Between Intimacy and Decoration; June 16-21

(click on images to enlarge)

Pierre Bonnard once wrote, "I float between intimism and decoration." In figurative painting, a painter often delves into a highly personal subject, channeling the intimacy between painter and perceptual experience. Expressing this intimacy, we become entranced with the materials and their decorative qualities. Decoration stems from the the Latin "decoratus," which in the 16th century meant "to grace or honor." This is implied in painting through a transcendent process of expression through color, light and surface.  In these paintings, all three artists embody this liminal stage that exists between intimacy and decoration.

Ansley Adams works from her own home's interiors, embodying the warmth and familiarity we encounter within our own spaces. The small scale of her work presents a very precious experience for the viewer. The warm temperatures of her palette and the buttery application of the paint suggest a coziness and comfort.

Jaime Misenheimer is extremely attentive to the structure and design of her large scale work. She draws from literature and her own personal experiences to influence an emerging narrative. She relies heavily on a distinct shape organization and a very subtle but complex color palette. 

Laurel Steckel looks to the people in her life when developing her paintings. Her relationships with them are implicit in creating the work. Concerned with the transitory life of young adults, she embeds her figures into their temporary domestic spaces, and then transforms the space through highly saturated color and patterning. The paintings function both as a quiet portraiture and an exciting, decorative tapestry. 

"Green Rug," Adams

"Yellow Room," Adams

"Barnabas," Misenheimer

"Italian Interior," Misenheimer

"Jaime with Coffee," Steckel

"Kevin in his Kitchen," Steckel

Pretty Girls; A Feminist Perspective Through Art

June 10-12 2011 Friday-Sunday

Opening Reception Friday 5-10 pm

80808 Gallery/Vista Studios

808 Lady Street

Columbia, SC 29201

803-463-5182

prettygirlsfeministart@gmail.com

Pretty Girls: a feminist perspective through art is a collaborative project celebrating over 10 local artists and their viewpoints on artistic, intellectual and political feminist influences. The opening reception will be held Friday, June 10th from 5pm-10pm at Gallery 80808 Vista Studios. Witness an exciting range of artistic interpretations from performance art, music, film installation, sculpture, traditional medium and…human canvas! The exhibition does not embrace a traditional definition of feminism, but showcases through diversity of ideas that the perception of a fixed feminist point of view has changed.

If you miss the opening reception there will be studio hours from 10-6 pm Saturday and 12-5 pm Sunday. We look forward to exploring the feminine identity through forms of art with our community and friends. This feminist art event brings attention to the importance of providing a safe environment for women in crisis by donating a portion of the proceeds to The Women’s Shelter of Columbia, SC. Please stay-tuned on Facebook for further updates and details of the opening reception.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pretty-Girls-a-feminist-perspective-through-art/148871178516663?sk=wall

Get Involved: If you would like to become involved with Pretty Girls: a feminist perspective through art, contact Olivia Thompson through prettygirlsfeministart@gmail.com or (803)-463-5182. She is available for interview.

Benedict College Visual Arts Faculty

 

Benedict College Visual Arts Faculty 

June 2 – June 7, 2011

Reception: Friday, June 3^rd; 6 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Location: Gallery 80808

Vista Studios

808-D Lady Street

Columbia, SC  29201

Contact:  Vonda Wright at 803-705-4768

Benedict College is proud to once again host the visual art faculty exhibition, but this year’s exhibition will be held downtown in the Vista at the Gallery 80808 on Lady Street.  The visual arts faculty consists of Tyrone Geter, Gina Moore, Alexander Wilds and Wendell Brown.  Each of these artists is a master in their own rights, and complements one another with their unique and individual art techniques.

Tyrone Geter, painting and drawing professor, paints and draws what he feels and tends to express his own life experiences through his art. His work seeks to connect with the viewer in a positive way. He is in a constant search for the deeper meaning of our existence as human beings. 

Gina Moore, professor of design illustration, uses patterns derived from woven fabrics, basket weaves, and graphic translations of street hardware.  The images she creates are aesthetic interpretations of stylized renderings, juxtaposition of shapes, colors and textures. Contrasting surfaces are essential to her work.  

Alex Wilds, sculpture professor, views sculpture as a creative problem solving tool that is an important ingredient for taking an idea and making it a reality.  His wood and bronze sculpture creations have an Asian flair. His study of the female form is both sensual and exotic.  The life sized pieces have a stoic elegance that command attention.  

Lastly, Wendell Brown described as, “A risk taker in art” in a New York Times magazine article, work examines ways African Americans throughout a complicated yet consequential history practice the art of quilt making and Negro spirituals to prevail over depressed conditions.  Brown’s mixed media creations incorporate the use of painting, quilting, sculpting, printing, and spirited text.

