It isn’t often you get to be in a show with other artists who are both friends and talented makers. I am having that chance now with Riki Moss and Keith Maddy. The artist reception on Friday night was pure joy, and the people that came seemed particularly warm and receptive. Maybe they sensed the mutual respect.
Having an evening like that should be de rigeur but it isn’t. There is so much baggage attached to so much of this venture–art, art making, artists, galleries, art merchandising, the cognoscenti vs. the great unwashed, elitism, hardening of the categories, and a surprising unwillingness to just be open and to truly “see”–so a night that felt very free from any of that is a gift.
Keith’s work is fantastical, full of whimsy but also skillfully crafted and imagined. His images seem kinetic, delighted to be squirming and squiggling their way across the painting plane. Riki, a woman of many expressions, has transformed a wall in the gallery into a celebration of vesselness. Her ethereal lantern-like biomorphs seem to be breathing on their own. This is such fine company for me and my work to keep.
If you live in the Boston/Cambridge area, I hope you can stop by. The gallery space is like no other, and curators Kate Fleming and Nancy Hoffmeier are experts at creating a flow from one piece to the next, from one artist to another.
For more information:
Installation by Riki Moss
Painting by Keith Maddy
I should know, I was there! It was a great evening, one that did nothing to aid the cause of categories hardening. Deborah, your paintings are beautiful and looked beautiful, and I am pretty sure I found the one a mutual friend should buy. If she does, it will make me your only friend who doesn’t have personal possession of one — better stop writing and go feed that piggy bank.
best of luck for this one!
a show is like inviting people over in the most personnal and intimate part of ourselves, when it doesn’t feel like that it just becomes mere business… and that’s no Art.
i would love to see one of your shows.
hope you’ll post a piece or two of your own.
Elatia, thank you for your endorsement of the evening and my work. Coming from someone whose eye I deeply respect, it means a lot.
Alaleh, it is a personal gesture, showing one’s work, and yet a crucial element in the arc of the process. But it is deeply intimate, whether a viewer knows that or not.
As for places online where my work can be seen, there are several sites.
Personal website: http://www.deborahbarlow.com.
Blogs: Slow Painters, http://slowpainters.wordpress.com, gets updated with new work on a regular basis (as well as the work of a number of other artists who work in a similar vein.)
Galleries: Lyman Eyer Gallery site (www.lymaneyerart.com) and
38 Cameron Gallery (www.38cameron.com).
Other: A number of “slide library” websites like Art in Context, Absolute Arts, Re-Title, etc.
I can see why the three of you were chosen to display together. It’s like you each reflect a different aspect of the same emotion.
I love the colors and shapes in your paintings. They make me want to float into them and stay a while.
I’m one of the great unwashed when it comes to art, with no formal training, except for an art history class. I just love to see what people make.
Your description of the event made me think about openings I’ve attended. Many times it seems like people are there to show off their new outfits and how close they can stand to the artist. This night of yours was a different experience. Lovely.
Oh, one of Riki’s sculptures reminds me of a maiasaurus nest.
C,
I don’t believe in the unwashed. “Let the soft animal of your body love what it loves” (Mary Oliver) is my motto.
But pray tell, what is a maiasaurus nest?!
These are, indeed, strong. Keith Maddy’s has a whimsical quality to it. Can you provide the dimensions on that piece? I find myself wondering if it’s small, mid-sized, or large. Thanks.
ybonesy,
I think Keith’s painting is about 16 x 16″. But to be sure you might want to contact him directly. I am out of town right now but you can find a link to Keith Maddy’s website on Slow Painters, http://slowpainters.wordpress.com
Thanks for your feedback. I am sure he would enjoy hearing from you.
Deborah,
A maiasaurus is a dinosaur whose nests have been found intact, with eggs that look like…one of Riki’s sculptures. It also looks like she used layered beehive flakes.
i had looked at your sites earlier, but i was curious as to which pieces were in the show – to get a better sense from afar.
xox
a
I have a few installation shots, which I might post. Thanks for your encouragement!