The Magnolia Gallery
Presents
My Heroes Haven't Always Been Cowboys
New Work by
Brett Allen
 
 Dallas, Texas – Artist Brett Allen has an exhibition of new paintings entitled My Heroes Haven't Always Been Cowboys at the Magnolia Gallery, located inside the Magnolia Theatre in the West Village, 3699 McKinney Avenue in Dallas from November 17, 2011 – January 25, 2012.  The reception is Thursday, November 17th, from 8-11 PM.  Admission to the reception is free and the art is available for viewing or purchase during regular theatre hours.   
Brett Allen is an active artist, designer, and photographer born and raised in Kansas City.  He attended the University of Kansas (BFA painting 2004), and is now working on his MFA at Southern Illinois University.  His work has shown across the US (Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, and New York) and internationally (New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and Great Britain).
My current work is inspired by TV, cartoons, video games, and other pop culture references. I am also inspired by the street art style of stenciling and repetition. I incorporate abstract imagery and found object material as a base for the painting before applying a stenciled image. The images are chosen from part of a personal narrative involving popular culture and personal icons.
 
The Magnolia Gallery is proud to showcase new artists in Dallas.

 Dallas, Texas – Dallas artist Joey Seeman has an exhibition of new works entitled Masquerade at the Magnolia Gallery, located inside the Magnolia Theatre in the West Village, 3699 McKinney Avenue in Dallas from October 13 – November 16, 2011.  The reception is Thursday, October 13th from 7-10 PM. Admission to the reception is free and the art is available for viewing or purchase during regular theatre hours, or by contacting Scott Horn at magnoliagallery@gmail.com, or visit magnoliagallerydallas.com for more info.

         Joey Seeman is a painter living and working in Dallas, Texas. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Seeman’s bold portraiture draws its inspiration from pop culture, with influences as varied as Saturday morning television, Mexican wrestling and Latino street culture. Active in the burgeoning South Beach art scene of the early 1990s, Seeman collaborated with fine artist Tomata Du Plenty (former lead singer of the seminal L.A. punk band The Screamers), staging numerous exhibitions in alternative spaces. Fashion designer Anna Sui commissioned Seeman’s art for one of her sportswear collections, and the North Miami’s Museum of Contemporary Arts selected his work for The Monster Show. Since relocating to Dallas in 1996, Seeman has participated in group and solo exhibitions in Dallas, Austin and Los Angeles. Seeman’s work can be found in many private collections, and has been featured in such national publications as Attaché (United Airline’s in-flight magazine), Juxtapoz, Ocean Drive, Spin, and Vogue. He holds a degree in Computer Animation from the Art Institute of Dallas.

This group of work is a continuation of a series that I've been creating for the past 2 years. The subjects are all friends, and I'm frequently asked what I look for in a model. I tend to be drawn towards a certain type, usually someone who is not only beautiful, but also visually interesting. I like to think of these paintings as "psychological portraits", and I hope a certain amount of the girl's personality shines through in the finished product. I chose to call this show 'Masquerade' as I was inspired by a recent trip to New Orleans, not just by the city, but also the wonderfully detailed masks that are seen in every window and shop. It seemed like a natural union bringing these elements into my existing series. 

The Magnolia Gallery is proud to showcase artists working in Dallas.

#####

-High-Res Images Available Upon Request.-

    When transgender models strike poses beside landmarks in Texas’ most conservative metroplex, the results can be exquisitely photogenic yet ideologically conflicting. But the creative team of Daniel Kusner and Brian Amann hasn’t shied away from the challenge. “214 Trans4m,” is a collaborative a photo series that aims to capture Dallas’ history, architecture and stereotypes, all while straddling the invisible divide that separates the feminine and masculine. Kusner and Amann construct each image as if they’re producing a small movie. Each project involves casting characters, choosing wardrobe, scouting locations, styling and building props.
 
    Some regard Dallas (now that George and Laura Bush are our neighbors) as the Lone Star State’s cradle for reactionaries and traditionalists. Where men are men, and women are women. But Big D is too big to surrender to such narrow definitions.  Like places of interest for the average visiting tourist, “214 Trans4m” invites Dallasites to look at their own city — but in a different light.

  Some images from the Kusner+Amann portfolio include: 

• “Dallas in Wonderland” featuring local drag artist Jenna Skyy becomes Lewis Carroll’s “Alice,” kneeling beside the painted X on Elm Street and pointing toward the Texas Schoolbook Depository. True to her character, “Alice” incorporates mathematics to gauge the magic bullet’s path on the spot where a commander-in-chief’s head was ripped apart by a sniper.
• “Breakfast at Neiman’s” features doe-eyed goddess Chaselyn Wade becomes a modern version of “Holly Golightly,” a down-at-heel party gal who can taste an unsullied life while gazing into a downtown window display of Dallas' poshest retailer.
• “Callas in Dallas,” features trans showgirl Erica Andrews emulating Maria Callas reenacting the day that the New York Metropolitan Opera fired, who then gave the performance of a lifetime as Medea at the State Fair Music Hall.  

