Marcelyn McNeil’s first solo in Dallas and at Conduit Gallery by June Mattingly

Observing Marcelyn’s grouping of hard edge, happy paintings at the 2011Texas Biennial followed a month later while attending her opening at Conduit convinced this trained  tried and true “eye” of having found a new Texas talent.

Speed, 2010, oil on panel, 71×74 inches

Standing out and capturing attention are the voluminous yet caressing sensual  shapes rendered in a “punchy” but subdued, sophisticated color palette, living up to the artist’s wishes to possess a “strong personality.” more details >>

 

Caprice Pierucci – “Royal Grain”

This capable artist is well deserving of attention for her meticulously conceived and crafted abstract wall and floor hugging sculptures. Fortunately Caprice was in attendance at her opening since she is so articulate in sharing her art- making from all angles; it made her show even more enjoyable. Also, this  Houston’s gallery new space in Dallas definitely deserves serious consideration by the art crowd.

  “Undulating”

Her comments began with telling us about the multiple undulating linear forms  in front of the audience creating delicate, flowing and sensuous movement and  shadow. It shows why Caprice credits the images she continues to reuse to her mother’s and her own past careers as weavers. While she builds her sculptures she envisions herself in the act of weaving the wood. Wood is the material a  loom is made of which naturally led to her favorite medium out of which  to make her constructions. Comparable to weaving, her forms are planned to interlock, interact and repeat; she works on a curvaceous imaginative grid, quite distinct from a loom.

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Special EYE to Watch – Christopher Lee Martin’s “Megacities”

Special EYE to Watch

by June Mattingly

Christopher Lee Martin’s “Megacities”

at Haley-Henman Gallery
A collaborative twosome, Haley-Henman specializes in the diversity of emerging regional artists and is known for hosting live conversations between the artists and their followers on a regular basis. Located in the on-the-rise Fort Worth Avenue Development District, it is not far from downtown Dallas (right across the Commerce Street Bridge), Dragon Street Galleries and Dallas Contemporary.

Megacity VI, 2010, digital lenticular  print, 30 x 40 inches,

“Megacities” is the title of Dallasite Christopher Lee Martin’s first show at this gallery. Cities of a mega size are metropolises; cities with populations over ten million fit the new nomenclature of megacity. Christopher graduated from Pratt Institute in New York, a mega city right there with a BFA in 2003 and is 32.

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The Tyler Museum of Art’s exhibit: “Form and Substance: The Art of George Tobolowsky

The Tyler Museum of Art’s exhibit:
“Form and Substance:
The Art of George Tobolowsky

Between family, former pursuits as an attorney and in business, Tobolowsky fits in time to compose large-scale metal sculptures drawing attention by the top drawer staff of the Nasher Sculpture Center. It was following his first, well-received show at Gerald Peters’ Gallery in 2006, Tobolowsky re-focused his life to making smaller scale as well as public art.

A crowded commitment to one-person museum exhibitions happily continues to face Tobolowsky. “Face and Form: Modern and Contemporary Sculpture,” a group exhibition at SMU’s Meadows Museum highlighted 2009. In 2010, the Grace Museum in Abilene gave him a show, inside the museum and outside on the grounds, accompanied by a catalog and an essay by Jed Morse. This exhibit traveled to the Tyler Museum of Art on through November 28. In 2011, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, a non-profit space in San Antonio will give him a solo show; for the same city Tobolowsky is commissioned to create a major public piece for the Botanical Gardens.  read Special “EYE” to watch >>

 

June Mattingly – Special “Eye” to Watch Kevin Box + Julie Lazarus at Select Art Special “Eye” to Watch – Kevin Box + Julie Lazarus at Select Art

Kevin Box + Julie Lazarus at Select Art
June Mattingly // regularmain.com

Traditionally serious artists continually work on new concepts of existing pieces while constantly coming up with new ideas and Kevin Box fits right in this select category. “I look at a piece of paper as ‘tabla rosa’ a clean slate, perfect potential. This potential is activated by light and shadow as each decision creases into the paper.” His love of printmaking, origami, “crumpled” paper and paper “planes” shows in his developing a technique to cast paper into limited edition bronze sculptures completed with individualistic finishing touches by hand.

“Temple Mandala,” 2010, Kevin Box

“My greatest joy is in creating work in a way that provides an opportunity for interaction and surprise when viewers read: Please Touch!  read Special “EYE” to watch >>

Special “Eye” to Watch – Ryder Richards “Trajectory”

Up at the present and through August 28 is one main installation composed of free-standing attached drawing configurations on paper, attached to custom wood constructions, across from one another along long unobstructed walls. The titles and subjects of the pieces in the show are based in the ballistic trajectory of a Winchester rifle familiar to most through Cowboy and Western movies. The mere fact that the Winchester is the famous hunting rifle makes me personally shaky in the knees while ever so appreciative that an artist is addressing the unmatched power of this instrument to hunt and kill innocent  wild animals or a living being.

“Go(a)l(d): Antelope,” 2010 graphite, gunpowder, goldleaf, acrylic, wood, 7 x 5 feet

As unusual yet as effective as the rifle reference, the mediums used to reinforce its soulful meaning – graphite, gunpowder, gold leaf, acrylic paint and in the artist’s presence and by his own hand pre to the opening celebration, actual fire to emphasize chaos and the sound effects of real gunpowder exploding. The specially placed purposefully positioned small round wood posts attached to the walls to create rhythmic, definitive shadows represent the wideness yet directness of multiple bullet shots. more details >>

ARTIST – Celesta T. Segerstrom

Special “Eye” to Watch
June Mattingly // regularmain.com

ARTIST – Celesta T. Segerstrom
Celesta arrived at creating what to her was the logical solution for the summer windows- stylish, cool white and recyclable paper dresses to reinforce their slogan “Hunt, Gather, Recycle”- beautifully situated on four white graceful mannequins with “no personality.” The setting in all white makes everything “anonymous”; paper sunglasses and sun hats simply contribute to the theme.

Paper Versace & Valentino

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Special “Eye” to Watch – Harmony Padgett

Special “Eye” to Watch
June Mattingly // regularmain.com

Harmony Padgett

Her delicate, muted “explorations” defined by loosely defined, linear effects delicately placed over melting, warm, low impact coloration’s radiate peacefulness and calmness. No wonder these paintings exude such esteem!

“#3,” 2010, oil and spray paint on wood panel, 12 x 12 inches

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June Mattingly’s – Special “Eye” to Watch

TWO DRAGON STREET GALLERY SHOWS UP THROUGH MAY 1

Holly Johnson and Craighead-Green, celebrating their fifth year on Dragon Street, attracted their normally large number of content buyers and intent lookers in the  annual artist packed spring group shows openings. Openings like these draw interest-sharing folks to socialize while sipping wine, many of whose main desire is  to get first pick on a special piece by an artist they want to acquire that doesn’t  already sport a red dot on the label.

Bill Fegan, “In and Out,” 2010, oil on canvas, 58 x 72 inches

Dragon and nearby streets, not new to Dallas’s premier art galleries, are identified as the Dallas Art and Design District. On future dockets are galleries within a short driving distance, Conduit in its tenth year and Galleri Urbane in its first in Dallas; and look for these residents too, the Dallas Contemporary Museum, Photographs Do Not Bend and Marty Walker Gallery.

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