Who Mourns for the Mice?

Interim Directorship Ends

2009-12-28T10:52:00.001-05:00

I have tendered my resignation to James Oliver Gallery. My interim directorship has now concluded and I will be moving on to pursue brighter pastures.

I will still be curating exciting exhibits around the city come late 2010, so please check back for details as they arise.

I wish the new director the best of luck and hope they are able to put on some stimulating shows.

NBC Philadelphia | Borders (Screen Grab)

2009-12-04T10:51:00.000-05:00

(Original Link)

NBC Philadelphia | Borders (Text)

2009-12-04T10:50:00.000-05:00

(Original Post)

Artists Without Borders

By KELLY BAYLISS

Updated 10:00 AM EST, Fri, Dec 4, 2009

Elena Drozdove

"Borders," an exhibition featuring three international artists opens at the James Oliver Gallery on Saturday with a reception from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. All three of the critically acclaimed artists will be in attendance.

The exhibit features Mark Khaisman (Ukraine), who creates captivating pieces from brown packing tape, Elena Drozdova (Russia) acrylic paintings and the abstract paintings of Eric Hall (England), a former Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art student.

The "Borders" reception is free. The exhibit runs until January 10, 2010.

First Published: Dec 4, 2009 9:48 AM EST

Philadelphia Magazine | Borders

2009-12-04T10:49:00.000-05:00

From Philadelphia Magazine:

Click image above to read.

"Borders"

2009-11-30T10:48:00.000-05:00

Artists without Borders

James Oliver Gallery (JOG) is honored to present "Borders", featuring critically acclaimed artist Mark Khaisman of Ukraine, Elena Drozdova of Russia and Eric Hall of England. "Borders" opens Saturday, December 5th with a reception with the artists from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. The exhibit runs through January 10, 2010.

Mark Khaisman, born in Kiev, Ukraine, creates captivating works from brown packing tape layered to create depth and opacity over Plexiglas light boxes. His work has been featured in The London Times, CNN (London), Wired Magazine, Architectural Design, and he was recently featured as a "must watch" artist by Philadelphia Magazine. His work has been exhibited across the United States, including Chicago, Baltimore, Delaware and Utah. He has received various awards and recognitions in Bulgaria, Poland, Paris and the United States.

Elena Drozdova, born in Moscow, Russia, uses acrylic paint on Yupo paper (a synthetic, water resistant material) to produce works reminiscent of French Impressionist painter Édouard Manet meeting Austrian Expressionist Egon Schiele. Her portraiture is inspired in part by subjects who "have no means to communicate their experiences to outsiders." Her work has been shown in Moscow, Düsseldorf, Tokyo, Brussels and Venice. In 2003 she received an award in the World Trade Center Memorial Competition in NY.

Born in Liverpool, England, Eric Hall folded his experience in advertising into a career as a painter. Traditionally trained at the Corcoran School of Art and The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Hall has recently shifted styles to reflect a more painterly, abstract form inspired by color and light. His work has been exhibited regularly at the Woodmere Art Museum and the Cheltenham Center for the Arts.

Please join James Oliver Gallery and curator Veronica Scarpellino in celebrating this international event. A reception with the artists will be held on Saturday, December 5th from 6:00 - 9:00 pm, and is free and open to the public.

For further details and images of works on display, please see the posts below or call JOG at 215.923.1242. High resolution images are available upon request.

Transplant Reception Photos

2009-10-28T10:47:00.000-04:00

A warm thank you to all who attended our reception for TRANSPLANT on Saturday night. In the pouring rain, no less. We had a wonderful time.

Thank you to Victory Brewing for the beverages, and to missingElement for the photos!

NBC Philadelphia's Homepage

2009-10-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

What's that, down there on the left ...?

Update: Now on the front page of Around Town ...