 

   






    Dallas artist Laura Doughtie has an exhibition of new works on paper at the Magnolia Gallery, located inside the Magnolia Theatre in the West Village, 3699 McKinney Avenue in Dallas from August 4 – September 7, 2011.  The reception is Thursday, August 4, from 8-11 PM.  Admission to the reception is free and the art is available for viewing or purchase during regular theatre hours, or by contacting Scott Horn at magnoliagallery@gmail.com, or visit magnoliagallerydallas.com for more info.

Laura Doughtie's work represents a reversion to minimal organic forms accomplished through complex, obsessive mark making. Both process and final work are simple yet consuming, reflecting her inclination toward minimal aesthetics and biomorphic patterns that take over the page, blending into abstraction. Laura was born in Dallas, TX and received a BA in studio art at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA.

The Magnolia Gallery is proud to showcase new artists in Dallas.

   New York City based artist Andrew Williams has an exhibition of new photographic prints at the Magnolia Gallery, located inside the Magnolia Theatre in the West Village, 3699 McKinney Avenue in Dallas from June 30 – August 3, 2011.  The reception is Thursday, June 30th, from 8-11 PM.  Admission to the reception is free and the art is available for viewing or purchase during regular theatre hours, or by contacting Scott Horn at magnoliagallery@gmail.com, or visit magnoliagallerydallas.com for more info.

   Andrew Williams is a Freelance photographer whose work has touched on almost every genre of photography over the last 8 years. He is currently completing a BFA degree in photography at Parsons School of Design. “I focus on documenting people, culture, and the human condition of the current times for future references through portraits of these various subjects and scenes. All of the scenes that I have captured have been real-life moments. I captured a place, people, and a time where all factors involved coincide at the right moment for me to press the shutter. It is a decisive moment that will never recreate itself.”

  “The Archetype series of photographs was inspired by a dream that I encountered. It is based on geometry within architecture. The structures are multiplied and juxtaposed onto themselves. The images have a formulaic feel and are meant to portray the term “archetype” as accurately and graphically as possible.”
“The Archetype series of photographs was inspired by a dream that I encountered. It is based on geometry within architecture. The structures are multiplied and juxtaposed onto themselves. The images have a formulaic feel and are meant to portray the term “archetype” as accurately and graphically as possible.”

 www.awilliamsmedia.com

All Prints are 24x36, Durst Lambda C-Type Prints

Editions of 10

$125

The Ross-Akard Gallery 
  Presents 
  A Magnolia Gallery Retrospective

Dallas, Texas – Guest Curators Nicole Cullum Horn and Scott Horn present A Magnolia Gallery Retrospective at the Ross-Akard Gallery, inside the Fairmont Hotel at 1717 N. Akard in Dallas from April 30 – May 27, 2011.  The reception is Saturday April 30th, from 7-10 PM.  Admission to the reception is free and the art is available for viewing during gallery hours, or by contacting Bryan Embry at Bryan@rossakard.com, or visit www.rossakard.com for more info.

The Magnolia Gallery is an alternative art space inside the Magnolia Theatre in Dallas, Texas.  The gallery was born in 2002 when Sarah Jane Semrad convinced the management of the theatre to allow her to put fresh art on the walls every month.  In late 2006 she handed the reins to Nicole Cullum Horn and Scott Horn, two curators she met through Pigeon-Stone Project. Since then the Horns have had the pleasure of curating shows with over 40 artists working in a variety of media, from photography and painting to yarn and bike frames.  The gallery's unique exposure to the Magnolia's thousands of movie-goers every month draws a lineup of artists who punch far above the weight of this non-traditional space, benefitting the artists and the community in equal measure. The Magnolia has shown the work of storied veteran artists and has also held the first solo shows for artists who have gone on to other galleries and achievements. This retrospective show attempts to catalog the talent that has crossed our paths, some 22 of whom are represented in this collection from the four years the Horns have been at the wheel.  The gallery continues to focus on spotlighting local talent in the Dallas areas, and holds new shows every month.  For more information email magnoliagallery@gmail.com or go to www.magnoliagallerydallas.com or you can check out the review of the show by Dallas Art News here.

            Featured artists, in alphabetical order:

-Tony Bones

-Cabe Booth

-Jonathan Brooks

-Frank Campagna

-Robb Conover

-Van Ditthavong

-Erica Felicella

-Brian Gibb

-Sally Glass

-Corey Godfrey

-John Gonzales

-J. Gordon

-Ben Hancock

-Dylan Hollingsworth

-Tania Kaufmann

-Lisa Lindholm

-David Lyles

-Scogin Mayo

-Cathey Miller

-Mark S. Nelson

-Jayme Nourallah

-Richard Ross

-Clint Scism

-Tramaine Townsend

Burroughs

Oil, latex, acrylic, pencil on wood

Approx. 2x3 feet

   Dallas artist Cabe Booth has an exhibition of new paintings at the Magnolia Gallery, located inside the Magnolia Theatre in the West Village, (3699 McKinney Avenue) March 31– May 11, 2011. 

