Jeopardy Magazine 2008

Click on the image to see the tear sheets of my art that appeared in Jeopardy Magazine's 2008 edition.

Ceres Gallery 8th National Juried Exhibition

Press Release Ceres National Juried Show 2008.

To whom it may concern,

Ceres Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of its Eighth National Juried Exhibition. The show includes paintings, drawings, photographs and sculpture by 37 artists selected nationwide from states as close as New York and as far as California. The exhibit is on view from May 20 through June 14, 2008.
The juror Magdelena Dabrowski, special consultant, Modern & Contemporary Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, chose pieces representative of the major genres and styles encompassing a variety of artistic expressions. The chosen work reflects the eclectic nature of the art world today. It supports Ceres’s belief that, “We serve as a supportive base for a diversity of artistic and political views.” All ideas were acceptable from the most quotidian to the most esoteric.
Several artists were inspired by European art, anthropological, and architectural history and others by cross cultural references. Sheila Ernst-Bifano, for example, drew her images from the majesty and spirituality of Stonehenge. She states, “Stonehenge touches so many people. It has great mystery and magnetism. I have tried to capture that essence with the light colors on canvas, the orbs randomly scattered throughout the piece…” Rene Murray in her piece titled, “Clay Painting - The Staircase” writes, “My clay painting is meant to reveal the monumental beauty of the architecture of Tuscany by representing it on a scale which grants an intimacy not ordinarily accessible in real life.” Barbarie Rothstein in her statement describes her work as, “the thread that ties all of her work together is her concern with the tension between enclosing forms and recessed spaces” that has emerged from “her interest in the in the imagery of shelter which has taken the form of cathedrals, primitive dwellings, and the archetypal house form”.

Priscilla Proudwoman Stadler, initiates the list of the many artists who explored the language of spirituality, faith, our inner selves, and areas of mystery and metaphysics. She states, “Notions of faith and consciousness have been a recurring vein throughout my work, surfacing what I term the visual language of belief or the geology of spirit.” In her statement Carole P. Kunstadt remarks that her piece “heightens the contrast of the tangible with the ephemeral.” ”Knocked Up” a piece by Meagen Svendsen “is a metaphorical exploration of the dialectical tension between science and religion, inspired by the vast discoveries in neuroscience and genetic research.” Renee Fladen-Kamm tells us that her “paintings are literal maps and diaries of states of being”

Inspired by nostalgia, memories, internal dialogue and the universal angst of all human beings, Dare Boles exemplifies a humanitarian approach to art. She says: “The need to connect with our past is a human condition. Though time, distance, and cultural differences separate us; reaching out, sharing our thoughts and feelings bind us together.” Roslyn Rose also mines a rich visual bank of memory and fondness for the past. She tries to connect the past with the present in her work by, “Integrating old portraits with contemporary images that reveal intimate moments in time and place.”

Political and contemporary themes are the basis for a number of the artists chosen for this show. Our troubled contentious times have elicited statements like the following by Sandy Tramel an assemblage artist, “each of my dioramas is a metaphor for the predatory events that are enacted in creating a “new world order.” Emily Vines states unequivocally, “In these turbulent, cursedly interesting times, sculpting players on the world stage is my way of documenting history”. Philosophically, Leo Theinert tells us his art is an “expression of the beauty, the tragedy, and the complexity of the human condition.” Influenced by the horrors of war and 9/11 reportage, the topical has intuitively flooded the work of Susan Bennett. She says “a symbol of carnage had infiltrated my creative process,” in her metal piece called “Knot Bombs”. Humor and the news are the motivating forces behind the work of Isabella Natale and Dennis Quinn. Ms. Natale writes, “Because I believe that humor can be very effective in the communication of ideas in addressing various political or social issues, my paintings often employ imagery that is comical or whimsical.” Mr. Quinn describes his piece “Wa$hington” as follows:“The Gilbert Stuart portrait on the dollar bill served as the model in this painting. Over the years the portrait of our first president on the dollar bill has morphed into a modern symbol of success or failure, manifesting greed and envy for all economic classes.”

The woman’s perspective, gender stereotypes and the human form are the focus in the works of Audrey Shachnow, Elke Albrecht, Nancy Parry, Sima Furman, Liza Botkin, and John Sloan. Ms. Shachnow expresses her ideas; “My thought is to reexamine beauty; to suggest to our collective consciousness its richness and to embrace a larger vision of what we perceive as beautiful.” While John Sloan states, “The images in this series have evolved into an exploration of the manufactured culture of stereotypes and desire found in children’s toys.”