NBC Philadelphia | Transplant

2009-10-23T10:46:00.000-04:00

NBC Philadelphia
A Change of Art: JOG Opening Saturday
By DAVID CHANG
Updated 3:21 PM EDT, Fri, Oct 23, 2009

JOG
Art fans in Philly have something to look forward to this weekend from the James Oliver Gallery. Their newest exhibit, Transplant, opens Saturday Oct. 24, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Transplant features painter Ron Johnson and sculptor Steven Earl Weber. The paintings and the sculptures are inspired by the shadows of nature and genetically engineered human organs. Weber will also display sculptures that were previously censored from the Art Institute of Philadelphia.

Enjoy beer, wine and light fare as you peruse the exhibit.

The gallery is located on the fourth floor of 723 Chestnut Street. The exhibit will run until November 21. For more information, check out the gallery website www.jamesoliverygallery.com.

Transplant | Thrillist Philadelphia

2009-10-21T10:45:00.000-04:00

Thrillist Philadelphia

The List

Hump This

Organ-ize: Transplant

Sat, Oct 24, 6-9pm at James Oliver Gallery: 723 Chestnut St; 4th Fl (above Morimoto); 215.923.1242

Hit JOG Saturday evening to throw back comp'd vino and Victory suds as you marvel at Ron Johnson's paintings (which draw inspiration from photographs of shadows) and the sculpture work of Steven Earl Weber, including a series of anatomically correct ceramic human organs slapped with appropriate/cynical branding, like the Nike-swoosh-emblazoned heart on a swatch of AstroTurf dubbed "The Athlete With The Most Heart", "Marlboro Lungs", and another heart dangling from a gold chain, draped in signature Burberry plaid you'll deem "The Shopper With The Most Credit Cards".

Read the rest of the Thrillist Philadelphia List here.

Censored Work on Display

2009-10-21T10:43:00.000-04:00

Back in 2008, the Art Institute in Philadelphia censored an artist in an exhibit about gun violence. The artist, Steven Earl Weber, will exhibit the censored work for the first time since, at James Oliver Gallery.

A reception with Steven Earl Weber and painter Ron Johnson is on Saturday, October 24th, 6:00 - 9:00 PM, and is free and open to the public.

Thanks to Victory Brewing for beverages!

Gallery Director & Curator

2009-07-14T20:51:00.000-04:00

I'm very pleased to announce I have been asked to become the new Director and Curator of James Oliver Gallery.

The owner, James Oliver, is opening a second gallery in Sebastopol, California, north of San Francisco in Napa Valley. This is an exciting opportunity for me to put together some exciting artists for the next few months as things settle in.

Check back for exhibit information as things unfold.

Installation Shots| Globe Dye Works: Layers

2009-05-12T14:45:00.010-04:00

We had an amazing turn-out to the opening reception. We're estimating around 1000 people came. Thanks to all who did!

Here are some installation shots, taken by Brian Michael Photography & Design:

And from the Frankford Gazette:

NEast Magazine Preview | Globe Dye Works

2009-05-08T20:58:00.001-04:00

New vision, art show for Globe Dye Works in Frankford

8 05 2009 8 05 2009

The 11-building Globe Dye Works complex, portions of which are more than 140 years old, is given new life.

By Christopher Wink

Signs throughout Philadelphia point to the slow development of an industrialization long since gone — even in Frankford.

Tomorrow night, the opening reception of an art show will be held at the old Globe Dye Works on Torresdale Avenue above Kinsey Street. The show, called “Layers” features a host of established and upcoming artists from other Philadelphia neighborhoods and outside the region.

The show is curated by Veronica Scarpellino.

If you have interest in a free art show or not, Globe Dye Works, once the home of a fifth-generation textile dying factory, is worth the visit. You’d never know it, driving north on Torresdale, passing another old brick relic of Philadelphia’s historic manufacturing past, but the Globe is alive.

It’s history and prominence is illuminating. With as much as 165,000 square feet between 11-buildings, the oldest of which was constructed more than 140 years ago, the building has remarkable promise for unique live-work, light-industrial and, yes, even art space.

