Sunday, January 10, 2016

The words of singer Tom Waits from an interview by Elizabeth Gilbert :
". . . the only thing I really do is make jewelry for the inside of other people's minds."
                                                                          Big Magic Elizabeth Gilbert

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Words of sculptor Jason Davis


“I sometimes aggravate myself because I can’t capture this vision I have. With art I’m able to speak things that are unspeakable. It’s like chasing a feeling of wonder.”

Birdman by Jason R. Davis

This piece found it's new home this week at the studio of David and Alice McKee of Fayetteville.


Friday, December 4, 2015

It's great to talk to artists who are really excited about their work. Here at the Underground yesterday, I had the pleasure of actually meeting Jason Davis, who produces neoprimitive vernacular sculptures from Oklahoma marble. Jason said he has been inventing an alphabet that will be incorporated into his next piece, one that is half finished. Something to be read intuitively instead of literally.
I thought of Hank Kaminsky's work with script and language fragments. Some of Hank's work has lines that are presented as 'writing,' but interpreting the content is left to the viewer. It is interesting that these two artists have a parallel interest in the 'script' that infuses their work. I think it is an ingenious way of engaging the viewer in an interactive experience. It is also interesting to ponder the nature of the 'languages' of art.
Eugene Sargent brought some new drawings to the gallery yesterday and we talked about his current interest. He described his work as 'encoding visual information in space,'  and I thought that was about the most economical definition of art that I've ever heard. The 'code' is both highly individualized for each of us and yet universal at the same time. Language again.
Last night I had the pleasure of talking about art with Brandon Bullette and Candy Lee. Brandon is currently working on 'edges' in his crisp visual montages. He's interested in softening the lines in form and finding accents of detail in the lost edges.[my  paraphrase of his words]. That got my interest up, and I said something about the boundaries of form extending beyond our human ability to see. I think I mentioned that a world that insists on photorealistic images denies the opportunity for seeing in an artistic way. Or maybe Brandon said that. Anyway we agreed that our personal 'seeing'
experience is much different from the camera's experience, and that we both pursued the artistic places where definitions fade and overlap and intersections  and other interesting non photorealistic phenomena occur. Two more artists working on a visual language. Whew! Can't believe I wrote all that. All for now.

Friday, November 27, 2015

Welcome Brandon Bullette

Focus on Local:


Exciting Contemporary Work by Fayettevillain Brandon Bullette will grace the gallery walls in December.





Emily Chase is back with a selection of paintings.

Rebecca

Adventure Hat 2

Look for the Eminent Return of Jan Gosnell:



And held over by popular demand:

Jason R. Davis's Vernacular Stone



Monday, October 26, 2015

Well, It's about time I wrote again. There have been a lot of things going on in the Underground World. This week a young visitor in the gallery asked, "Is this like a foster home for Art? "Hank Kaminsky was in the lobby of the Underground. He replied, "It's more like an adoption agency."




 I think I must have said something about finding a home for the dinosaurs. After all, it is their swan song at the Underground this week. I'll be sad to see them go. Thanks, Brenton.








We have certainly adopted a new Executive Director here at Fayetteville Underground, the inimitable J Aleczander. It's been fun working with him the past week as he gets oriented. I'm looking for great things happening in the near future.
Also, I'm looking for his photo.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Yesterday making final preparations in the Underground Galleries for tonight's First Thursday Exhibition opening, I was overwhelmed with the impact of the work we are showing this month. 

Featuring Hank Kaminsky:

These are commemorations, nautilus, dreadnaught, signs of an artist’s presence. “I have been here.” Like a heart carved in the skin of a beech on the trail, Kaminsky has left his mark. 

Rockstars of Fayetteville:
On that same artistic trail we might find Kai in the back studio stacking stones, “building a relationship between the art and the observer.” How did he do that?


On View Now at Fayetteville Underground



Ed Pennebaker, glass master:
Ozark Topography has erupted within a gallery space, interrupted that space and re-defined it, re-arranging nature in a distilled form. Pennebaker has placed luminous and lithic monuments among us.