The Artist Reception is Thursday, March 31st from 8-11 PM.

Admission to the reception is free and the art is available for viewing or purchase during regular theatre hours, or by contacting Scott Horn at magnoliagallery@gmail.com, or visit magnoliagallerydallas.com for more info.

            Cabe Booth is a Dallas based artist specializing in oil, acrylic, graphite and water media.  Booth is interested in how to approach and create the constructed and distressed surfaces he uses as a mixed media sculptural canvas for his paintings.  Subject matter includes portraiture, aviation history and concepts of man's imitation of nature.

            Cabe is most well known for his band portraits, which he started in 1998 at legendary Deep Ellum venue, Curtain Club.  In 2001, he began painting for Nokia Theater where more than 500 commissioned portraits of the venue’s entertainers are on display backstage and in public areas of the theater. Famous subjects in these autographed portraits include Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Ringo Star, Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. Booth’s custom portraits have also been commissioned by the Palladium Ballroom in Dallas, Sprint Center in Kansas City and Pizza Hut Park in Frisco. Booth’s work is in numerous private collections including Joe  McGregor, Erykah Badu, Frank Black, Mike Watt and George Jones.  Booth is one of the originating artists in the annual Dallas-area philanthropic event, Art Conspiracy, where he consistently draws very high bids for his work with proceeds generously invested back into the local art community.  Currently, Cabe is available for freelance commission work for venues and individuals.

            Booth lives in Dallas with fiancée Kelly and daughter Ella.  He holds a BFA in painting & drawing from the University of North Texas School of Visual Arts.  In his free time, Booth is a World War II History buff, enjoys Dallas Stars Hockey, spending time with his daughter and fiancée, and enjoys the North Texas live music scene from which he draws much inspiration.

The Magnolia Gallery is proud to spotlight local talent in Dallas.

 
















  Dallas artist Lisa Lindholm has an exhibition of new paintings on display   February 3 – March 16, 2011. 
  The reception is Friday, Feb. 11th, from 8-11  

  Admission to the reception is free and the art is available for viewing or purchase during regular theatre hours, or by contacting Scott Horn at magnoliagallery@gmail.com or 214-683-9134.

  Lisa Lindholm was born in Texas and currently lives and works in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas.  She completed studies in computer visualization at Texas A&M University in 2000.  After serving time in assorted cubicles in assorted large corporations making computers do assorted things, she leapt into life as a full-time artist in 2005.  Lindholm currently works as a painter, graphic designer, and proprietor of FreeLisa Designs and Banner Theory.

  Her current series of works deals with the relationships between an organic and natural existence with a created and imagined presence.

Website:
freelisa.com

Photo:
Title: "Someday"
Medium: Oil on wood panel
Size: 20x20 inches



The Magnolia Gallery is proud to spotlight local talent in Dallas.  

  Dallas! This show is going to singe off your eyebrow hairs with the intensity of it's goodness. If you are awesome and like awesome things, Mark S. Nelson is the local artist for you. If you really love someone and want them to think you're a genius in 15 years you will also buy one of these as an Xmas gift -- just sayin.
Reception is next Thursday, Dec. 16th from 8-11pm!

Mark Nelson was born in 1975 in Denison, Texas a small town north of Dallas. His interests in art, graffiti, punk rock, technology, skateboarding and pop culture brought him to Dallas in his early twenties. Most of his art education has come from painting graffiti on box cars. This current series of paintings are composed of ink, watercolor and gauche on paper. They are representations of familiar objects placed together in not so familiar scenarios. These unorthodox combinations become a window into the imagination.

Website:
http://www.markshanenelson.com/

   

  

IE, the Msadventures of Flaco

Jonathan Brooks

August 2010

            Brooks is intrigued by the human form in all of its manifestations, as well as human nature and its dark corners.   “I try to capture the emotions that are provoked inside of me while looking at photographs of the inhabitants of this world.  Seeing the movement hidden within the stillness of a picture, I drip paint onto the canvas to nail down in a moment all of the places that the image has been and where the image could be going.  Where the brush happens to touch the canvas, so be it.  A fleeting occurrence in a fleeting life, the paint lands where it was meant to.”   Brooks’ most recent work is a combination of that technique and a recent obsession of adopting abandoned objects.  “I give those objects a home in my art, and watch the relationship between them evolve.”   

            Jonathan Brooks is a Texan who transplanted himself to New York City for about ten years.  While he was there, he explored every avenue of artistic expression that he could get his hands on.  Four years ago, he returned to his homeland of the great Lone Star State and found what he'd been looking for - painting.  While he continues to act, create music and whatever else he can squeeze in, painting has shown him a part of himself that he never knew existed; A place of complete selflessness.   And he likes it there.

