Miami Basel Art Fair with Mauger Modern Gallery.

I will be at Miami Basel this year with Mauger Modern Gallery for the "There's Still Life" group show. The theme of the show is the "still life" painting in an unconventional form. Mauger will be showing a great roster of artists including Robert Bradford, Tim Biskup, Ron English, Jane Maxwell and Michael Mew.

You can see more of the work here and here.

Modern Masters Show at Art Modern Gallery.

My Naples, Florida gallery has a new show up entitled "Modern Masters", and that is exactly what it is! The work being shown is by such great artists as Jim Dine, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, and Larry Rivers to name a few. The show runs through December 23, 2009 so stop in if you are in the Naples area.

Art Modern always has an amazing display of my favorite artists such as Banksy, Jasper Johns and james Rosenquist. I am honored that they show my work among such greats.

You can see more of the show here.

The decollage artwork of Jacques Villeglé.

Jacques Villeglé caught my attention back in college at a MOMA exhibit called High & Low. His work primarily focuses on the anonymous and on the marginal remains of civilization. Villeglés work is considered decollage because of his building up of layers and then intentionally ripping away to reveal the underlying layers. I love his use of typography from advertisements and images that are randomly placed throughout his works.

Villeglés work reminds me of the intentional art that often happens in urban areas where advertisements are partially torn away revealing fragments of the previous advertisement. The raw energy that Villeglé captures in his work and the vibrant color inspires me in the way that New York inspires me with its grittiness and beauty.

You can see more of his work here and here.

Vintage Fruit Crate Labels.

Jane Maxwell turned me on to vintage fruit crate labels a few years back. She uses them in the collage of her art to make references to female anatomy in a tongue in cheek way.

The design of the labels is spectacular. It evokes a simpler time. I am drawn to the 3D type that is often used for the brand names. The labels remind me of old movie production studio advertisements that scroll before the movie starts.

Here is a small collection of some of my favorites.

Dumpster paintings by Rachel Maxi.

I find it interesting how artists become fixated on certain objects which then become a main focus of their work. Rachel Maxi, a Seattle artist, finds beauty in trash dumpsters around the country and has been painting them for some time. Maxi's depiction of these objects sometimes have a setting and other times sit on stark, white ground. Either way, she captures the beauty of these mundane objects that we overlook because of their purpose.

I am a fan because they are a perfect canvas for graffiti. Their colors are that of utilitarian design. Their markings tell the story of their owners, vandalism, and street art. In the end, Maxi shows beauty in objects that most people did not realize existed and that is what makes a good artist.

You can see more of her work here and here.

Sexist Advertising from the 70's.

My friend Dre forwarded me some advertising from the 1960's and 70's with strong sexist overtones. After watching three seasons of Madmen I can actually understand how ads like these got to print back on the day.

New Klutch pieces for sale!

My favorite Portland artist, Klutch, has some pieces for sale at great prices. If you are interested in any of them give him a shout here.

You can also see more of his work here.

Hy's Vintage Soda Labels.

I stumbled across these vintage soda labels from Hy's soda. Great colors and nice use of type.
"The taste tells" is also a great tag line! I wonder what the soda actually tasted like?
I bet it was sweetened with real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup like all sodas today.