Archive for June, 2008
#4 – Jame Dupree – Meet the Artists Who’ve Inspired Us to Part with Our Cash – 6.22.08
Jun 22nd
#4 in the Meet the Artists Who’ve Inspired Us to Part with Our Cash series is James Duprée, a Philadelphia artist, gallery owner and art teacher. His artworks are wonderfully colorful and luminous, with a radiance that seems to suggest an internal light source. This piece is one of the first you see when entering our home. It features a life mask of James with glass eyes. My only regret is that we don’t have more wall space available. (Click thumbnail to view larger image.)
About his own work, James has this to say “Until recently, my work has been characterized by a hybrid of figurative and non-figurative elements that juxtaposed African forms with contemporary references to American pop culture. My most recent series, Stolen Dreams and Forbidden Fruits, represents a turning point in my work–into a realm of complete abstraction where the boundaries between painting, collage, printmaking, and draftsmanship are blurred.”
You can see more of James Duprée’s work at http://www.dupreestudiosinc.com/ His gallery is located at 703 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147. Phone: 215-413-3884 Email him at james@dupreestudiosinc.com
What’s with the “!” at the end of my last name?
Jun 21st
I get asked quite often if Yow is my real name, and what’s with the exclamation point? Well, the answer to the first part of the question is yes. Yow was my father’s name and his father before him. I took a lot of kidding during my grade-school years, with taunts like “Yow-hoo” and “How now brown Yow.” Only after I grew up and accepted my artist status in the world did I come to appreciate just how advantageous it might be to have a memorable name, which brings me to the second part of the question.
One day, almost thirty years ago, as I was reading the dictionary, which I still do for fun and enlightenment, I came across my last name. It was defined as an interjection used to express alarm, pain, or surprise. As a surrealist artist, I was used to those same reactions to my art. Perhaps not the “pain,” but certainly alarm and surprise. I immediately added an exclamation point and haven’t looked back. It’s been great. People definitely remember it. It starts a lot of conversations. I might add that Burnell is my middle name. I began using it instead of my first name, Michael, around the same time and for much the same reason: It was more memorable. Burnell and Yow, by the way, were derived from the Old English and mean bubbling brook and a residence by a river, respectively. One can only guess if that means I’m all wet or was born to go with the flow. I’d like to think the latter.
#3 – Linda Lou Horn – Meet the Artists Who Have Inspired Us to Part with Our Cash – 6.15.08
Jun 17th
#3 in the Meet the Artists Who’ve Inspired Us to Part with Our Cash series is Linda Lou Horn. Linda is a friend and fellow member of the Philadelphia Dumpster Divers – an informal group of around 45 creative folks who use trash and found objects in their art. This piece incorporates paint brushes (for the heads), found wood, metal and cloth, as well as a child’s old musical toy. It’s really quite delightful and is difficult to walk past without grabbing the mallet and striking a few notes. More of Linda’s marvelous creations can be viewed on the Works Gallery website. Linda can be contacted at lindalouhorn@yahoo.com#2 – John Cheer – Meet the Artists Who Have Inspired Us to Part with Our Cash – 6.8.08
Jun 8th
Meet The Artists…
#2 in the Meet the Artists Who’ve Inspired Us to Part with Our Cash series is John Cheer, a ceramisist from Allentown, PA. John’s work is pretty amazing and magical. I do you hope you visit his website to see what he’s been up to. You may click the thumbnail to the right to view a larger image of the piece we own. John’s website is at http://www.cheerclaystudio.com/ and he may be contacted at cheerclaystudio@yahoo.com
By the way, according to John’s website, he’ll be exhibiting at the JUN28-29’08 Manayunk Arts Festival, Manayunk Phila. PA.
Flex-Box 2008 Invitational at Salon Des Amis…
Jun 5th
Flex-Box Invitational 2008 (Group Show)
Salon Des Amis Gallery
2321 Yellowsprings Road
Malvern, PA
610-647-6010
Opening Reception – July 13th – 2 to 6 pm
Show runs till Aug. 23rd
Betsy and I will be exhibiting work in the upcoming show at the Salon Des Amis Gallery in Malvern, PA.
If you missed seeing Betsy’s Light series photographs at the Smile Gallery in March, here’s a second chance to see three images from that series. (Click thumbnails to view larger image.)
I will be exhibiting two small works: Mona (Squared), and Self-Portrait (Squared).
#1 – Alex Queral – Meet the Artists Who Have Inspired Us to Part with Our Cash – 6.1.08
Jun 1st
One of the great things about being an artist is getting to know the many other artists Betsy and I have met and become friends with over the years. Much of the art we have collected has come from this same group of people. (Click thumbnail to view larger image of Betsy’s piano studio.) Some we became friends with first and then purchased their art. Others we became friends with after purchasing their art. One way of the other, we’ve managed to fill our home with work we love from some of the most creative folks on the planet. Visitors to our home often remark that our place is like a museum, with more stuff than one can possibly see or appreciate in a single visit. And that’s true! So, I’ve decided to add a special feature to my blog called “Meet The Artists Who’ve Inspired Us To Part With Our Cash.” Once a week, starting in June 2008, I will introduce to my readers a different artist whose work we own. Along with images, I’ll also include contact and website information for the artist where available.
And to kick things off, let me introduce you to Alex Queral. Alex is a Cuban-born artist whose work we first saw at the Rittenhouse Square Art Festival maybe five years ago. The work we fell in love with and purchased is a portrait of the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett. But this work is no ordinary portrait; it is carved out of (or “into” is perhaps a better word) a telephone book. That’s right. A phone book! Using cuting implements, Alex cuts down through the pages to reveal his faces. Although, I don’t know what his exact method is, he does use acrylic paint as well. The faces are sculpted from the paper in relief. His phone book heads are not only beautiful but intriguing to contemplate. The second work we acquired from Alex was a phone book head he did several years later. It just so happens to be of yours truly. (Click the thumbnails to see a larger view.)
Alex is also an abstract painter. Examples of his abstract work can be viewed by clicking here. And more of phone book heads can be viewed here. Alex can be reached at queral58@yahoo.com