Baruch, 2009

            My experience living abroad for 10 months oftentimes found me craving a sense of belonging, which was complicated by the fact that anytime I wished to photograph a native stranger, I was automatically placing myself in my subject's immediate awareness as an external source of potentially undesired attention.  Each of these photographs represents a daily effort to challenge myself to step outside my own personal boundaries in order to capture specific human and environmental manifestations of the ethnically and historically rich culture in which I was immersed during this exciting time of my life.

            Sally Glass is a photographer born and raised in Dallas, TX. After graduating from Texas Christian University in 2006 with a degree in psychology and philosophy, she decided instead to try her hand at capturing visual moments that endow the mundane everyday with magical qualities. She hasn't been without a camera since. She adores her family and friends and her hobbies include dancing nude on rooftops and watching 60 Minutes with her grandmother. 

Magnolia Gallery, located inside the Magnolia Theatre in the West Village
3699 McKinney Ave

May 26– June 30, 2010.

Artist Reception Thursday, May 27th from 8-10 PM.

            In her current series Trigger Happy, Cathey Miller has turned her illustrator’s eye towards vintage Hollywood starlets dressed as cowgirls wielding guns.

Using a limited palette of sepia tones, Miller has painted the cowgirls realistically.  Surrounding each actress cowgirl is a flat field of bright color, a graphically striking complement to the rendered figures.  The words painted above each subject add a modern twist to the paintings…commands like “Shut It”, “Come Here”, or “Step Off” adds a kitschy sexy twist to the nostalgic cowgirls, and invites the question, what will happen if I disobey Jane Russell?

            Cathey Miller graduated from Art Center College of Design in 1985, and worked in New York City as a freelance illustrator for two years. She moved to Texas in 1988 and established her own art studio creating large and small-scale paintings for residential, and commercial clients including Neiman Marcus, Barney and Friends, Fossil, and D Magazine.

Her personal work, which emphasizes portraiture and the female form, has been shown in galleries throughout Texas including solo shows at Houston's Jung Center, the McKinney Ave Contemporary, and the Kettle Art Gallery. 

"...what will happen if I disobey Jane Russell?"  --Cathey Miller 

Dylan Hollingsworth


April 13-May 25, 2010
3699 McKinney Ave
Dallas TX
 

 

            "I am a photographer and artist who focuses on organic and manufactured moments and ideas that touch on human and other living conditions: Birth, death, waking, sleeping, being lost, being found, all the spaces in between.

      This installment marks the 3-year anniversary of when i first was introduced to the camera and is a formal farewell to artistic infancy. I have been able to capture a lot of life in short time and have chosen some of what I think are the more engaging and meaningful images that i have shot for this show. The road is becoming narrower as my concepts and ability to translate them matures, so this will be the last time i show some of this work. However, I honor it all and am proud to share them with you. This is a wide range of what I’ve seen, who I’ve been and glimpses of life, the universe and everything as I understand them. It marks the end of the beginning and i think these efforts allude to a valid and necessary body of work that is to come. Enjoy."

Alicia Stepp-Woody is a 33 year old photographer who was born, raised, and still calls North Texas home. Moved by the surreal and the extraordinary, she was drawn to the magical ability to capture frozen moments in time from an early age.  Alicia naturally gravitated to the art of photography due to her compositional eye and long-standing penchant for the use of color and light. While she is available for a myriad of commissions, her heart lies in the ability to evoke powerful emotion through fashion editorials and the magic of crafting new, fantastical worlds through the use of abstract and avant-garde concepts.

"While She Sleeps" is an introspective series on the emotional and psychological landscape of sleep. “As a child, and even into my adult years I have been moved and intrigued by sleep. In my life, I have found comfort in the last few waking minutes of pre-slumber consciousness, knowing that somewhere, while I'm sleeping, the world is still breathing, moving, living.” This knowledge acts as a metaphorical security blanket. The intent of this series is for the consideration of the juxtaposition of the subconscious and the need or desire to retain a continued connection with our waking existence while we are away in sleep.

   Born and raised in Dallas, John started making art in high school, and continued at the Art Institute of Dallas. Growing up around screen printing and poster creation, John incorporated the individual style of those hand skills through a digital talent with computers, to form a non traditional style.”  Diablo Texas is the name of John Gonzales’ enterprise: “As a digital concept artist by trade, Diablo Texas lets me express my creative abilities through 3D computer modeling, painting, custom vinyl toys and the contribution of Blind Love, a mural located in the heart of Deep Ellum.”

   Lucky 13 is a collection of individual portraits searching for expressions of the strange and beautiful. Each painting takes the average female and finds a unique character that stands out from the rest, while using the wood grain texture to bring them all together.  The portraits suggest a hidden story to each of the subjects’ past; the viewer gets the chance to explore the endless possibilities or accept the beauty and temptations of the unknown.

