Abstract, Playful Expressionism in the Hamptons

Mindy Solomon Gallery will be presenting the work of several dynamic and inspired artists working in the genre of non-objective art, as well as a grouping of colorful European narrative expressionist works at the upcoming Art MRKT Hamptons and Art Southampton.

artMRKT Hamptons
July 19-22, 2012 // Booth 211

Art Mrkt Hamptons will feature the work of: Gary Petersen, Erin Parish, David Hicks, William Pachner and John Held, Jr. Each of the participating artists has a vibrancy and energy that is connected to their unique artistic perspectives.

Gary Petersen // Together // 2009 // 56 x 40 inches // Oil on canvas

Gary Petersen, an abstract painter that combines references to constructivism with an irreverent dayglow palette states: “My longtime interest in early 20th century abstraction and the notion of the ‘cosmic’ merges with a California/pop sensibility. What develops is a way for abstract painting to still be engaging. “

John Held Jr. // Forest Hatch // 2011 // 29 1/4 x 47 inches // Oil on paper

New to the gallery, San Francisco artist John Held, Jr. also embraces a flurry of color and line that speaks to his long time scholarly interest in the FLUXES and DADA movements of the 1960’s. The repetitious use of cross hatching and bold color serve as an homage to the indefinable nature of FLUXUS art, infused with humor and visual energy. Held describes the works as wall cloths, often layering them over multiple surfaces to create a completely altered environment.

Erin Parish // River at High Sun // 2012 // 47 1/2 x 47 1/2 inches // Oil and resin on wood panel

Miami based painter Erin Parish also utilizes color to create a sense of space and time. Her ethereal meditative surfaces remind one of the interplay of light and water creating a connectedness with spiritually and personal reflection.

David Hicks // Flora (Yellow) // 2012 // Glazed ceramics

David Hicks also embraces the interaction of multiple layers of color. Hicks’ organically inspired sculptural forms are a breeding ground for highly pigmented diversity. Alchemistically inclined, Hicks boldly fires layer upon layer of glaze on his forms-creating a wonderful marriage between two and three dimensional art.

William Pachner // The Forrest // 1961 // Oil on canvas

The work presented by William Pachner is completely contemporary in appearance though it was created during the height of the abstract expressionist movement in the early 1960’s. His incredible brush work and inspired use of color combined with angst driven urgency create work that is timeless and authentic.

art southampton
July 26-30, 2012 // VIP Preview July 26 // Booth AS24 

James Kennedy // Bay Rigger Blue // 2012 // 40 x 40 inches // Mixed media on incised masonite

Our program at Art Southampton will also feature paintings by William Pachner. Additionally, we will be showing the work of James Kennedy, a New York based painter. Kennedy’s lyrical tonal compositions speak to a mid-century modern vibe, while existing firmly in the contemporary milieu.

Georgine Ingold // Outside Luzerne // 2011 // 11 x 15 inches // Oil on canvas

Swiss artist Georgine Ingold brings a rich, painterly aesthetic to the program. Ingolds’ works are characterized by expressive brush marks showing visible evidence of the process of creating the painting. Her surfaces demonstrate a wonderful use of light to convey space and time.

Karin Karinson Nilsson // Playing the Dream Out of Her // 2011 // 6 x 6 inches // Readymades, glaze, clay, glass

European artist Karin Karinson Nilsson demonstrates a flair for color, surface and texture. Her porcelain mixed media assemblages entice the viewer with an air of familiarity that is created from the use of found objects and figurines. These materials are completely reinvented and fresh in presentation, dripping with color from the molten glass and glaze that holds the newly minted sculpture together.

The Mindy Solomon Gallery is proud to be presenting the work of emerging, mid-career and established artists who present a fresh and colorful perspective in the contemporary marketplace.

Organic Inhabitants

The Creature Comforts of David Hicks and Patricia Sannit
Mindy Solomon Gallery | July 14 – September 8
Opening Reception with the Artists | July 14, 6-8:30 PM
Artist Talk with David Hicks and Patricia Sannit | July 14, 6:30 PM

I tried to use the questions and answers as an armature on which to build a sculpture of genuine conversation.
                   - Clifton Fadiman

Both David Hicks and Patricia Sannit work with an earthen material as a means to convey a relationship to the organic and historical world through hand-worked sculptural forms. A sense of familiarity, as well as structural integrity, unite these two diverse artists.

