Sunday, December 28, 2008

Darla Jackson vs. Anne Canfield, January 26 – February 16, 2009

Darla Jackson vs. Anne Canfield

January 26 – February 16, 2009

Reception: Thursday, January 29, 5:30 - 7:30 PM


Felicity R. “Bebe” Benoliel Gallery

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists

237 S. 18th Street, The Barclay, Suite 3A

Philadelphia, PA 19103


Philadelphia, PA - The Center for Emerging Visual Artists is pleased to present Darla Jackson vs. Anne Canfield, a Spotlight Exhibition by Career Development Fellows Anne Canfield and Darla Jackson. The exhibition, presented at the Felicity R. “Bebe” Benoliel Gallery, opens January 26th with an Artist Reception on January 29, 2009 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. Gallery hours for this exhibition are Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Appointments are available as well.

Anne Canfield's imagery is founded out of two worlds - one real and one imagined - meeting somewhere in between. Her current series, Territorial, explores a sense of vulnerability in areas of life otherwise taken for granted as they shift from safe space to uncertain space with the imposing tension of an insecure global world. Darla Jackson's sculpture is an exploration of the duality of emotions. Through the use of symbolism and body language, she creates personifications of these emotions that are dark and at the same time humorous.

Anne Canfield is a painter living and working in Philadelphia. She is a graduate of Moore College of Art and has attended the Yale Summer School of Painting at Norfolk. Anne also works within the medium of printmaking, which she practices at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Anne is a second year fellow at the Center for Emerging Visual Artists. She has also recently exhibited at Cerulean Gallery, Sam Quinn Gallery, Maryland Art Place, The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and The Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Darla Jackson grew up in Southern New Jersey before coming to Philadelphia to attend Moore College of Art and Design in 1999. Jackson graduated from Moore College with a BFA in Sculpture in 2003. Jackson is currently faculty at the Fleisher Art Memorial and has recently shown her sculpture in venues such as Moore College of Art & Design, 201 Kelly Weber Gallery, The Icebox Project Space, Mew Gallery, and Riverbank Arts. A second year fellow in the Career Development Program with the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, Jackson is also one of four co-founders of an all women’s art collective titled The Other Woman.

Darla Jackson vs. Anne Canfield will be on view at the Felicity R. “Bebe” Benoliel Gallery at The Center for Emerging Visual Artists, located at 237 S. 18th Street, The Barclay, Suite 3A, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Gallery hours are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and other days by appointment. The artists’ reception will take place on Thursday, January 29th from 5:30 – 7:30 PM. Please contact Ann Koivunen for more information at ann@cfeva.org or 215-546-7775 x 13.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Flocks

One day the wonderful and fabulous curator, collaborator and innovator, Eileen Tognini (www.eileentognini.com) called me up with a very mysterious question: "How many little birds could you cast in a week?" Confused, I think I replied "Um, I guess like 90...why?" She said she'd get back to me with the details... Turns out she had an idea that involved using my little birds as a 3D wall installation.
Thinking this sounded very cool, I set to work casting a ton of little birds...

So far they have graced the walls of The Edgcumbe house during Doghaus, a fundraiser for the SPCA:


And then the Tognini home, for a curated exhibition during POST:


And most recently, at Bahdeebahdu for White Hot:



Eileen, the fabulously amazing lady that she is, has handled all the installations of these birds and always does an awesome job. Thank you Eileen!!!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Sharks are scary...Sculpture is scarier...

So I was told by the fabulous Ms. Brooke Hines that a friend of hers had taken a very cool photo of my shark piece...so I scoured Facebook for said photo and found it:


Fabulous photo, no?
Thank you William Hubert Ferrell Jr. for taking it.

Also today I was thinking of how crazy I am for making big sculpture while wondering where I would store it all, when I remembered how the giant boot almost fell over on me while I was making it...now the finished pieces weigh something like 40-60lbs each, but the actual clay original weighed about 1,200lbs...

How would this happen you ask? ...I was at the studio working on it and wanted to move it so I could get a better look at it from another side...Well one of the casters (which was held in by 3 hulking lag bolts that ripped out of the wood) failed and the whole thing lurched to one side.....Of course my natural reaction was to run under it and try to push it back up(?!!)...by myself(?!?!!!!!) and when I realized I couldn't, I had to:

1. continue to support it to keep it from falling all the way over (on me)
2. roll it ever so gently over to where I could reach my cell phone (?!)
3. call Justin and manage to get words out of my mouth besides f@#*....