Read more of its history at the Workshop of the World Web site.

In touring the complex with Jim Smiley of the Frankford Gazette and Charles Abdo, the bright and engaging man that is leading the construction with five other partners and seems very respectful and in awe of the building’s history, I was so taken by moving from one building to the next, some in disrepair, with elements of the Globe business still there, while others were beautiful and ready to be used.

The complex is still developing. There are seven tenants, including a metal smith, a woodworker, an antiques wholesaler, a photographer and a steel drum manufacturer. Portions of the complex are already finished and awaiting new tenants, some portions can be developed to tenant specifications and others are sitting, remaining haunting reminders of the long staple of industrialization.

The Globe business wasn’t shuttered by its Greenwood owning family until 2005, but it sometimes appears like you’re walking through an ancient tomb.

Abdo and his partners are hoping to keep some of that authentic feel, including discussions on leaving a three-story boiler as a “conversation piece.“

Smiley is sharing many photos he took at the Globe, seen here, among others.

The art show is in a particular interesting part of the complex — redone, with beautiful, original floors and 30-foot high open face brick. The free show is a chance to open the building up to the community and potential tenants.

The artists will be in attendance at tomorrow’s opening reception, but the art will remain and be open through June 7 by appointment. Read more here.

The Globe is easily accessible by mass transit. Take the El eastbound from Center City to the Church stop. Walk four blocks east to Torresdale Avenue and one block north to Kinsey Street. The Globe complex will be on your right and can be accessed from Worth Street, which runs parallel to Torresdale.

Street parking is also available.

Thrillist Preview | Globe Dye Works: Layers

2009-05-07T09:43:00.005-04:00

Thrillist Philadelphia

Emailed in a LIST on: Wednesday May 6, 2009

Globe Dye Works: Layers

5-9pm, Sat May 9; 4500 Worth St, between Church and Orthodox; Frankford; 215.288.4554

Fiercely indulge in comp'd suds from Philadelphia Brewing Co (plus wine and M Room's Mediterranean grub) at this mammoth dye-factory-turned-studio-complex's debut art show. On display: hand-crafted wall sculptures made from recovered machinery, free-standing sculptures created from antique and discarded books, and extended exposure photography of toys projected on cathedral walls (G.I. Job?).

Think globally, act locally -- check out the full list of artists at GlobeDyeWorks.com

Citypaper Preview | Globe Dye Works: Layers

2009-05-07T09:42:00.000-04:00

Globe Dye Works: Layers

Opening reception Sat., May 9, 5-9 p.m., free, exhibit through June 7, Globe Dye Works, 4500 Worth St., 215-288-4554, globedyeworks.com.

by Lauren F. Friedman

Published: May 5, 2009

visual art

In a gritty, post-industrial corner of Frankford, where Amtrak trains rattle by empty sidewalks, the massive Globe Dye Works complex swallows a full city block. When dyeing operations shut down four years ago, the previous owners left behind sewing machines, spools of colored thread, safety notices and an old leather punch. These vestiges are still scattered throughout the cavernous rooms, and the potent history of the space informed its inaugural exhibition, "Layers." "It's a very loose theme," says curator Veronica Scarpellino. "It's about the transition from old to new, from industrial to modern." The work of 13 artists is spread out across nearly 8,000 square feet, offering a rare opportunity to see a variety of pieces untethered from the traditional confines of a gallery. Romy Scheroder used the plentiful open space in one of the sun-filled upstairs rooms to spread out a flock of lifeless, white birds made from handkerchiefs. Maria Anasazi repurposed the pages of old books into a paper globe, a quilt made only of children's stories and a circular accordion that sits atop antique crutches. Justin Coffin carefully photographed Arctic Splash containers littered all over Fishtown, imbuing typical urban detritus with the gravity of a crime scene. "Everyone's work seems to have some ephemerality to it," says Scarpellino, and the hushed Dye Works factory stands as the clearest symbol of impermanence — and transformation.

