40x26.667

I used to think alternative exhibition space was a rarity in this town we call Washington DC; that is, until I made a pit stop at Caramel Boutique (16th and U Street) one chilly, Friday evening to attend the opening of 40x26.667. At this chic clothing store, I found an eclectic mix of photos ranging from the wild and rough terrain landscape of central Spain to the abstract, minimalist architecture of New York City, photos that were peeking out around racks of stylish, avant-garde party dresses and accessories. Local photographers Mark Parascandola (repped by the Nevin Kelly Gallery) and Stirling Elmendorf collaborated in this stunning photographic exhibition, which opened on 25 January, and is bound to leave lasting impression on those who view it.

After making my rounds and chatting with Mark about his photographic interests, I quickly realized that the eye is indeed the entrance to a photographer's creative soul. The challenge for every photographer is to find subjects and shoot in locations that are compelling not only for them, but for you, the viewer. In order to complete this task successfully, one needs to question the following: what has been done before? what can I do better or different from the rest? ... and ultimately, what subjects will force me to take a risk and please the viewers around me?


This day in age, with digital photography being the absolute norm (and a bunch of "wannabes" out there who think they make beautiful pictures), photographers need to constantly be aware of what is going on around them. They must have their camera + equipment by their side 24/7 in order to be at the right place at the right time to document interesting aspects of the subject that is commonly overlooked by the tourist taking a random snapshot of a famous monument in Europe. Good technique is not impossible to learn; it is simply a matter of practice and loads of patience. One must be able to see beauty in the mundane, and recreate it: exceedingly well. Thus is the life story of Mark and Stirling, who have traveled all over the globe to produce these amazing photographs.

I, of course, categorize myself in the "wannabe" section and did my own photographic capturing of the opening, which can be found here. Hope you enjoy them!

40x26.667 is on view from now until Leap Year Day, 29 February 2008. Stop by and see it if you haven't done so already.

Published!

I am excited to share that one of my photos have been PUBLISHED in the Milan - Neighborhood Guide online via Flickr. To view, click here, scroll down to "Porta Romana" (the neighborhood this is featured in) and look to the right of the screen. My Flickr alias is Pookalali08 and this is the famous photo that was included in this month's guide!

ARRRRRRRR.... some!

:: EXHIBITION REVIEW ::
AR Contemporary Gallery, Milano (IT)
Danny Rolph, "Happenstance"

A stunning mixed media and collage attempt. A variety of shapes, swirls and colors reminicent of the groovy 70s. Texture abound, and materials are mixed to create new forms the human eye can only begin to imagine. This is the artwork of Danny Rolph, heavily emphasized in his current exhibition: "Happenstance", his second solo exhibition in Milan.

A native of Great Britain, Rolph has been influenced by Italian culture since the days of his youth. Back then, he was interested in a combination of Italian design, fashion and football. Those interests never escaped him, and now has been linked by an astounding fascination with the country’s art, its colors, architecture, energy and most importantly, confidence. This exudes with full force in the body of work exhibited in this show.

When looking at conceptual art, and well, art in general, it is important to instinctively respond to what is before you, rather than making assumptions of what the artist's original intention was. That was the challenge I gave myself while viewing Rolph's works in this exhibition. I noted that several of the paintings were done in the form of a collage, that had a 3-D effect and that almost always, the artist used strong, bold colors on a white canvas, with a sharp grey background. I also found his shredded paper collage, composed in a variety of media (including glitter) to be extremely compelling. Just by looking at these works, one could immediately tell that they were meant to be an exclamation of sorts, a celebration of art, design and culture... but yet, at the same time, the bombardment of all these things together at once. My observations, of course, came pretty close to the artists' original intent, which was the following (taken from the AR Contemporary Gallery Press Release):

"Above all, the mixture of different paints, applications, outlines and collage generated a striking metaphor for the sensual bombardment of modern life by simultaneous sounds, smells, shapes and colours; by the continuous overlapping of fleeting glances, textures in movement, changing light and the memory of all that."




It is also important to note the successful exhibition design of Rolph's show. The use of space was terrific, because there weren't too many paintings hung together side by side, and allowed the viewers to walk around without feeling bombarded, even though Rolph intended to illustrate that very concept in his work. The space inabled the viewers to breathe easier while viewing the artwork. It was almost as if each painting were its own, hung on a single wall space individually, for each viewer to marvel at. The walls coincided with the mettallic effect found in most of Rolph's paintings, and the floor (the original color, I'm sure) was this shiny, grey slate color that dazzled and spiced up the atmosphere even more. There were no labels or wall text, only numbers -- which is, indeed, a very contemporary way of exhibiting artwork.

All in all, it was a very well done show that was both asethetically stimulating and pleasing to the eye. "Happenstance" is an imaginative route that will definitely open doors for British abstract painting from here on out.