The Benedict College Visual Arts Faculty exhibition will be on display at the Gallery 80808 of Vista Studios from June 2^nd until June 7^th, 2011.  The opening reception will be held on Friday, June 2^nd from 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The artists will be present. For more information please contact Vonda Wright at 803-705-4768.

It's All About Faith

It's All About Faith  

New Exhibition Opening at Vista Studios/Gallery 80808, 808 Lady Street, Columbia, SC 29201  – Thurs. 5/26 through Mon. 5/31 - Opening Reception 6 - 9 pm on Thurs. 5/26     

(Columbia, SC) – It’s All About Faith, a new exhibition at Vista Studios/Gallery 80808, opens Thursday May 26^th, and runs through Monday, May 31^st.  The show features new portraits, by award-winning Columbia artist Barbie Mathis, of her daughter Faith, as well as depictions of Faith Mathis by 20 other local artists and photographers, and works created by Faith herself.

“The Faith Paintings” are a series by Barbie Mathis that celebrate the individuality and creativity of her daughter, Faith Mathis, an emerging artist who dares to be herself. These paintings and photographs will be the main feature of the show.   

Teens in the traditional south are often encouraged by society and/or their peers to conform, and to wear certain styles of clothing in order not to stand out or look different.  Faith flouts convention, and embraces sartorial styles ranging from retro-Hollywood glam to steampunk/anime, to her own unique variation on geek-chic.  This striking (and occasionally outrageous) visual “look” has made Faith a popular model in the local arts community.  She has been a featured model for “About Face” (a group of artists that share a figural model in the Columbia Museum’s studios) and “Go Figure” (a group that formerly met at Village Artists), and some 20 other artists’ and photographers' depictions of her will be included in the exhibition, including works by Bonnie Goldberg, Susan Lenz, Anastasia Chernoff, and Michael Krajewski.  

Faith Mathis, who will also be a featured artist, is currently an Honors and AP student in Visual Arts at White Knoll High School, where she will graduate in June of this year. She has attended summer programs at the Governor’s School for the Arts, and at Tri-DAC hosted by Columbia College, where she has been offered an art scholarship to become a studio arts major in the fall.   Faith's works include pen and ink on paper with markers or watercolors, mixed media paintings, and a series of sculptures called “My Life in Dolls.”  Additionally, she created a life-size sculpture, cast from her own body, which functions as an IPOD speaker.  Never one to stifle her opinions, Faith is a vocal advocate for arts education in public schools where she hopes to teach art some day. 

Barbie Mathis is a native of Columbia, SC, and has been working as a professional artist since 1980. Her career has constantly evolved, starting as an illustrator and designer, then becoming an acclaimed watercolorist, with an emphasis on natural subject matters and people immersed in rich, dramatic backgrounds. Barbie is a signature member of the South Carolina Watermedia Society. “How Long Must I Wait” was the first piece of “the Faith Series”, and it was included in the 2009 traveling show for SCWS.  Barbie has also exhibited in numerous shows around the state, winning various awards including 1^st Place at the Trenholm Artists Guild Show in March, 2011. Her works may be seen in private collections around the country, and online at www.BarbieMathis.com, www.BarbieMathisStudio.blogspot.com,  www.BarbieMathisStudio.Etsy.com . Listing of current venues will be on Barbie's Blog.

       

The unique nature of this exhibition is summed up in its title: it’s all about Faith.  Faith Mathis is featured as both model (for her mother Barbie and for 20 other local artists) and as artist in her own right.

Both Barbie Mathis and Faith Mathis will be available for interviews and appearances in the weeks prior to the show’s opening, and at the venue the opening day of the event. 

It’s All About Faith will run Thursday, 5/26 through Mon. 5/31 at Vista Studios/Gallery 80808, located in the heart of the Congaree Vista at 808 Lady Street, Columbia, SC, 29201. Gallery hours are weekdays 11 am – 3 pm, Sunday 1 – 4 pm. Barbie Mathis will be on hand those days to meet the public.  An opening reception, with many of the featured artists including Barbie and Faith, will be held Thursday evening, 5/26, from 6 to 9 PM at the gallery.  

It's All About Faith - Featured Artists

Barbie Mathis                    Anastasia Chernoff

Faith Mathis                      Michael Krajewski

Susan Lenz                       Ron Marsh

Howard Hunt                     Gail Cunningham

Bonnie Goldberg               Lauren Maurer

Roy Paschal                     Tam Hicks

Peggy Nunn                      Michael Bolin

David Phillips                    Palei Leonard

Ingrid Carson                    Renee Ittner-McManus

Karen Langley                   Rachel Parker

Jonny Mondragon             Jean Bourque

Contact:  Barbie Mathis at 803-261-3038 or barbie@barbiemathis.com .

Attachments: Faith.ImagineThat.full.jpg  - “Imagine That” is an Original Watercolor Painting of Faith Mathis by Barbie Mathis