The NeoRococo Show at SICA

I have some paintings included in the NeoRococo Show at SICA, The Shore Institute Of The Contemporary Arts, in Long Branch, NJ. The exhibition is "a new look at the intricate and playful Rococo painting style of the 18th century featuring the work of 21st artists David Ambrose, Laura Bell, Nancy Blum, John Bowman, Tiffany Calvert, Lisa Ficarelli-Halpern, Julie Heffernan, Susan Homer, Jill Kerwick, Isabella Kirkland, Katherine Kuharic, Margaret Murphy, and Gae Savannah."

Rococo was an 18th century style characterized by intricate ornamentation, free and graceful movements, a playful use of line, and delicate colors, and portrayed the care-free life of the aristocracy. Many artists today seem to be exploring similar visual elements and sensibilities. Is this merely coincidental? Are they deliberately exploring Rococo artistic styles? Are they inadvertently embracing today's aristocracy? These questions are what this exhibition will investigate and hopefully answer. (description taken from SICA website)

While Rococo is not an artistic style / movement that has been of much influence on my work, the characteristics of Rococo, specifically intricate ornamentation, free and graceful movements, and a playful use of line are things that are certainly inherent in my work.

However, the attention to detail originates in my interest in Persian miniatures and Japanese woodblock prints, as well as the astonishing and often unsettling beauty found in natural phenomenon, which is explored through the use of imaginary, hybrid, and existent imagery.
While there are certainly decorative characteristics found in the forms that I am exploring, they are often derived from microscopic forms that simultaneously hold both regenerative power and destructive potential. The images are both a celebration of the beauty found in the pulsating undercurrents of life, as well as an acknowledgment of the powerful threat that these same forms can wield.

The image above is "Noctiluca #6", acrylic and ink on panel, 2006 © Laura A Bell

Drawn Festival

In July/August, Kostuik Gallery participated in the Drawn Festival in Vancouver, with a show entitled "Concepts to Draw Upon".

"Reflecting its ongoing interest in drawing as an art form, the Jennifer Kostuik Gallery presents Concepts to Draw Upon, featuring gallery artists Laura Bell, Aron Hill, Marianne Lovink, Jennifer Stead, and Reece Terris. Following the age old technique of rendering one’s thoughts by one’s hand, this collection of multi-talented artists use drawing either as another medium to express their installations, sculptures or paintings, or simply as an art form unto itself. The exhibition offers a fresh look at birds, microscopic organisms and large scale forests. Of special interest is a collection of Terris's architectural renderings of scaled apartments from the decade of the 1960s to the year 2000." (text from Drawn website)

The image above is "Confluence Disruption #7", ink on paper, 2009 © Laura A Bell

Recently...

In addition to preparing for my show at Kostuik Gallery, which has been postponed until May 2010, due to the Winter Olympics happening in Vancouver this coming fall/winter, I recently completed a commission of 3 paintings on panel. Commissioned work can often be a little tricky, as there is a specific recipient and space in mind, that need to be considered before beginning the work. This trio of work, consisted of a pair and a central piece, and are ink and acrylic paint on wood panel.

SK8 OR DIE IV

This is the 4th skateboard I have done for the Youngblood Gallery bi-annual SK8 OR DIE show.

Having had a sneak peek at the show before it was completely installed, I think it is the best one yet and am looking forward to seeing the show on Saturday. This year the boards will be auctioned off in a silent auction, which will eliminate the frenzied throngs of people lining up outside the gallery before the doors open. They all start at $100 and the auction will last the duration of the opening: 3pm - 9pm on Saturday, May 2nd.

The Wagner Free Institute of Science of Philadelphia

In our short trip to Philly, we had the opportunity to visit one of Philadelphia's many amazing museums: The Wagner Free Institute of Science, which was a lovely jewel of a place on Montgomery, near the Temple University campus. The museum is housed in its original building, and is a National Historic Landmark. The exhibit hall was amazing and I could have spent hours up there, were it not for our time constraints (and one little person, who wanted only to run amongst the tables, with her newly acquired and exceedingly exciting, pencil). The exhibition tables, with their vast array of various specimens and collections, not to mention the drawers below, that could be opened to reveal a jumble of even more treasures, were absolutely fabulous.

