Gift of a Century: Petullo Collection to Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee collector Anthony Petullo has made a gift to the Milwaukee Art Museum of over 200 pieces of self-taught art, making this institution the holder of the largest collection of this type of art in the United States. These wondrous works are in a show entitled "Accidental Genius" and they will be punctuated with lectures, films, and parties through May 6th.
As a guest in Mr. Petullo's home, I can attest to the magnificence of his vision and his collection. He has included in his gift, masters, such as Bill Traylor, Anna Zemanokova and Adolf Wolfli, as well as works, lesser known, but equally worthy of contemplation.
On Thursday, March 22, the Museum will host a discussion concerning what the meaning of and the problems are with the terms Self-taught, Naive and Outsider. Lisa Stone (curator at the School of The Art Institute of Chicago), Jane Kallir (co-director of Galerie St. Etienne, NYC) and Margaret Andrea ( curator of the exhibition) will be the panelists.

image by Carlo Zinelli

Ronald Sloan's Situation.........

Ronald Sloan has been obsessively painting his private world for over forty years. An examination of this almost intact, and vast body of work, exposes an alternate reality painted in a masterful and unique style. The human figure, deconstructed and then reconstructed into skeletal form, often exists in a world of fear, pain, trauma and sexual abuse. Geometric figures, grids, boxes, far off center lines, and numbers appear hand in hand with quasi human figures struggling to make sense of an unsettling world. The disturbing themes share the canvas with recurring symbols of comfort. The mathematical elements, along with tropical vegetation, and an extraordinary talent for laying down paint in a seductive manner give you a reprieve, allowing you to catch your breath, and gather courage to look once more.

Each painting is a mini drama, audience not required. Ronald Sloan paints his world to survive yet one more day in it. On the canvas, survival often depends upon being both mute and deaf. Mother is portrayed with her mouth covered, unable to speak out about the untenable life she leads. In one painting, words warn, "Do not HEAR the Forest Burning." The inclusion of explanatory text offers precious access to this curious reality. In response to questions about the nature or purpose of his work, Ronald simply states, "I paint."

Sculpture in the Garden Show, 2010

It's almost time! Kids are getting restless, their parents are eyeing their gardens, searching for an empty, but deserving spot. Childless collectors practice their best "I've just come to look" faces, and the fun begins! The annual Sculpture in the Garden Show featuring works of art made from recycled materials and junk yard finds, is almost upon us. Here's a sneak peek at the ad which will be published in the stunning and delightful international art magazine called Raw Vision. The issue will be out in May, the dates to hold are Saturday and Sunday, June 12th and 13th. Collectors with flashlights who show up Friday night, please try to wait your turn! You know who you are!

An Abundance of A. Huber.....new show

Germany's Alexandra Huber has not forgotten her childhood, nor has she turned her back on freely using lines and color that explode off the page, leaving boundaries behind. Her playful works, reminiscent of Dubuffet and Basquiat, deal with relationships and inner feelings, without the screening of the superego. She challenges the viewer to examine themselves as they consider her works. What is in your Suitcase of Intentions? And in this economy, what surprise does you Shopping Bag to Go contain? The highly saturated Poet's Eye nudges us to fantasize what processes flow through the mind of someone so gifted and unique, while trying not to get lost in the deeply saturated colors.

This comprehensive show of over 50 works runs from March 1st through June 1st at the gallery in Connecticut, and much of the art is on-line at Beverly Kaye Gallery

This is a private space, open at your convenience. Huber's work ranges from 6" x6" pieces to works which are 25" x 19", as are the three artworks pictured above. Don't miss this very exciting show!

These images are courtesy of Hans Seidenabel, Munich.

Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness......AVAM

Pedro Martin DeClet has come a very long way since his stint as head of the Latin Kings gang in the CT prison system. His works are now on display in the American Visionary Art Museum's newest show, Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness, curated by Roger Manley. Declet's Portrait de Genocide honors past martyrs in both the American Indian and Hispanic culture and is a powerful work with it's bleeding pictograph placed center stage. In another room is a hand-made book filled with paintings and paperwork which reflect his disavowal of the infamous gang, along with an altered book, a cross sculpture and a canvas carrying bag sporting a self-portrait. There is also a construction called El Philosopher which is made up of a time clock together with time cards hand painted by the artist. Pedro Martin DeClet is a man who does not look back, but rather reflects on a positive future. I thank Roger Manley for having an open mind and including these important works in his stellar show. It will run for close to a year and is worth the visit to the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, where the AVAM sits like a dazzling crowning jewel.
Photos courtesy of Roger Manley, curator

Kris Lewis and Travis Louie........beinart stars.....