Opening reception Sat., May 9, 5-9 p.m., free, exhibit through June 7, Globe Dye Works, 4500 Worth St., 215-288-4554, globedyeworks.com.

Guy Stanley Philoche

2009-04-28T14:36:00.004-04:00

I'm thrilled to announce Guy Stanley Philoche will be joining the exhibit "Globe Dye Works: Layers" (see below post). Philoche is a very prolific NY painter whose work is in museums and collections around the world.

"Untitled Series" 2008

"Globe Dye Works: Layers"

2009-04-07T11:28:00.008-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

“Globe Dye Works: Layers”
May 9 – June 7, 2009

Opening Reception with the Artists: Saturday, May 9th, 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Gallery Hours: By appointment

Contact: Globe Development Group 215-288-4554 info@globedyeworks.com
4500 Worth Street • Philadelphia, PA 19124
www.globedyeworks.com/exhibitions

Directions

"World Bound" detail by Maria Anasazi. Book pages, metal, wood.

Philadelphia warehouse makes the transition to its next incarnation: from textile factory to art community.

Since 1865, the Globe Dye Works warehouse compound has been the site of one of longest running dye factories in Philadelphia. Now under new ownership, Globe will enter its next phase of life as an art community. “Globe Dye Works: Layers,” its first art exhibition, will premier Saturday, May 9th to showcase some of Philadelphia’s best established and emerging artists, including Greek artist Maria Anasazi. A reception with the artists is being held Saturday, May 9th from 5:00 – 9:00 pm and is open to the public. Light fare will be served, and Philadelphia Brewing Company will provide beverages as the reception sponsor. The exhibit runs through June 7th by appointment only.

Curated by Philadelphia artist Veronica Scarpellino, “Globe Dye Works: Layers” will bring together 13 artists to celebrate the transition of the Globe Dye Works building into its next incarnation. Artist Maria Anasazi, a recent Philadelphia transplant from Greece, will headline the exhibit with delicate sculptures created from antique and discarded books. Anasazi is a prolific artist who has shown her work extensively across the country and has received numerous awards and accolades. Anasazi will be joined in the main gallery by other established artists Steven Earl Weber, Kiki Gaffney (courtesy Pentimenti Gallery), Pete Checchia and NY artist Guy Stanley Philoche (courtesy James Oliver Gallery). Together their artwork will pay homage to the past as it meets the present, in unison with the space around them.

The exhibition continues upstairs in two other exhibit rooms, featuring the works of Candace Karch and Joshua Erb, Romy Scheroder, Ron Johnson, Justin Coffin, Deb Imler and Allen Spencer, James Oliver and Peter Stanfield.

Globe Dye Works has been remade to support art studios, craftsman studios, offices and stores. Public spaces within will serve as areas to exhibit art, communicate with fellow tenants, and give residents an opportunity to collaborate. Spaces vary in size, from 500 sq. ft. to 3000 sq. ft., giving residents a flexibility in scope that is rare.

Join the partners of Globe Dye Works and Philadelphia Brewing Company in this celebration on Saturday, May 9th from 5:00 – 9:00 pm.

Press Inquiries ONLY: Veronica Scarpellino vscarpellino@gmail.com
Please note: Full access is available to the press for a tour of the facilities. More High Resolution images available upon request.

"Untitled Series" Guy Stanley Philoche

"Fertility Goddess" Pete Checchia

"Pass Age" detail, Romy Scheroder

Curating at James Oliver Gallery

2009-01-27T14:35:00.005-05:00

I have confirmed that I will be curating two new shows, possibly back-to-back, in early fall 2009 at James Oliver Gallery in Philadelphia. Details as they develop ...

Globe Dye Works

2009-01-23T10:57:00.003-05:00

I'm very happy to say I have been asked to curate the first art exhibition at Globe Dye Works. The show will open in late April or early May.