Brenton Smith's Mesozoic Mahogany:
Continuing the theme of timeless space, Brenton Smith’s opii in mahogany brings the delicacy of a paleo cuisine to heroic scale for our artistic nourishment.

All this surrounded on gallery walls by pre-literate runic glyphs of colored porcelain made by Siegele and Haley, intimate and cool forest pastels by Judy Maurer, elemental acrylic studies by Steven Schneider, and the layers and scratches  in paint that constitute Douglas Randall’s investigations into the ultimate truth of landscape.



Around the corner you can go sailing with Cheri Bohn's latest creation:

Bohn Voyager


. . . or continue and find some new directions in wood by John Sewell:


Jungle Sunrise




Why do we artists make these marks and stack these stones?


Cairns

  
A leaner,
old and bleached and bare,
presiding where
the young and grey-bright shafts
are rooted in the bank,
watches over all the
winter water conversations:
rocks alive with light rippling
and soothing lyric,
sounding questions, “who was here?
to find this shale and sandstone carpet
worn by time and friction,
hear the blue silt-prompted teal
and lucent liquid chuckle,
dropping gently in between colossal chunks
of  fallen mountain piece;
here to lose the shoulder bag and sense of purpose
lying prone and prone to dally,
belly cool on rock and gravel,”
while the sun burns through
to heat the near side skin.

And who would place
one stone upon another? useless act,
no reason – leaving cairns and towers,
six foot stacks of bold and fragile stones,
these urgent sculptures, positively offered
signs along the trail.

Were their hands aware
how temporal the task, like thatching roofs
or beating gathered stalks of grain?



MM Kent
8-31-15


Wednesday, August 12, 2015

August First Thursday

August First Thursday opening of the exhibition "Ozark Artistry" was  popular among art enthusiasts and revelers.
A Friend of Tim West looks at artwork with a 101 Club member

Executive Director Samantha Sigmon and her Mom with Ralph Nesson


Underground friends Arbor and Becky inspect one of the 'buried' etchings by Tim West.

Willi Goehring explains his role in the curation of the Tim West Retrospective Exhibition


Look for more from Willi as we move into the last half of August and Fayetteville's Roots Festival. Find Fayetteville Underground on Facebook for the latest information.








Saturday, June 20, 2015

Talking with CSA artists exhibiting last night and today at the Underground was inspiring for an old guy like me. Owen and Gustav, Elizabeth Arnold, Jack and Jessie and Adrian all have unique points-of -view about their art and ways of communicating.
There is plenty to see in the Gallery with tables full of artwork through the end of the month.
Quick Draw continues on Saturdays with new artist Caryl participating today and plenty of volunteers for modeling.

Friday, June 5, 2015

A thirsty crowd welcomed Summer last night at the Underground. Thirsty for refreshment in the form of libations and chile relleno snacks made by our most special volunteer Karen Scott. Also thirsty for art and talk of art.
The gallery was abuzz with comments on the new exhibit, from Steven Schneider's sculpture to Ken Kvamme's autumn scene of Mt. Sequoia. Music of the harp provided a relaxed atmosphere at First Thursday in the Underground.
Looking ahead, Quick Draws continue on Saturdays and we have an experiment coming up on the 19th of June. CSA Fayetteville (Community Supported Art). Look at fayettevilleunderground.com's calendar for details.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Summer Art Camps for Teens




Art Explorations
Summer Art Camp for Teens and Pre-Teens

June 15 - 19,  10am-noon -Session 1   Extended Canvas mixed media pet portraits

June 22 - 26, 10am-noon -Session 2   3-D Farmer's Market still life with oil pastel



Cost:  $85 per session per student, pre-registration required. Call the gallery at 871-2722 or instructor at 530-6023 for more information or to register.

   

 Classes at the Fayetteville Underground, 101 W. Mountain.

Instructor:          Laurie Foster
                             BFA University of North Texas
                        Arkansas K-12 art certified
                        Former Springdale High and Central Jr High School art teacher