a non-profit gallery for the visual and performing arts |
2833-A Hathaway Rd., Richmond, VA 23225
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April 24 - May 17, 2015[an error occurred while processing this directive] is pleased to present two new group exhibitions, which will run from April 24, 2015 – May 17, 2015. There will be an opening reception on Friday April 24th, from 7-10 p.m., which is free and open to the public. An Artist Talk will take place on Sunday, May 17 at 2 p.m., which is also free and open to the public. The Suzanne Foley Gallery will feature "That-a-way: following the line to its final destination," mixed media works from Richmond artists. In the Main, Frable, Helena Davis and smallspace Galleries, twelve local and regional artists will present their doodle-oriented work, in "The Doodlists." Doodling is not daydreaming. In fact, it’s the opposite. Studies have shown that doodling is a brain stimulator that promotes thinking and engages the mind, while relaxing it at the same time. It is scribbled focus, concentration in suspension. It is both creative stress relief and brain stimulation that allows for highly effective information retention. Everybody doodles, but for artists it is valuable resource in the creation of artwork, the beginning of new ideas and new concepts, particularly in fine arts. The aim of “The Doodlists” is to raise awareness of the use of doodling in the making of art, and to promote the fact that, rather than a waste of time, it is the essence of creative and focused thinking for artists and for the public at large. Twelve artists will be featured in the show: Duane Cregger is a mid-Atlantic contemporary artist who lives and works in the mountains of Virginia. He approaches a blank canvas without preconceptions of what the painting will be, and begins to gesture-sketch lines, shapes, and curves using a combination of charcoal, sepia pencil, china marker, and graphite. For some paintings, the sketch becomes a clear drawing of symbols and, sometimes, loosely formed words that flow intuitively and quickly; in other works the sketch depicts abstracted objects or a non-objective composition. Dana Frostick, who is also curating the exhibition, is a native of Richmond, VA who studied at Virginia Commonwealth University in the 1980s. She majored in sculpture, but painting and drawing have always been her primary forms of expression. She has combined these two media in her "Elaborate Doodles," which she has been producing exclusively since 2007. Her work has been accepted into and won awards in juried shows on the local, regional and national levels. "Elaborate Doodles" are mixed media paintings that involve an automatic drawing process that is then articulated with details and patterns. Because she is not restricting her content to a pre-conceived composition, this type of work allows her unfettered access to her unconscious, providing a more direct path to her vision as an artist. Shannon Gilbert is a Virginia native, who came to live in Richmond in 2005 by way of Portland, Oregon. "My work fixates on places and the collisions between man and nature. My process is one of hunting and gathering, walking slowly through an urbanscape, or mapping trails, searching for experiences and documenting them through Instagram, sketches and archiving them in memory. Doodles are like an external memory drive. I create visual explanations in my studio, which challenge the viewer’s perception of what is known about their environment. Doodles allow me to explore the possibilities through a meditative, automatic process and push the limits of my medium. Best of all, doodles act as a cinder to ignite fresh ideas!" Dee Glazer is from Potomac, MD. She received her BA from the University of Richmond, where she studied both art and philosophy. Toying with the subjects of philosophy and science fiction, she presents these abstract notions of contemporary thought in a fundamentally playful manner. Glazer has had numerous exhibitions in Richmond VA, exhibited internationally in Antigua Guatemala, and participated in the 2013 Richmond Street Art Festival. She is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Leo Heinzel is a musician, artist and composer primarily active in the noise and punk community. Drawing from familial influences, his drawing style is an off the cusp, almost narrative of mind drawing style. His art has been shown at Plant Zero, Studio Two Three, and Strange Matter. Leo composed 50 separate collages for well-known noise artist Mutwawa's first tape release. Leo has performed throughout the United States, with solo performances, as well as group performances, including several times at the International Noise Conference. A founding member of the short-lived "Church Of Crystal Light" art gallery in downtown Richmond, he has continued to bring noise and art to the forefront of his local scene. Tracey Herman says, "Truth is I don't know why I doodle. Maybe it's because of boredom or the desperation to focus my eye on one particular point and then let the pen do whatever it wants. Essentially, I lose control and let it happen. The moment I start to control it, the whole thing changes but then becomes some strange form of organized chaos." Matt Lively is an artist living in Richmond, VA. He works in an 130-year-old barn that is close to his family. A lot of things get made in the barn, and some of it is shown nationally and internationally. When not in the studio, Matt teaches at VCU and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Matt's Squiggle Drawings are made from other people’s squiggles. The folks that he runs into give him a squiggle and a subject and he turns the squiggly line into that subject. After completing the drawing, it is then sent to writer Janet Freisner, who makes a caption, story, or poem for the drawing. Ja Mes gives us a somewhat satirical look at his inspiration to create doodle art. While not totally factual, there is much truth in the essence of his statement: "I was born in Rio De Janeiro and was left on the street as a child... I made a hut for myself out of mud and straw. After I made the hut I realized I could make sculptures the same way. I made sculptures and sold them to the tourists or traded them for turtles and mustard. I loved to eat turtles and mustard, even though I would cry each time I killed a poor turtle. One day I found a pen on the ground and decided to draw on anything I could find... Once I started drawing... it was like therapy! I began to forgive myself for all of the turtles I ate. Now I draw everyday to keep myself happy. I haven't eaten a turtle in years!" Rob Ryder Richmond artist Robin Ryder studied in the MFA program in Painting and Printmaking from VCU. He is a member of artspace and has exhibited frequently in the Richmond area. His doodle work is detailed and colorful, frequently mixing patterns with representational elements. Susan Singer has turned to art to process the experience of huge challenges, such as a divorce or her child’s life-threatening surgery. She’s drawn pregnant nudes, gigantic scars, naked men, and now female nudes as she’s working with society’s expectations of the ideal body. She received a BA in German from William & Mary in 1981, and an MIS from VCU in 2003. She’s shown her work in many solo shows throughout Virginia, and has won myriad awards in national shows. Susan is an avid practitioner and teacher of Zendoodles (aka Zentangles). Zendoodles are the art of repeated patterns that coalesce to create beauty, both on the page and in the mind. Henry James Stindt’s exhibition of tactile mixed media works presents the "evolutionary processes" of each piece. Receiving his MFA from Pratt Institute, Stindt exhibits nationally, and is an Adjunct Professor of Studio Photography at East Carolina University. Stindt exhibited his show "MANIFESTING: Recent Mixed Media Enquiries" in artspace's Helena Davis Gallery last year, from May 23-June 22, 2014. Roman Zelgatas was born in Newport News, VA in 1975. He resided in Gloucester County, VA until 17 years of age. Since the fall of 2003, he has demonstrated an uncanny ability to create visionary works in public cafes, art shows, and at charity events. His art is an organic symbolic representation of the spiritual human psyche with all her heights and deep metaphysical scars. Roman was a a co-exhibitor in artspace's Fall 2014 exhibition, "Exquisite Abnormalities." In conjunction with "The Doodlists" art exhibition, a Dueling Doodles Workshop will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2015, from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Susan Singer will be demonstrating Zentangles in the morning, and Dana Frostick will be leading a session on Elaborate Doodles in the afternoon. The cost for the workshop is $75, plus materials and lunch. Online registration is available. Please visit http://www.artspacegallery.org/2015/exhibits/the_doodlists for more information. |
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