   Ryann Rathbone a self-taught freelance artist who recently moved from Dallas to Austin. She has always drawn and painted, but after experiencing tragedy in 2007, she painted therapeutically and began to publicly show her work in Dallas. Before living in Dallas she lived all over the world: Louisiana, Norway, Indonesia, Connecticut, California. She has experienced many different cultures and draws creativity from cultures and nature. She has been featured in DailyCandy.com and The Dallas Morning News. Her current series focuses on the spiritual and mystical symbolism of birds and life.                          

  Tania sums up her new series: “My current work is a reflection of my constant need to be lost in repetition; an infinite loop.”  She is also the first artist to have a second show at the Magnolia, making the show that much more apropos. 

Tania Kaufmann grew up in Montreal, Canada and San Juan, Puerto Rico.  This made a lifetime impression on how she views everything she sees, hears and feels.  Tania learned to expand on her love of painting and photography at East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas but left to continue her education on her own.  

   “Need New Eyes” makes use of Josh’s printmaking and painting backgrounds to produce a visual language that depicts the spiritual world; like a Periodic Table of thoughts and emotions.  Josh explains that “the physical world is made of physical elements; therefore, the spiritual world must be comprised of spiritual elements.  Bridges exist as evidence of the parallels between these dimensions, such as thought existing simultaneously as physical and spiritual. Collective mental processes are translated into symbolic depictions using color, symbolism, line, and shape, by replacing the non-physical fundamental matter.  Based on my emotional perceptions, I am communicating intangible experiences through the symbolism of color and intensity of mark making.”

   Josh Reames is a Texas native with a BFA from University of North Texas.  Josh has shown extensively around Dallas, and in galleries from Los Angeles to Montreal.  This Fall he is headed to Chicago to continue his work at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Now that the deluge is subsiding
venture out this Saturday for the finale show of Clint Scism
"I Want to be in Movies"
Exceptional drafting  and unexpected layersbend multiple picture planes  into one.Top Notch talent in your own backyard Upstairs inside the Magnolia Theatre3699 Mckinney Ave 7-9 pm

  “Denomination” explores religion as a brand and media as a vehicle.  Angela explains “I created a body of work that speaks in a graphic language about the influence of religion in culture.  The goal of Denomination is to challenge attitudes by exploring religious denominations within the realms of family, class, and category.”  Displaying elements of repetition and minimal color, “Denomination” speaks plainly about the influence of religious denomination, particularly in western culture.  Here three of the largest religions are compared to the other ‘big three’: CBS, NBC and ABC.  Brand as mark, brand as definition, and over the centuries, branding religion.

   Angela Faz is a Dallas native.  She graduated from Collins College at Phoenix, Arizona in 2005 with a B.A. in Visual Communications and a minor in Graphic Design.  An evangelist of silliness, Angela currently spends her days and pays her bills by infiltrating a religious corp. and making art from it.  Angela uses typography, printmaking and illustration as her media of preference.  Her work today is a blended approach, combining computer-generated art with traditional art processes.  She secretly works best with lunchtime beer picnics and bottomless bloody mary’s.  Angela has shown in numerous local galleries and is a part of the executive team for Art Conspiracy.

  Thompson's body of work is an American insight into ideas about the misuse of power, and of dominance and perspective. His insight remains acute with recurring iconography, symbols and the human form. Erik uses clean, consistent craftsmanship with an uncanny command of applied color theory. He balances the sensuous line of the human form with the sharp lines of his symbolic alphabet. He disrobes models as in Late-Classical period Greek art, which is very western, yet portrays them in a very eastern light, as in the glory of the Tang dynasty. Erik draws on these periods of enlightenment for both principal and elemental inspiration in his work.

Erik Lee Thompson was born on the first day of spring in 1973 to a young religious  soldier and his beautiful bride.  At a young age, Thompson excelled as an illustrator and painter. He attended summer workshops, received college art credits while still in high school, and ranked among the top percentile at the second largest art program at a U.S. publicuniversity.  Thompson's mentor was an amazing painter named Rob Erdle, the second western painter in history to be invited to show at China's National Museum.  Coupling new mechanics with philosophy became very stimulating for Thompson; he found a new courage and voice to speak out against war, violence, abuse of power, and other subjects that strayed from the fundamental beliefs of his family and Anglo-Christian upbringing.  Thompson lives and works in Dallas, Texas.

All That Glitters Isn't Gold, explores the line between memory and nostalgia, culture and dichotomous relationships observed by the artist. These explorations will be presented as screen-prints on paper, and are a continued effort by the artist to devote a part of his practice to creating and exhibiting work that is more democratic in its availability and price. The images will range from multi-color prints to Gibb's signature one color pieces juxtaposing flat graphic shapes and poignant observations delivered through a unique typographic style.