Stay tuned for more information ...

"Dairy Farm"

2009-01-22T13:55:00.001-05:00

"A Beautiful Find" Gallery Shot

2009-01-22T13:45:00.002-05:00

One angle of the gallery ...

A Beautiful Find - Uwishunu

2008-09-25T10:56:00.004-04:00

September 25th, 2008

A Beautiful Find @ the James Oliver Gallery

Posted by John Steele

tagged as Arts

This summer saw the city of Philadelphia enacting drastic reforms in the way waste is dealt with. From the addition of Single-Stream recycling to the acquisition of BigBelly solar powered trash compactors to city street corners. If only our legislators would have realized that the waste they were so quick to compost or compact was in fact a goldmine of artistic materials.

The artists of A Beautiful Find, the newest exhibition hitting the James Oliver Gallery, take everyday items discarded by less discerning city residents and make them into works of art. From sepia-toned Arctic Splash bottles to the art of Baskin Robins samples spoons, one mans trash is truly an artists’ treasure.

Steven Earl Weber has created two pieces, School Supplies and Through This Gruff Exterior, that show the seedy underbelly just below the surface. One found sculpture resembles drugs under the floorboards, the other a school desk filled with guns.

Weber joins a star-studded cast of Philly artists including past and current members of Man Man, Steven and Billy Dufala, Philadelphia playwright and photog Justin Coffin and furniture-maker Andrew Brehm, fresh off his award-winning work at the Tyler Arboretum’s Totally Terrific Treehouses exhibit.

The exhibit runs through October 6th. The James Oliver Gallery is located at 723 Chestnut St. on the 4th Floor.

The James Oliver Gallery (4th Floor)
723 Chestnut St, Philadelphia PA

A Beautiful Find - PW

2008-09-05T10:55:00.004-04:00

archives 2008 » sep. 3rd

Match point: “A Beautiful Find” showcases outsider art for insider souls.

A-List

“A Beautiful Find,” Disco Descending, Straight Up Vampire and The Hoppers Hit the Road.

»Duchampian Brut

“A Beautiful Find”

Opening Sat., Sept. 6, 6pm-10pm. Through Oct. 6. Free. James Oliver Gallery, 723 Chestnut St., fourth fl. 267.918.7432. www.jamesolivergallery.com

“Look, Dad, there’s another one of the filthy bastards!” roared my 6-year-old daughter Tracey Trotsky Spinoza Jones while gesticulating obscenely at a male bohemian studying sheets of densely scrawled foolscap pulled from a Center City trash can. We’d been spotting these suspiciously well-dressed bin-rummagers for weeks. Tracey speculated they might be lost dimensional travelers desperately trying to get home to an alternative magical garbage-universe “like in Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere.” I thought it more likely we were witnessing the emergence of a new authenticity-fixated urban tribe of rubbish junkies—the dipsters. Turns out we were both wrong. The detritus-diving miscreants we witnessed were super cool Philly artists—former and current Man Man members, for instance—seeking material for what looks likely to be a truly trouser-burstingly exciting exhibition of “found” art at the James Oliver Gallery. Among the crap these geniuses have reclaimed and recontextualized for your chin-stroking viewing pleasure are mummified rats and mouse bones picked out of an owl pellet. Mmm! There will be so much grooviness packed into this stupendously sophisto-chic artist-attended opening reception that the universe might well prolapse under the strain, ending all life as we know it. But what a way to go. (Steven Wells)

A Beautiful Find - Phillyist

2008-09-05T10:54:00.005-04:00

Green Art

While single-stream recycling and sustainability are relatively new concepts in the timeline of human history, they're age-old practices in the art world. Artists have always used what's at hand for inspiration, but many use what others would consider junk as their physical medium.

Additionally, the renewed focus on green architecture and ever improving conservation have given a huge new boost to "green art" and in the fickle and rarefied atmosphere of the art world, green is the new black.