I believe the conversation went something like this:
Me: F@#*!!Getthef@#*overhereNOW!The f#*ingbootisfallingthef@#*over!!!!!F@#*!
Him: Shit. I'm on my way (Sound of screeching tires in background...)

Husband to the rescue. Needless to say I survived...but sheesh...



Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Still busy...

Yup, yup...I am still a busy bee...making art, applying for things, xmas shopping and a whole bunch of other crazy stuff...
But I did have a moment today to post two VERY important items that have absolutely nothing to do with sculpture at all:

1. My brother Eric (aka DJ Akshun) will be DJing at the Troc this Friday...


2. And not quite as important, but still important nonetheless...
Barbie finally gets whats comin' to her...

More soon!

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Busy Weekend!

This weekend was a fabulously exciting one! On Friday I saw 3 wonderful openings...
First was Transplants, a show at the Asian Arts Initiative that was curated by Sean Stoops.The show is up until January 16th so check it out if you get a chance. Go to their website for more details: www.asianartsinitiative.org
Next was Cypher, a show by Moore College of Art's Fine Art Seniors, that was at the Society Hill Synagogue at 418 Spruce Street. Katie Brown, my fabulously wonderful intern, curated it (Whoot whoot...go Katie!).
Last was Paper at Projects Gallery, a group show which Aubrie Costello (studio mate and shoe wrapper extraordinaire) had three pieces in. The show is up until December 20th, so definitely take a peek if you can. More info at: www.projectsgallery.com
And you can see Aubrie's work at: www.aubriecostello.com



Aubrie, Savannah, Nora, Me and Katie at Projects Gallery

The openings were followed by margaritas, Mexican food and a pretty intense photo booth session at North Bowl...perfect end to a perfect evening.

Saturday I went to see a sneak peek of the Center for Emerging Visual Artists Show at the Icebox and it is amazing!!! Huge work, crazy work, amazing work...Come see for yourself on Thursday, December 11th from 6-9pm!

Perspectives
December 3rd - 20th, 2008
Icebox at the Crane Arts Building
1400 N American Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122

Opening Reception December 11th, 6 to 9pm


Oh yes...I make some strange things...

And last but certainly not least today, after a lovely breakfast at Cafe Estelle with the hub, I had a visit with Margaux Kent, a fabulous photographer, jeweler, and maker of books. Both she and I will be selling little things at the Holiday Sale at the Urban Outfitters Headquarters in the Navy Yard this week (Margaux on Monday and Tuesday and myself on Wednesday) so please come take a look! You can find Margaux's work on her Etsy site: www.etsy.com and more info on the holiday sale at www.inliquid.com

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Work hard, play harder...

Ball til ya fall



Boot Sculpture Featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer with Gary Steuer

Cathey White's Boot was featured in a photo of Gary Steuer in The Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday, November 30th.
Click here to read the article:
City's new Art 'czar' rules a tottering empire

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Holiday Fancies


I'll be selling some tiny sculptures and silhouettes at the Inliquid Holiday Fair at the Urban Outfitters Headquarters on Wednesday, December 10th from 11am-3pm.

Please visit Inliquid.com for more details.

Monday, December 1, 2008

The party hat obsession began with making a party hat for the installation I did in the window of Arcadia Boutique with my fellow members of The Other Woman Collective :


Installation at Arcadia Boutique, October-November 2008

This led to me want to sculpt a dead dead wearing a party hat (?! I never said I was normal...):


Sketch for Dead Deer in Party Hat, 5ft high x 6ft wide, 2008

Which led to me create a scenario for the dead deer in the party hat:



Maquette for party scene, 12"h x 18"w x 4"d, 2008
(all those brown lumps are quick clay sketches of various animals)

Which led me to start carving foam animals to be covered in plaster for inclusion in the above scene:


Foam animals in progress, Various sizes, 2008

Well what happens next? A cliffhanger, I know...

Sculpting Backwards

No, sculpting backwards isn't an option in Cranium...It's how I created these little relief sculptures.



Bird Party, 2008

I carved these little guys into clay, built a 1 inch foam core wall around each piece and poured in plaster. It was totally guesswork and luck but they came out looking reminicient of japanese woodblock prints or something like it...

Whats with all the party hats you ask?...