I have taken the following description from the Wagner's website:

The Wagner Institute’s nineteenth century exhibit hall – a soaring three-story space – houses an extraordinary collection of natural history specimens including mounted birds and mammals, fossils, rocks and minerals, insects, shells, dinosaur bones, and the first American saber-toothed tiger, discovered on a museum-sponsored expedition to Florida in 1886. Gathered largely by founder William Wagner and Institute curators and faculty during the nineteenth century, the collections are displayed in cherry-wood and glass cabinets dating from the 1880s and maintain their original “systematic” scheme, providing a rare view of a Victorian science museum.

Gallery Opening, Press, Etc.

We have returned from our whirlwind trip to Philadelphia, for the opening of our shows at Pentimenti. The opening was held during the First Friday Artwalk. It was a lovely evening and lots of people were out strolling in Old City. The shows will be up until April 11th.

Our shows got a write-up in the Philadelphia City Paper "First Friday Focus". I have included the link to the article by author Lori Hill, and also placed the copy on our shows, below.
http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2009/03/05/first-friday-focus

In a similar vein, Laura Bell's small-format paintings explore organic ideas and mimic the replicating nature of living organisms. In "Aggregate," Bell freezes these forms in ink, watercolor and spray paint, taking inspiration from the tiniest of places (microscopic slide images of anthrax and the Ebola virus) and the furthest depths (Hubble photographs of constellations and nebulae). Starting with a mark here, a bubble there, Bell allows the next steps to mutate like the subject matter, doubling up and shifting as the work progresses. There's nothing cold or scientific about the paintings, however. They drip and run, and the artist's hand is always apparent in the meticulous patterning and in the application of one color against another. Showing concurrently at Pentimenti, Matt Haffner looks at those microscopic forms in the aggregate — human beings living out their lives in city streets and alleys. But something's not quite right: People look tense, even scared, as they jump rope, ride motorcycles and walk down the street with empty gazes, pursed lips and furtive glances behind their backs. Haffner takes his inspiration from the streets of Philly, New York and Atlanta, layering Mylar and ink drawings on photographs, creating a ghostly past-versus-present dichotomy. Opening reception Fri., March 6, 6-8:30 p.m., through April 11, 145 N. Second St., 215-625-9990, pentimenti.com. (For more on Haffner, see Agenda.)

Pentimenti Gallery Exhibition

Matt and I each have a solo show up concurrently at Pentimenti. Conceptually and aesthetically, our work is completely unrelated. This is the first time that we have shown "together", aside from group shows, auctions, etc. We will be in attendance at the opening and I am looking forward to seeing how it all looks in Christine's beautiful space!

Info for upcoming show at Pentimenti Gallery in Philadelphia:
MARCH 6 - APRIL 11, 2009
Reception: Friday, March 6, 6 - 8:30 pm
Pentimenti Gallery is pleased to announce 2 solo exhibitions AGGREGATE and TALES FROM THE LONESOME CITY from March 6 - April 11, 2009. A reception with the artists will be held on Friday, March 6 from 6 - 8:30 pm.

LAURA BELL
"Aggregate"
Paintings

This series of paintings is derived from biomorphic forms and cellular systems, as well as celestial objects such as constellations, nebulae, and galaxies. Image sources include both Hubble photographs and microscopic slide images of deadly human diseases, in an exploration of both the minute and the monumental.
The images suggest an inner space, populated by fluids and gasses, bacterial growth, paramecium, fungus, and mold. Through the exploration of microscopic forms that simultaneously hold both regenerative power and destructive potential, the images are both a celebration of the beauty found in the pulsating undercurrents of life, as well as the an acknowledgement of the powerful threat that these same forms can wield. Despite their intimate size, the paintings also refer to an outer, infinite space, which hints at both the source of life, as well as its absence.

MATT HAFFNER
"Tales from the Lonesome City"
Paintings & Works on paper

MATT HAFFNER’s paintings and ink drawings on mylar with traditional photograph derive from film noir, comic book and contemporary popular media. This new series presents fictional and chaotic urban landscapes with remembrances of street life staged with transparent figures evoking a feeling of nostalgia. Also in these works, the source imagery is from the streets of 3 cities: Philadelphia, New York and Atlanta.
After his solo show at Pentimenti Gallery, Matt Haffner will open in April 25, 2009 a solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Atlanta. You can see his work here:
http://www.matthaffner.com