"A Beautiful Find," a found objects exhibition at James Oliver Gallery (JOG), opening September 6th and running through October 6th, "showcases various interpretations and uses of materials salvaged from nature's junk heap and humankind's dustbin of abandonment."

Be prepared to witness what a creative mind can offer in the form of art from the discards of society and nature. From scrap shop pieces and discarded sample-spoons, to "naturally mummified rats and mouse bones extricated from regurgitated owl pellets," the building blocks of the featured artworks will spotlight the artists' creativity while challenging the viewers' perceptions.

"A Beautiful Find," curated by Philadelphia artist Veronica Scarpellino, compiles the works of Tom Judd, Phillip Johnson, George-ann F. Greth, Ron Johnson, Andrew Brehm, Brookes Britcher, Steven Earl Weber, Fatima Adamu, Billy and Steven Dufala and others. A reception with the artists, free and open to the public, will take place on Saturday, September 6th from 6:00 to 10:00 pm.

The James Oliver Gallery is located at 723 Chestnut St. 4th Floor, between S. 8th and 9th Streets.

Image Courtesy of JOG

A Beautiful Find - DigPhilly Interview

2008-09-05T10:49:00.002-04:00

"A Beautiful Find" at James Oliver Gallery

2008-08-09T12:33:00.009-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"A Beautiful Find"
James Oliver Gallery (JOG)
September 6th – October 6th 2008
Opening Reception with the Artists – Saturday, September 6, 2008 6:00 – 10:00 pm

Contact: James Oliver
267.918.7432
215.923.1242

723 Chestnut St. 4th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.jamesolivergallery.com • jamesolivergallery@gmail.com

FEATURING WORKS FROM NATIONALLY RENOWNED AND EMERGING PHILADELPHIA ARTISTS, LOCAL EXHIBIT SHINES A LIGHT ON THE BEAUTY OF EVERYDAY TRASH-TURNED-TREASURE

In today's highly eco-conscious society, green is the new black. From plastic and paper to glass and aluminum, just about everything we touch on a daily basis is recyclable.

While single-stream recycling and sustainability are relatively new concepts in the timeline of human history, they're age-old practices in the art world. Artists have always used what's at hand for inspiration, but many use common detritus as their physical medium.

"A Beautiful Find," a found objects exhibition at James Oliver Gallery (JOG), opening September 6th and running through October 6th, showcases various interpretations and uses of materials salvaged from nature's junk heap and humankind's dustbin of abandonment. A reception with the artists will be Saturday, September 6th from 6:00 to 10:00 pm.

From scrap shop pieces and discarded sample-spoons, to naturally mummified rats and mouse bones extricated from regurgitated owl pellets, the building blocks of the featured works truly spotlight the artists' creativity while challenging the viewers' perceptions.

"A Beautiful Find," curated by Philadelphia artist Veronica Scarpellino, compiles the works of Tom Judd, Phillip Johnson, George-ann F. Greth, Ron Johnson, Andrew Brehm, Brookes Britcher, Steven Earl Weber, Fatima Adamu, Justin Coffin, Billy and Steven Dufala and others.

For more information on the artists, see artist bios below ...

"A Beautiful Find" Artist Bios

Tom Judd is a nationally recognized artist who shows in a dozen galleries across the country and Canada. His work is created using wallpaper and fabric samples, found images from old magazines and photo albums, and uses imagery reminiscent of memories and metaphors. He is a recipient of the Pollack/Krasner Grant, and has his work in collections in Hong Kong and France, as well as in the collections of The Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama.

Phillip Johnson – owner of a high-end construction company – creates three-dimensional gesture drawings, thumbnail sketches made from the detritus of construction. They are the beginnings of thoughts and thus retain a spirit of invention and inquiry. Johnson has shown his work in New York and in Philadelphia, and was included in an exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia.