This theme emerges again when Nancy Parry hopes, that her “piece evokes comparisons with the very different and pervasive messages seen in many current doll images.” Liza Botkin takes “black and white street photography, documenting ordinary activities in our daily lives, shooting subjects that I find strangely or humorously interacting.” Among a group of tourists she was photographing she found “two little girls with star shaped sunglasses who were also posing. How could I resist?” Elke Albrecht finds, “The human form is the most compelling source of my inspiration, particularly because of its endless possibilities for abstraction.”
Finally, Ms. Dabrowski chose works that reflect artists’ concerns for the natural world and the environment. Some of the artists in this category use everyday materials in new and surprising ways and some make statements about the beauty of nature. Still others reflect the conflict between nature and mankind. Won Kyoung Lee believes that art “becomes a conversation we have with our environment that negotiates our personal and social realities.” “She plays with everyday materials and uses them in her art work and transforms them into something unique.” Rob Rutherford says about his piece, “White Collar”; “The work is grounded in the paradoxical relationships that derive from these juxtapositions. These ‘collisions’ suggest the contradictions between the human and the natural.” Margaret Whiting states , “Through my art I make reference to the need for recognizing the laws of nature and the total interconnectedness of all living things on this earth.” The magnificent scenery of Sedona inspired Sangita Phadke to create “Sunset in Sedona.” She describes it as follows: “Sunset in Sedona” is a painting that combines my obsession with detail with my curiosity for Nature.”

Included in the show are: Karen Adelaar, Elke Albrecht, Lynne Baggett, Susan Bennett, Sheila Ernst-Bifano, Liza Botkin, Dare Boles, Pam Cooper, Judy Cooperman, Leslie Cornell, Jamie Diamond, Renee Fladen-Kamm, Priscilla Fowler, Sima Furman, Ahn Jun, Carole Kundstadt, Won Kyoung Lee, Andrew Liccardo, Swaantje Miller, Rene Murray, Isabella Natale, Alexandera Ostroff, Nancy Parry, Sangita Phadke, Dennis Quinn, Roslyn Rose, Barbarie Rothstein, Rob Rutherford, Audrey Shachnow, John Sloan, Priscilla Proudwoman Stadler, Meagan Svendsen, Leo Theinert, Sandy Tramel, Jim Turbert, Emily Vines, and Margaret Whiting.
In closing, this is a show not to be missed. The wide range of styles, media, and ideas gives a sense of the breadth and depth of the present and very vibrant American art scene.

For further information please call Liz Cohen 201-656-1348 or Asma Shikoh at 347-730-3156.

Beyond Borders: 13th Annual International Art Competition

Click on the image above to see a slide show of the Beyond Borders exhibition.

Two of my images, "Sophia's Drama," Acts I & II, were selected by the jurors for the 13th Annual Beyond Borders exhibition. For more information about the exhibition click here.

Finalist Photographer's Forum Magazine 28th Annual College Photography

"Plastica Erotica: Circa 1999" is scheduled to be published in the annual book that includes all the finalists and winners of this competition. I'll include the link once it is available.

2008 New York Photo Award Nominee

New York Photo Awards – Evening Ceremony, May 16th, 2008
This spring, the inaugural NYPHA ceremony will take place during the New York Photo Festival. Located in the St. Ann's Theater space in DUMBO and designed to accommodate 500 persons, this hosted event will feature guest speakers, a/v projections of winning works, presentation of awards and subsequent acceptance speeches. Sixteen category Winners and thirty-two Honorable Mentions, selected by the Jury of the NYPHA, will have their works projected and be publicly recognized before an audience of peers and industry luminaries.

Located in the St. Ann’s Theater, designed to accommodate 500 persons, the ceremony will feature guest speakers, a/v projections of winning works, presentation of the awards and subsequent acceptance speeches. Award Presenters include: Tim Barber (tinyvices.com and New York Photo Festival curator), Michelle Bogre (Parsons New School for Design), David Friend (Vanity Fair), photographer Lauren Greenfield, Bill Hunt (Hasted Hunt Gallery), Meagan Keane (PhotoShelter), Charlie Melcher (Melcher Media), Alison Morley (International Center of Photography), Jules Naudet (Hachette Filipacchi), Evan Nisselson (Digital Railroad), Jody Quon (New York magazine), David Schonauer (American Photo), Mary Virginia Swanson (Marketing Consultant and Educator), Lauren Wendle (PDN), and the festival founders and co-chairmen, Frank Evers of VII Photo Agency and Daniel Power of powerHouse Books.

Click the image above for more details.

Honorable Mention in PX3 2008 Competition

Click on the image above to go to the PX3 website. You'll find my image under the "2008 Honorable Mentions" category.

Seattle Weekly Review of Tainted Dream

Image featured on Jeopardy Magazine Poster