The International Surreal Art Collective boasts some of the very best artists in the world among it's members. Alex Grey and Ann Harper are two of my favorites. But now I learn of two more accomplished people to add to the list. Travis Louie’s new exhibition is at Roq la Rue Gallery.His " hypnotic portraiture is compelling for its blend of the hyper realistic with the blatantly unreal. Fantastical creatures gaze out from paintings so technically refined (using transparent layers of acrylic paint over a tight graphite drawing on a smooth flat surface) that they look uncannily like old photographs." This fact entices you take a second look. Kris Lewis, who is currently showing his portraits at David B Smith Gallery in Denver Colorado, has a romantic yet edgey quality to his work which makes the quirkiness quite appealing.

Lori Field, self-taught art with a fine art feel

Lori Field's work is smart, seductive and beautiful. A combination of drawing, collage, bee's wax and encaustic materials transforms intelligent thought into alluring art. Lori's images are bits of human elements morphed with flora and fauna, with exotic results.
To quote the artist, "Animals lack self-consciousness or artifice, so the animal-like figures provide a means for emotive personification, characterizing or exhibiting human motives and foibles. The external traits of the animal/human figures suggest internal ones. As my shape-shifting creatures morph, are they 'becoming-animal' or 'becoming-human'? Which transformation would leave them better off? These human/animal archetypes - a cast of recurring characters - create intuitive narratives that explore themes of loss, rebirth, identity, denial, alienation, loneliness......and human vulnerability." See, I told you she was smart! The above examples are courtesy of the artist.

Discovered on the streets of DC.......

As my son and I were leaving a Georgetown restaurant in 1995, a blaze of color caught our eyes. To see Matt Sesow's paintings is to share in a bit of his reality. A landing airplane hit and severed his left arm at the age of eight, forcing him to become right handed. The physical and emotional pain of the trauma has left a clear mark on Matt's work. In 1994, at the age of 28, he began painting. His titles, such as "Painting by Remembers", "Lost Luggage", "Alone in Death", and "Sucker Punch", are more than subtle hints of the turmoil he has experienced. He views painting as a way to communicate his emotions and experiences in an immediate and powerful manner. He talks of "punching" the paint on his surface, and the turbulence it creates grabs at the viewer, never quite letting go. Bold backgrounds, angry and averted orange eyes, or friendly blue ones, heavily outlined figures not able to stay within the confines of the canvas, are all hallmarks of his style. Nowadays Matt's interest is in painting day to day life and and commenting on the news, which he does with considerable charm and wit. Three early pieces illustrating this blog, are now available for sale through http://www.artbrut.com

Little Buddy, Picking Daisies, and Turndown (Almsman)

Symbolist collage using 19th century prints......

As a child I loved to see the arty backdrops displayed in high fashion windows at Bonwit Teller in New York City. As an adult I got to meet the extraordinary man who created these collages utilizing images from 18th and 19th century engravings. Many decades later, Anthony Guyther is still creating wonderful works, as well as tongue in cheek constructions, and each one is as clever and witty as ever. The older works are published in a book called "Symbolist Collage", and I have been very fortunate over the years to have collected many of those original works for the gallery and for my personal collection. The construction above is called "Macanudo Lady", the collage is "Egg-guardian", and below that is "Fighting Nix". Yesterday I received copies of his new works and luckily I'll be able to see them in person in a few weeks. I'll keep you posted.......

Duck, duck, duck, tape!

According to Marshall McLuhan, "art is anything you can get away with", and Pete Warburton's show at the University of Michigan's Taubman Health Center, is proof! Don't get me wrong, this clever work is definitely art, and successful art at that. Warburton utilizes an unusual art material called duck tape, which is ordinarily used for many types of painting and fix it yourself projects. In this artist's hands, the lowly material becomes so much more. "Night Route to Gallium" is proof of his talent. Click on the title and read more about this exceptional artist. Or contact him directly at haloclub@netscape.net

The interior world bleeds onto a canvas

Ronald Sloan has been obsessively painting his private world for over forty years. An examination of this almost intact, and vast body of work, exposes an alternate reality painted in a masterful and unique style. It has remained so consistent, that only dating next to his signature reveals whether the work is early or recent. The human figure, deconstructed and then reconstructed into skeletal form, often exists in a world of fear, pain, trauma and sexual abuse. Geometric figures-- grids, boxes, far off center lines, and numbers appear hand in hand with quasi human figures struggling to make sense of an unsettling world.
One of his painting was recently chosen to be on the cover of a poetry book published by Alice James Books. The gallery has a large portfolio of these paintings, as well as day book sketches. The paintings above are "The Thought" and 'The Night He Cried".