Steven Earl Weber, a partner/owner of the local art gallery Kelly & Weber Fine Art - uses multiple objects, images, and their arrangement to address questions of subjective identity, politics, religion, and the inner reasoning that motivates conclusions in these matters, combining found objects and materials with casting techniques in plaster and ceramic.

Billy Dufala & Steven Dufala (A.K.A. the Dufala Brothers) create work that reflects their own individual sensibilities in an ongoing dialog that results in them learning about themselves and their audiences. Steven is the founding member of the breakout band Man Man, in which Billy is currently a member. Man Man has blasted onto the national scene with much critical acclaim.

Brookes Britcher received his MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art and his BS from Drexel University. He is a multi-disciplinary artist that maintains a permanent studio practice at Adaptation. Over the last eight years his work has been exhibited around the country in numerous curated and group shows, and exists in various private collections, most notably J.W. Mahoney of Art In America and the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. and Tim Rollins of Tim Rollins & K.O.S.

George-ann F. Greth, known locally as a master glassblower, utilizes her sense of humor in her work. She is a staple artist at JOG, having shown her work in numerous exhibits as well as curating a successful glass show at JOG.

Ron Johnson, another JOG artist, is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. Primarily a painter, Johnson is creating delicate works of found spider webs. His art is found in several private and corporate collections, including those of actor Nicolas Cage, Sony and Warner Bros.

Andrew Brehm graduated from Kutztown University. He has focused on furniture making while also perusing fine arts sculpture. Among other work, Brehm will exhibit a video segment showing a quirky scene where the artist himself unpacks found suitcases, which unfold into usable furniture.

Fatima Adamu is an artist, dancer and urban planner. She was born in the United States and was raised in Nigeria. Her art draws inspiration from the colors and textures found in flora, and in the delicacy of detailed anatomical illustrations of parts of the human body.

Justin Coffin is a playwright and a photographer whose main subject is the discarded Arctic Splash container. Strewn about Fishtown in an almost epidemic manner, Coffin finds the discarded cartons to be full of pathos. Untouched by the artist, the litter is captured on film in both color and black and white.

Veronica Scarpellino is an artist and the curator of this exhibit. Her work has been exhibited in New York City, the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, in Atlanta at the Eyedrum nonprofit art space, and in Philadelphia through Projekt30. She recently received an award from the Andy Warhol Foundation through her work with Eyedrum.

Clockwise from top left: Steven Earl Weber, Tom Judd, Phillip Johnson, Billy Dufala & Steven Dufala

Unbridaled Expo - Spirit Newspapers

2008-02-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

Bambi Biennial - Spirit Newspapers

2008-01-30T11:52:00.000-05:00

Ira Upin Review - Spirit Newspapers

2008-01-20T22:23:00.000-05:00

Expat - Donation for Chalkboard Chronicles Auction

2007-10-23T18:20:00.000-04:00

The Chalkboard Chronicles

2007-09-25T11:15:00.000-04:00

I'm happy to announce that I have joined Tom Judd as an organizer of The Chalkboard Chronicles silent auction to be held on October 24, 2007. The money raised will be used to produce a documentary from video shot of the project in 1997.

In addition to the auction we will have a performance of one of Spalding Gray's monologues, a viewing of the footage from 1997, drinks and light fare. Please check out the site and the links of participating artists that are listed there.

The event and the documentary will be dedicated to the late Spalding Gray.

In the Spring of 2008 Tom Judd and I will be executing a 10 year anniversary version of the project called The Chalkboard Chronicles Revisited. We're gathering as many of the original artists as possible to stage this version. New participants will be Donald Lipski and Roberto Juarez.

New posts will appear as we get closer to the Spring event.

"Embargo"

2007-07-11T18:01:00.001-04:00

New Website

2007-03-30T09:36:00.000-04:00

My new website, designed by Brian Michael Photography & Design, is ready for viewing! You can also link to my site at the right.

International Collaboration

2007-02-20T18:28:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to say that I have officially joined the Geostationary Banana Over Texas project as Communications Editor. This is an international collaboration of artists, scientists, engineers and others. I hope you'll check it out.