Gallery owner, artist, designer, publisher, are some of the titles that Brian Gibb carries. In 2003 he co-founded Art Prostitute, the internationally acclaimed art publication that has been widely recognized for its excellence in design and content, having conducted interviews with some of today's most influential contemporary artists. In 2004 Gibb extended the project to include a gallery, now known as The Public Trust, and is one of the founding member galleries of The Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas. His solo exhibition Please Believe Me, was the debut of a body of intensely personal work in which Gibb chronicles, "the high price of living with a single dream." This work explores the struggle of the rise, relationships and the musings of a culture jammer. Gibb's work has been exhibited throughout Texas, as well as Portland, Monterey and Los Angeles. He continues to publish books under the imprint BEE LEE GEE Press. 2009 BEE LEE GEE releases include a book of drawings by Steven Hopwood-Lewis, as well as the highly anticipated reemergence of Art Prostitute as a hardcover book. Brian Gibb lives and works in Dallas, Texas.

  This series was shot by Kent during his travels between Dallas and Taos, New Mexico in some of the dusty, weathered towns he passed along the way.  The photos expose the fragility of human creations, and the intense beauty created by their decay.  Kent elaborates: “For reasons that I cannot fully explain, I have always been fascinated by these kinds of environments.  There is a solitude and a quiet that for me is conducive to the act of ‘seeing’ and a unique visual beauty in the way that time and weather acts upon objects.”  In the past, Kent’s photos of these forgotten spots have been harder to construe: “For the past year or so, I have been extracting completely abstract images from these places, but for this series I wanted there to be more of a sense of place.”  By pulling back just a hair, these new works give tantalizing clues that provide some context for what the viewer is seeing. 

Also significant in these new images is the relatively new process known as HDR or “high dynamic range” imaging.  Per Kent, “Using a tripod, I make a series of five exposures in one stop increments. These captures are then combined at the studio (via the program known as Photomatix) into a single 16 bit file. The resulting image has a dynamic range that exceeds what is possible in a single exposure. Contrast, saturation and detail are all heightened and the image takes on a slightly ‘hyper-real’ quality. It’s all a bit quirky and fun. Thanks for looking.”

Kent Barker grew up in Central Florida, the son of an advertising executive. He moved to Dallas after graduating as a Fine Art/Photography major from UCF.  Kent opened his own studio in the early 80’s, and found himself working initially for clients such as Neiman Marcus and The Horchow Collection. By the mid eighties however, he had found a new love....editorial portraiture.

After producing a number of striking portraits for Texas based magazines such a D Mag., Texas Monthly and American Way he began getting inquiries from nationally distributed publications. At present Kent has worked for a long list of major magazine titles including Town & Country, Travel & Leisure, Outside, Men’s Journal, Rolling Stone, GQ, Esquire and Fast Company.  In addition to his commercial and private commission assignments, Kent also devotes a part of each month to the creation of fine art imagery. His photographs can be seen at the New York based online photography gallery www.MeterGallery.com.

  “Portrait of the American Dream” is Van’s contribution to the debate on immigration.  “I began the project hoping to touch on themes of assimilation, hard work, and opportunity but I did not want it to become too idealistic or over-stated,” says Van of this new series.  “I am interested in how immigrants balance and mix their native customs with American culture; the ideology of the American Dream – its evolution, its myths, and its various interpretations.”  To achieve this, Van’s photos strive to tell a story and start a dialogue.  “I wanted to create a visual discourse with simple elements and abstractions where the viewer can form their own stories and conclusions.  But whether the story was about low wage competition, illegal entry, human rights abuses, the fleeing from persecution, documented or undocumented workers – it was up to the viewer to decide.  We all see things differently.  We all have our own intuitions.” 

Van was born in Vientiane, Laos on November 18, 1974.  In his words, “At that time my father was working on his master’s degree at Louisiana State University.  Soon after my birth, my mother and two older brothers would travel to the US to visit him.  Once I was a little bigger, the plan was for my grandmother and me to join the family a few months later.  Unfortunately, that plan did not happen.  Political turmoil in Laos led to detention and assignment to re-education camps for those who remained in the country.  I would spend the first three years of my life in these camps. To get out of Laos, I crossed the Mekong River with my aunt and uncle to freedom in Thailand. (It was only last year that my aunt told me that during our flight, the family in front of us stepped on a land mine.  They were killed and we were lucky.)  Thanks to so many involved, I was finally reunited with my family on August 2, 1978 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.”  Van grew up outside of Washington D.C. and lived most of his adult life in Boston and New York.  He received an undergraduate degree in Business Management from Boston University, and studied photography at the Fashion Institute of Technology and the International Center of Photography in New York City.  He now resides in Dallas, Texas, where he works as a photographer and owner of the Van Ditthavong Gallery on Expositon Ave.

  “My latest pieces are a minute study of how I lose time.  I don't like to know I have lost time whether by my own doing or by someone else's.  I see the minutes tick by.  I find myself helpless to catch up....to do all the things I wish to do in one life.   We all know that it is a fact that you cannot get time back.  Once it's gone, it's gone.  This is my attempt to stop time and reclaim it with the Kings of Me.”

