Living with Art Salon will open its doors to the first annual ‘Members Only‘ exhibition showing over 75 works of art created by 15 visual artists ~ all members of Art Lives Here, a non-profit arts organization, creating opportunities for emerging artists. Opening on December 8th, we couldn’t wait, and got a sneak-peek today.
Just in time for the Holidays, the artwork covers a plethora of medium, sizes and price ranges. Member artists include some familiar names, creating visual commentary on social and political issues in the news.
For example, in the news this week, the Supremes will decide what reproductive rights women will have. Below, artist Barbara Lubliner celebrates intimate female energy with her series Flower Lips.
On the heals of her exhibition, Quietus | Marne Lucas and Deidades | Manuel Pecina, artist Marne Lucas continues to explore creativity as a form of spiritual care, illuminating the positive effects of art, celebrating that transitional time between death and rebirth, helping to define and create a legacy.
Béatrice Lebreton celebrates womanhood ~ in particular, women of color ~ sometimes incorporating fabrics, shells and beads, creating layers of imagery, where portraits of women are lifted from everyday life. We explored some of her work last summer’s exhibition entitled ‘Pattern Migration’ with Capucine Bourcart at Living with Art Salon. Lebreton currently has a solo exhibition, ‘ Living her Truth: Transcending Boundaries,‘ at Erie Art Museum.
Below, gallery view showing three artists on and around a bookcase.
The multidisciplinary artist Susan Stair has had a profound focus on trees throughout her artistic career. She took us on a virtual journey underground, exploring how trees constantly send electrical messages through their roots and the mushroom that compose the Wood-Wide-Web. This virtual journey extended to her preparation for her outdoor art installation, Roots on Fire, in Harlem Art Park. We followed along a few years ago, as she captured lines of a tree on clay, creating an installation comparing tree roots to the plethora of roots of East Harlem residents ~ with colorful glass pieces showing the variety of ethnic groups living in the area through national flags.
Most recently, the enormous, destructive fires in the north-west have been the focus of her latest work (above) entitled LA Burning. Notice the dark hue finish of her bark, interspersed with fire-red glass mosaic pieces.
Viewers might also have attended the unveiling of her recent outdoor art installation, Ascending the Mountain on the Madison Avenue side of Marcus Garvey Park, spaced at different levels along the staircase leading up to the Acropolis and the historic Harlem Fire Watchtower.
The Gorgeous piece above Susan Stair (below) is by the artist Carol Paik entitled ‘Curb’. Her pieces highlight the beauty of repurposed textiles, bringing attention to what we have all around us ~ the “unappreciated, overlooked, landfill-destined stuff’, turned into works of art. Paik also has a few smaller pieces in this exhibition.
Unique ‘bundles’ of colorful canvas by artist Susan Luss can be found throughout the gallery. Using dyes and found objects, each piece is its own work of art.
Below is artist Capucine Bourcart ~ an artist we have enjoyed viewing indoors and out from her installations ‘Eat Me‘ and Plastic Fantastic!’ to her Dream Series.
Most recently, Bourcart was seen in the two-person exhibition, Up-Close at JVS Project Space, and previously in the exhibition, Pattern Migration, at Living with Art Salon.
Giannina Gutierrez (below) works in a variety of mediums ~ painting, drawing and sculptural installations ~ each exploring and celebrating the essence of life. Also known as #artbygia, her colorful large-scale murals can been seen throughout the city including the White Park Wall .
For Members Only, Gutierrez occupies an entire wall with drawings.
Below, an intricate decorative piece by Jaynie Crimmins, incorporating thousands of tiny pieces repurposed from mass-marketing mail like solicitations and catalogs. The ‘why’ of her work is as interesting as the delicate objects that were once slated for the trash, but now colorful works of art. Her work was exhibited this past September at JVS Project Space along with fellow artist Karen Fitzgerald through Living with Art Salon.
Below, The One by artist Karen Fitzgerald is part of her series ‘What the Light Saw’, which now numbers over 40 artworks. Her work is a tribute to the restless shifting of light and energy, each strengthened through an accompanying poem written by different poets.. Here is just a portion from Patrick Kavanaghs’ accompanying poem for The One ~ … “The raving flowers looked up in the face Of the One and the Endless….”
Many of Pauline Galiana’s pieces were created from paper stripes and shredded documents ~ a laborious process of re-cutting and looping paper strips individually before constructing a collage. Below, some pieces from her Shreaded Series.
Taking a closer look at Pauline Galiana’s work (below)
Appreciating the work of artist Viviane Rombaldi Seppey from her exhibition, Form, Paper, Scissors a few years ago, we once again enjoy her work in Members Only.
Born in Switzerland and of Italian descent, Viviane uses the art of paper to explore the narrative of place with the crafting of maps, phonebooks, books, and photographs. With this form, she explores a sense of home as it reflects on each of us. Be sure to look close.
Placed throughout the gallery, found several fabulous assemblage sculptures by Gale Rothstein, prompting the viewer to ask ‘Where are we? Who is here with us? How big or small are we? Are we awake or dreaming?’ challenging the viewer to reevaluate one’s sense of time, place and orientation.
Below, one of several pieces that caught our eye by Elizabeth Riley. Her intricately layered work mirrors a complex and changing world. This series includes sculptural wall works, installations and tabletop cityscapes.
Using black and white as a sense of detachment for the viewer, photographer Jim Fairfax (below) displays monochromatic photographs of the familiar, now seen as if through a different lens. Here, he strives to create ‘hauntingly beautiful’ images of what we might see, and pass by, everyday.
Below, multiple artists on a wall in the ‘Back Room’.
The 15 participating artists include: Capucine Bourcart ~ Jaynie Crimmins ~ Jim Fairfax ~ Karen Fitzgerald ~ Pauline Galiana ~ Giannina Gutierrez ~Béatrice Lebreton ~ Barbara Lubliner ~ Marne Lucas ~ Susan Luss ~ Carol Paik ~ Elizabeth Riley ~ Gale Rothstein ~ Viviane Rombaldi Seppey ~ Susan Stair.
Members Only, curated by Connie Lee, will be on view and open to the public from December 8th through February, 2022 in The salon at Living with Art, located in a brownstone in the historic Mount Morris Park District of Harlem at 17 West 121st Street #3. RSVP. Proof of vaccination and face masks required.
About Art Lives Here:
Art Lives Here is a non-profit arts organization founded by Connie Lee and Gina Fuentes Walker to create opportunities for under-recognized artists and provide access to art in communities that are often excluded by bringing quality public art installations, exhibitions and performances to people where they live, work and gather with friends and family. Art Lives Here is committed to educational programs that connect people to the arts.
About Living With Art:
Living with Art is an ongoing series of curated exhibitions presented salon style in a Harlem brownstone. The salons provide an environment that nurtures artists, arts professionals and the collectors who want to support them. Viewings are by appointment and proof of vaccination is required.
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