Greek Outsider artist, tissue paper magic

Greece still beckon Katerina Mourati, who was born there in 1962, and still returns to Patmos for solitude and respite. Germany is now her home and her tissue paper drawings and paintings are as mystical and magical as the islands she so dearly loves.

Outsider Art shown at German Fair

Here's a photo of Alexandra Huber's art on the walls of the famous Artfair in Karlsruhe, Germany. This is a spectacular fair and thankfully it was very successful for all involved. There will be a show of her work called "Alexandra in America" from May through July at the Beverly Kaye Gallery and more of her work can be seen by clicking on the title link. Feel free to join the Galley's facebook page as a Fan.

"We Need A Holy Place", Outsider Art....

Two of the larger Alexandra Huber works on paper, 19" x 25", chosen from a large body of her latest works, are now available at the gallery. The first is titled "'Schrages Kabinett" or in English,  "Crazy Cabinet" and the second is titled "We Need A Holy Place". $1800 a piece. Alexandra just returned from the famous Artfair in Karlsruhe, Germany, and in her words,

"it was very successful in spite of the crisis."

"Magic Place" a sample of what the future holds.....

Although her German agent decided to withdraw from the Outsider Art Fair, he faithfully delivered to me a cache of new and very exciting works by Alexandra Huber. New York fans, as well as anyone else who missed seeing her work at the February show, will not be disappointed with the quality of works selected.  The art is being photographed and will be posted soon on 

artbrut.com which is the address for the Beverly Kaye Gallery. Two larger mixed media pieces and ten of the 6" x 6" smalls will be added to the extensive portfolio of Huber works represented here. Alexandra remains one of Europe's top self-taught artists, and her current shows and catalogues will be listed when the new works are ready to go public. This little gem called "Magic Place" is a great example of what is to follow.

Pedro Martin DeClet, homage to heros

The collage "Portrait de Genocide", a powerful statement by Pedro Martin DeClet, is typical of his works which often examine his personal struggles and those of society. He first started exploring art while incarcerated, and a liberal prison system encouraged his efforts and allowed him to leave the premisses to attend his first show, beyond prison walls. This monumental work honors fallen heros, Latino as well as American Indian. The red pictograph of the human spirit bleeds for them and their sacrifices. Much of Pedro's work is in diary form, and he excels at painting, collage, sculpture, as well as assemblages.
His prison years and his involvement with the Latin Kings are far behind him, only occasionally resurfacing as fodder for his art. Pedro is exquisitely aware of the art world, and the poetry and prose of the most renowned authors and wordsmiths; however, his work is not at all derivative. It is purely his own vision, his own pain. Although completely self-taught, his frequent use of both Latin and Spanish text within his work gives it a unique sophistication. His self-portraits reveal him as he is, sweet, moody, confrontational, scarred, and hopeful. Pedro has had several museum shows and his work is held in many private collections.

Outsider Artist Huber at Galerie Horst Dietrich

Galerie Horst Dietrich is showing Alexandra Huber a group show in Berlin this month. She will have a one-person-show starting in the beginning of March in the artfair in Karlsruhe. Seven of her previous catalogues will be available illustrating the fine work of this gifted artist who came to the art scene in 1993. Her works always remind me of Dubuffet, and sometimes Jean-Michel Basquiat, and with their child-like appearance, they always have an adult sensibility.

She works in mixed media, in both large and small scale, and more of her work can be seen
here

Welcome to my world........

I'm a private dealer in Outsider and Artbrut Art and have over 400 images and supporting text on-line. The actual gallery is in Woodbridge, CT and is open by appointment or by chance. The pieces I have chosen to represent are top examples from each of my artists, all of whom have been placed in private as well as museum collections. During the year I deal mainly with works on paper, canvas and board, but in June I hold the annual Sculpture in the Garden show which transforms the property into a dazzling display of recycled metal, stone, and wood, reformed into giant sunflowers, dancers, musicians, horses, robots, dragonflies and garden whimsies. The gallery has been awarded as a Forbes Magazine "Best of the Web", and "Incredible Art Site of the Week" for months running!
Welcome to my world!