Tania Kaufmann grew up in Montreal, Canada and San Juan, Puerto Rico.  This made a lifetime impression on how she views everything she sees, hears and feels.  Tania learned to expand on her love of painting and photography at East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas but left to continue her education on her own.  She has shown her work extensively in the area, including 500x, Van Ditthavong Gallery, and Camp Fig in Austin.  She currently works as a digital retoucher and illustrator in Dallas, Texas.

The “St Valentine’s Massacre” series springs from collaboration with local filmmaker Patrick Johnson.  About a year ago Johnson was finishing up the filming of his new horror film Crushed and approached Lyles about photographing the gruesome wardrobe.  With the help of stylist Ferrule Rose, Lyles selected clothing and props in a stark environment to set the tone of the shoot.  The result is a series of austere and sophisticated photos that put the macabre trappings of the modern slasher movie under the expert eye of a commercial photographer.  In addition to the art, the Magnolia will be screening Crushed at 7:30pm the same night.

David Lyles attended the Minneapolis School of Art & Design and later, the New England School of Photography.  A Freelance photographer specializing in Advertising and commercial assignments, he opened his first studio in Chicago, Illinois in 1980. In 1996 Lyles made the move to Dallas, where he continues to pursue a career as a freelance photographer in his daylight studio and on location. Lyles also hosts the annual Dallas Portfolio Exchange where he challenges other local commercial photographers to submit and trade fine art photography.In addition to his professional career, David has been an adjunct professor at Collin County Community College, is a private pilot, a horse owner and enthusiast, and can often be found around town playing bass guitar in the “B” Street Blues Band. 

  Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, Dan Paul encountered an innocently sheltered—if isolated—upbringing.  Kids always knew Dan Paul was different, perhaps dangerous, with his advanced vocabulary and notebook full of imaginary worlds, and most steered clear of him.  His happiest days were spent at his grandparents’ farm, playing Barbies, talking to angels and drawing for hours on end.  His grandmother Eleanor, born as Dan Paul was in the Year of the Dragon, understood that a belief in magick was essential.  Thus, he was fortified with lessons in faerie watching, casting candy spells and the art of yoga.  Visits to Granny’s were like food for the creative magician’s soul.  Her skilled tutelage and a trip through painting school transformed Dan Paul into an artist of many trades, a wizardly gentleman with more than a few tricks up his sleeve.   

These are exercises in patience and trust.  With each of these nonrepresentational paintings, I seek to control less and allow the work to create itself, be what it truly is.  As opposed to other bodies of work I’ve created, these pieces rely not on my drawing or rendering skills but on simple color choices and knowing when to stop.  The intricate interactions of falling house paint and glitter create details that I could never consciously calculate.  It’s like I’m painting alongside God, learning to let a force beyond mine take the wheel more and more often. 

  Born and raised in Dallas.

Tony Bones got his start painting graffiti.

After feverishly traveling the country applying his simple figures he has taken to
painting on more traditional surfaces.

Dylan, Campagna 2007

  Frank Campagna has earned a living creating art since the late 1970's, mostly via the music industry. He has been commissioned to provide art for the likes of The Rolling Stones, Muddy Waters, The Ramones, Bob Dylan, and Willie Nelson among others. Campagna has created art work for a long list of venues including The Agora Ballroom, The Bronco Bowl, Starplex Amphitheater, SXSW, Nokia Theater, over 1,000 murals for Gypsy Tea Room, and most recently for the House of Blues.  In addition to being a prolific creator of his own art, in 2005 Frank opened (with co-owner Kirk Hopper) Kettle Gallery, which was the Voter’s Choice for Best Art Gallery in the 2007 Observer Awards, in addition to being selected to participate in the Affordable Art Fair in New York City in July 2007.
           This show consists of limited edition prints of no more than 25 per plate  The work features iconic images of figures from the recent past - no two are exactly alike by any means.   Frank explains this series as “images [that] reoccur in my life on a regular basis or things I'd like to see stick around a bit longer. They make me smile, remind me of times gone by, and of a simpler era perhaps even prior to my life.  Personally, it's always seemed like a good idea to understand and respect the past to grasp and appreciate the future.”

 



































     Old Crow, Pacific Northwest artist J. Gordon's first exhibition in Dallas, is comprised of a series of monochromatic panels circling around such themes as memory and silence via a very sparse and haunting visual vocabulary.  Executed in acrylics and then accented with bees wax and bronze fixtures, this series comes off as very stripped down while in comparison with his earlier mixed media work. 

      Both artists were raised in Dallas, graduated with MFA’s from the University of North Texas, and they live and work here in the fashion design industry.  English and Nguyen are regular contributors to 500X, and have shown all over the DFW area; from the Craighead-Green to the Cora Stafford Gallery in Denton, to Neiman Marcus.  This latest collaboration is inspired by a shared love of art, patterns, and good design.    

Sarah Maxwell English describes the impetus of her work, “In art making I find links between the observation of nature and the repetitions of decorative design. Through abstraction I can ask the question, ‘But what is it like?”  “{For} this particular body of work.....I'm layering fabric from my grandmothers home and my own home, thinking about how I define what is familiar, recognizable vs. abstract, through patterns we live with.”

