Richard Painter

BURNING IMAGES OF FRAGILE ENTITIES

I have to admit that I kinda fell for this guys work not just by seeing it but by reading his bio and why he does what he does. It was charming, funny and completely honest.

Richard’s work starts with burning things basically. The idea being that everything burns; the “stars, planets, rocks, earth, plants and animals, molecules and atoms, quarks and maybe tachyons--everything that springs into tangible existence starts being consumed by the oxidation of time”. How true-right?

His images are usually of more fragile entities and imply a sort of skeletal structure to them. They imply that life is not only “fragile but can be tenacious” he explains. I like that he apparently has friends who know him well and say he is really an arsonist at heart and who has just found a productive way to use the talent.

I will never be able to write about the work the way the well known art critic, Jerry Cullum, has because he captured the very essence of why Richard’s work is important and worth sharing.

“The (burning) technique would be no more than admirably inventive if it didn't fit so prettily into Painter's views on transience and fragility. His inclusion of single-word Latin captions such as "elegia" or "infinitas" turns his individual images into allegories of what endures and what perishes”. Ermm…yeah….what he said!

You can see more of Richard’s work and read his entertaining bio on his website.

READER UPDATE: Read Richard’s update under News for his latest. He was one of 30 selected for an artist in residence project out of 300 applicants in the Arctic Circle Residency program. He will be creating a blog about his experience.

Number 3: Blockhead (Chris Skeene)

SCULPTURE

I may have started liking Blockhead’s work because I read that it was originally inspired by Pez dispensers which made me laugh out loud (those who know me know that making me laugh is the best way to my heart).

While the inspiration for the pieces are man made, Chris hand carves and paints his little treasure sculptures himself. He sometimes invites collaborators to work on pieces with him as well. Chris uses his sculptures to bring variety to the repetition of a singular form.

As I scrolled through his recent pieces at Kai Lin Art I was taken by the many different ways Chris can present his idea. Some are rich in detail and color while others suggest humor and the recognition of every day objects or famous people like Jason.

READER UPDATE: I found this old video of Chris Skeene that gives you an idea of where he got his inspiration from. Hope you enjoy it!

Number 4: Fabiola Jean-Louis

HAUNTING MOODY PHOTOGRAPHY

The words dreamy, haunting, moody, mysterious and magical have all been used to describe the photography of Fabiola Jean-Louise. Their lush colors and traditional settings mixed with the fact that the females are African American immediately gets your attention. Why?

I believe because we are not used to seeing this mix. Why? Exactly! Fabiola is of Haitian decent and presently works out of Brooklyn, New York. While she majored in Illustration, attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, it would be years before she realized her love of photography according to her bio.

Aren’t we lucky she did. The results are a series that allows her to bring unseen worlds out of hiding with lush portraits and sculptural details of clothing and coloring that defy description. Her most recent series called, Rewriting History, is on view at Alan Avery Art Company where she tackles the shocking treatment of people of color throughout history.

READER UPDATE: I found this video for you of Fabiola explaining her work and the inspiration she uses to produce the lovely results.

Number 5: Rebecca Crowell

“MEMORY MAPPING” ABSTRACTS

One of the things I like about Rebecca’s pieces is the fact that she is working in oil and cold wax giving them a nice matte encaustic look. There are edges and mark making that make reference to architecture and archeology gained by scratching, cutting and digging into the works.

There is a natural element bringing the terrain and landscape into focus. The colors feel very much like the surrounding New Mexico area where her winter studio is located; earthy and plant like with pops of brighter floral colors.

She has learned “to trust the process” of her work in how she edits; what to keep and what to discard. She tries not to tell the paint what to do but allow it to guide her through a process as it develops into the finish.

Rebecca utilizes a sort of “memory mapping” while creating which allows her work to visually look quite abstract but still retain faint memories or echos of a landscape. You can see more examples of her recent works on view at Thomas Deans Fine Art gallery in Atlanta, Georgia.

READER UPDATE: Rebecca Crowell will be doing a new show at Thomas Deans Fine Art gallery scheduled for September 11th-October 10th for the 2020 season. I also found a video for you that talks about a book on techniques and concepts that Rebecca has written with another cold wax artist. If you are interested in trying this kind of art this book will help you with everything including supplies and setting up your own studio.

CONCLUSION

I think you can see why I felt inspired to share the work of these five artists. While they all speak to me for different reasons, they all are compelling. They give me pause. They made me stop to look, to think, to contemplate and to change in some way.

I want you to experience that too. I know that if you visit these galleries and take the time to look at the recent works of the artists, you too will be changed in important ways. I hope you like them as much as I do.

You might be interested in reading other posts from Artful Ideal on my blog and hey, don’t be a stranger! Let me know what you think and what you would like to read about. What inspires you to share with others? What do you look for in art? What moves you? Until next time…

Cheers,

ArtsyChowRoamer

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TO MY READERS: This blog was updated with new info, pics and upgraded content 6/1/2020