Studio Update - January 23, 2007

2007-01-23T11:49:00.000-05:00

It may not look like it from the outside, but I've been busy toiling away in the studio. I have four pieces that I'm very excited about in various stages of completion. Well, it's actually five...

One of these pieces will be made with mouse bones! It's been a while since I used this subject and medium. I got them with the help of a barn owl. I can't say that no mice were harmed in the making of this piece, but at least it was natural selection.

I'm in the sorting stage of the mouse project, and I'm really struck by the spectrum of colors I'm seeing. I think some of these bones must be very old. (Click on the image to see them up close.)

"Assemblation" Reviews

2007-01-01T13:57:00.000-05:00

"ASSEMBLY REQUIRED"
"Some pieces quirky, others quizzical, but imagination makes show a cool spectacle"

By JERRY CULLUM
For accessAtlanta
Published December 28, 2006

YOU HAVE a little time left to see how many eggs have been broken by Will Eccleston's sledge hammer at Eyedrum.

The Atlanta artist's inspired contraption begins with a knife that slowly saws through a rope, a little more each time the door to Eyedrum opens. The rope snaps, and the hammer drops. Suffice to say, the supply of eggs and rope has been dwindling.

There are not many shows that combine such up-front show-stoppers with back-gallery small treasures. But "Assemblation" has the very big and very gorgeous - Lillian Blades' stunning quiltlike fabric installation takes up an entire hallway - as well as the very small and very gorgeous.

Some of the little objects are funny, too, but many more are poetic. Veronica Scarpellino's homage to Proust's famous quest for times gone by is both. Tiny glass vials containing silvery watch parts rest in a red velvet case, and they're dazzling even if you miss the joke. Half a dozen other artists likewise turn combinations of precious and ordinary things into delicate works of art.

The stuff made from sheer trash may be the most attention-grabbing, though. Amandine Drouet's incredibly lovely recyclings of egg cartons and fluffy fabric as well as Nicholas Fraser's sculpture made of cellophane windows with junk-mail envelopes will leave do-it-yourselfers forever jealous. Especially since he includes a work table for doing it yourself.

Overall, this is seriously kicky proof that (mostly) local artists make stuff that both art world insiders and casual visitors can agree is amazing.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Click here for another, longer review of "Assemblation" published December 24th in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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"Assemblation" @ Eyedrum, Atlanta

2006-12-21T09:18:00.000-05:00

Installation shots of a show I'm in called "Assemblation"

Link to "Assemblation" at Eyedrum in my links section.
The show runs December 9th - 31st 2006.

See more of "Assemblation" here, including images of the other gallery.

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No Vacancy

2006-11-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

The Eyes of Seuss

2006-11-18T12:45:00.000-05:00

Time Wheel

2006-11-05T17:08:00.000-05:00

Proust, Borrowed Time

2006-11-05T16:28:00.000-05:00

Cicadas

2006-11-05T16:21:00.000-05:00

Collage #7, "Overstock"

2006-10-30T13:42:00.000-05:00

Collage #7 in progress

Collage #6, "Dune & Boots"

2006-10-30T13:41:00.000-05:00

"Dune & Boots" in progress

Collage #5

2006-10-30T13:39:00.000-05:00

Collage #5 in progress

Collage #4

2006-10-30T13:38:00.000-05:00

Collage #4 in progress

Collage #3, "Third World"

2006-10-30T13:36:00.000-05:00

Collage #3 in progress

Collage #2, "Cole Slaw"

2006-10-30T13:35:00.000-05:00

Collage #1

2006-10-30T13:33:00.000-05:00

Collage #1 in progress

"Manipulator" collage

2006-08-24T18:55:00.000-04:00

marionette progress shot

2006-08-24T18:18:00.000-04:00

"Mother's Little Helper"

2006-08-04T14:16:00.000-04:00