Jennifer Gassiraro Nguyen sums up her perspective on what she creates - “I want to make art that expresses my personal internal thoughts but intertwined with an overtly decorative feminine surface.”  Similarly, Jennifer’s work is “inspired by family photos, textiles, wallpaper, vintage fabrics, language, and human experiences.  With these influences I create art that mixes the romantic surface of painting with the extremely flat world of graphic design.”

The images that make up “Quiet Wanderings” were not drawn from an attempt at perfect shots of grand vistas and sweeping landscapes.  Rather, says Jason, “My camera is like a journal, but with a different dimension… I like to photograph what has moved me, however insignificant.  I do not have any expectations.  I am there as a guest, preoccupied with the quest, the observation…  Too soon, inevitably, I will be back in the city at my desk away from nature’s solace.  When recollecting my encounters I am often drawn to these simple images as they invoke the strongest emotions tied to my experience.”       Jason began photographing the outdoors when he was a Boy Scout in Austin at the age of 14. He borrowed his mother's 110 on trips to New Mexico and across Texas. These experiences were as much spiritual as they were physically enduring and character forming.   In 1994 Jason moved to Dallas to pursue a career in graphic design. His proximity to north Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico opened a new chapter in his portfolio. A thriving professional career fueled exploration further from home; Colorado, Montana, Canada, and New England. Today, he continues his graphic design career with a satisfying blend of work including print, web site design, and photography. He continues to travel to new destinations as time permits, capturing his vision of an endlessly interesting world full of beauty. He is looking forward to his next adventure in China.   

  Piedi di Prospettiva

 

New Works by Ange Fitzgerald

5/3-6/13/2007

*   *   *

Ange Fitzgerald grew up in the heartland of Omaha Nebraska, living briefly in New York City and spending several years in Seattle before landing in Dallas.  She majored in English and minored in Art & (Film) Photography at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.  She is mostly self-taught in the art of digital photography and got her start when a friend loaned her his camera on a road trip to Austin a few years ago.  In addition to photography, she works as a project manager for Siemens Corporation, is VP of the Goddess Squad (using their powers for good, not evil), CEO and Co-Founder of Team Sexy, part-time political activist, Sage Ryan’s Mother and Sam & Jack’s favorite Auntie. 

She began to grasp the medium in which she felt her creativity was best expressed two years ago when she started taking her camera everywhere.  She has since upgraded from the Canon 20D to the 5D and has developed an enduring love affair with her 16-35mm wide angle lens.  In her pictures, she communicates her impressions of life, ordinary things, favorite places, family and friends. Looking at lines, textures and colors through a lens is how she follows her bliss and it is her hope that you will perhaps find meaning, humor, beauty and charm represented in her photos.

For her first show, she has selected her best-loved portraits taken on the streets of New York, and of family and friends in Nebraska and Texas.  Ange is planning a second exhibit of her work featuring objects and scenes shot in New York and Dallas and she is looking forward to traveling abroad and shooting Europe next year.  Her daughter, her dog, family, friends, supporting live local music, spending quality time with her pet carrier pigeon and most trusted confidante; Frank, the city of Manhattan and the shooting and editing process that goes into creating her images are her primary passions...
...and shoe-shopping.

Tragically, I have misplaced Robb's statement and bio from the show!  If you don't know Robb check out his site and get to know another great Dallas artist.

Expression

 

New Works by Erica Felicella

2/2 – 3/16/07
I have always been fascinated with body language and
facial expressions. The human condition is a subject no
one can escape. We can all come from different
backgrounds, countries, and sex. No matter how big or
small we all use our faces to express our emotions.
One language that connects all of us. This work is a
small reflection on human expression.


Bio:
From childhood creations involving a sheet of copper,
a trash can lid and a set of paints, Erica Felicella
has always been a slave to her artistic expression.
She moved from metalwork to photography by early
adolescence, when she created a series of aquatic
images featuring her family’s lawn ornaments submerged
in a swimming pool. The St. Francis figurine was never
the same, but Erica (and her family’s landscaping) was
changed forever. Unfortunately, these early
photographs have not survived, but luckily Erica’s
passion for art continued to mature and flourish. She
eventually gained spectacular campus-wide acclaim for
her photographs of lockers and school books showcased
in the renowned Tom C. Clark High School Chronicle.

As if those early accomplishments were not enough,
Erica desired even greater challenges. She moved to
Dallas in 2000 and was briefly distracted by a short
career as a performance artist within the food service
industry, colloquially known as “waiting tables.” At
the encouragement of one of her customers, she decided
to abandon her restaurant performance career and
devote herself full time to photography and art.

 

Still one of my favorite artists around, and someone we look up to and encourage other artists to emulate.  Check out his site here.

 














 

Risen, 2006

Archival Ink Jet Print

11”x17” 

Wish I had a higher-res version of this picture to share, sadly the originals are lost to the sands of time..  Catch up with Paul Sokal's work here