Above: David Hicks | L: Flora (Emerald Milk), R: Flora (Yellow)

David Hicks grew up amongst the farmlands in Valencia, California. His early interest in agriculture stimulated his desire to create forms that speak to both growth and sustainability. As an emerging artist, he explores the physical aspects of materials: hand-built slab and coiled forms with unctuous drippy glazes. Hicks’ juxtaposes terra cotta earthenware clays against a multitude of colors and layers-gold metallic shrouding burnt orange create a dynamic visual exchange. The shapes and conceptual references can be found in the fields surrounding his immediate environment in North Carolina, where he now resides. He has a fundamental understanding of place.

Above: Patricia Sannit

With an abiding love of archeology, Patricia Sannit explores the development and transmission of culture through time and across distance; she is interested in the sameness and continuity of peoples worldwide.  The rhythms of everyday activities merge into a thing of beauty and at the same time capture the fleeting moments of daily life.  Clay, with its inherent tactile qualities, leaves the evidence of its maker while imparting the beauty of life itself. Sannit’s works are a testament to how contemporary art can create a new pathway to something archaic and powerful.

Organic Inhabitants will be a show that not only occupies space, but informs and enhances in a three dimensional conversation. For more information, visit the Mindy Solomon Gallery Exhibition page.

David Hicks Acquired by ASU Art Museum Ceramic Collection

The Arizona State University Art Museum is celebrating their Ceramics Research Center’s 10th anniversary in its current facility. The ASU Art Museum Ceramic Collection has been a leader in collecting contemporary ceramics for over half a century. To honor this event, the Museum acquired several masterworks to add to their permanent collection of over 4,000 objects. Mindy Solomon Gallery artist David Hicks‘ glazed ceramic Flora was one amongst those to be included.

Flora (yellow melt), 2012
Glazed Ceramic, 25 x 15 x 14 in

Hicks also recently received a major commission for the Celebrity Cruise Line (below).

Flora Group, 2012
Glazed Ceramic, dimensions variable

Hicks’ organic shapes call to mind agricultural and allegorical references.

“Agriculture speaks to me about my own human experience. In the agricultural world there are cycles that that feel like allegorical references to a human struggle, a struggle that starts with fertilization, moves through growth and finally ends in decay.”

Read more about his work at the Mindy Solomon Gallery website.

Contradictions Exhibition

Mindy Solomon Gallery is pleased to introduce a showcase of seven artists in a themed exhibition entitled, “Contradictions,” September 24—November 5, 2011. “Contradictions” takes a close look at worldly themes and their opposing viewpoints that features photography, ceramics, textiles and glass pieces with a public opening on Saturday, October 1, 6—8PM.

“The world is a perpetual caricature of itself; at every moment it is the mockery and the contradiction of what it is pretending to be.”
—George Santayana

“Contradictions” features a close look at worldly perspectives united by the exhibition’s central theme. “Contradictions” allows each artist to freely explore life’s nuances through lenses of irony, humor and personal introspection. Invited artists include: Richard Bassett, Russell Biles (SC), Einar and Jamex de la Torre (CA), Muir Vidler (Scotland), Gregory Green (FL), Chris Riccardo (FL) and Bonnie Marie Smith (NY).“Contradictions” confronts perceptions of the world through a cohesive presentation of whimsical and inventive artworks.

Featured images: Top/ Russell Biles, “Trouble with Mexicans,” porcelain/ slip cast, porcelain cone 6, H-13″ W-32″ D- 32″ and details featuring Einar and Jamex de la Torre, Russell Biles, needlepoint pillow by Richard Bassett and detail of Chris Riccardo.

Josh DeWeese in Ceramics Monthly

Josh De Weese will be exhibiting a series of vessels, jars and new works at the Mindy Solomon Gallery in November. Josh is a passionate pottery artisan who puts his heart and soul into what he does, as he writes, “Perhaps pottery’s greatest power lies in its association with the human body. The language of pottery is the language of the body, with necks and feet, bellies and shoulders, and lips to touch our lips. The intimate relationship that develops with use strengthens this association. A personality develops, and the pots become our friends. In this friendship they become reflections of our humanness, and help give meaning to our lives.”

Josh DeWeese is showcased in this month’s issue of Ceramics Art and Perception, an ad promoting his November 12 to December 24 exhibition with an opening on November 12 from 6PM to 8PM at the Mindy Solomon Gallery.