Jim Lee is an American artist working in an abstract style. The artist attended Hope College located in Holland, Michigan earning a B.A. degree. Lee went on to earn a M.F.A. from the University of Delaware located in Newark.
Lee often uses irregular shaped canvases. Not only are they irregular from the front, but often the artist uses extra wood to make the piece push out from the wall.
Lee uses many mediums in his pieces including oils, acrylics, spray paint, enamel, rubber, aluminum, latex paint, wood, staples, and fabric.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
The artist is now based out of Brooklyn, New York.
Lee likes to focus on how a painting “lives” in its environment. How the work takes up space and fits into its surroundings. My favorite works of the artist are those pieces that use geometric based shapes with an irregular shaped canvas.
Another unique aspect is that Lee’s process often puts the painting surface through some sort of damage. This could be tearing or slicing the surface, then repairing it by sewing. For Jim Lee the work is the fun of the process!
JM Rizzi is a contemporary American artist whose work is a blend of modernism and Pop art. JM Rizzi was born in Brooklyn, New York in the year 1975. The artist attended college at the School of Visual Arts located in New York City.
Over his artistic career he has painted murals for several hotels and restaurants located around the Manhattan and New York City areas. Below we view JM Rizzi at the the Pod Hotel located in Manhattan:
Price range information: Sorry none available.
In this clip we view a show featuring JMR from 2011.:
Gabriel Specter is an American street artist renown for his work with the face and figure. Specter works as a painter, printmaker, and installation artist.
Another great aspect of the artist’s work is his attention to the sense of history of a certain place or time. He does this by paying attention to different lettering styles, such as those find in different advertising campaigns. The artist also uses clothes as a main subject.
Specter has worked with major international brands and is very successful as a commercial artist.
The artist is now based out of Brooklyn, New York.
Cody Hoyt is a modern artist who explores typography and letterform. Hoyt is also a sculptor working with organic shapes and simple patterns that could remind one of animal fur. Cody Hoyt was born in Sarasota, Florida in the year 1980.
Hoyt attended the Massachusetts College of Art located in Boston. The artist also studied abroad in the Netherlands.
Hoyt is based out of Brooklyn, New York.
Human skulls are also a favorite theme of the artist. Over his career his artist has designed many record labels.
Some of my favorite letterform artists include Robert Cottingham, Mel Bochner, Denis Brown, and Rob Wynne.
Seen, also known as Richie Mirando, is an internationally renown Street Artist. Richard Mirando was born in Brooklyn, New York in the year 1961.
The artist began to tag when he was 12 years old. Even though he didn’t start the movement, he is considered by many to be a founding father of the graffiti movement. Sometimes he is called the Godfather of Graffiti.
A brother who was named “Mad” was also a renown street artist.
In this clip many works of Seen’s work on the side of subway cars:
He exhibited with many famous contemporary artists including Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Basquiat.
Below an interview with Seen:
Price range and medium information: Seen works in oils, acrylics, and spray paint. Prices range from $10,000 to $140,000.
His artwork can be found in the video game in which the player is trying to become a graffiti artist or tagger. The game is called Getting Up.
What an artist whose work has stood the test of time. Its great he is able to make some royalties by having his work appear on the video game scene.
I have written about this artist before, but as luck would have it Kara Walker has a new shoe and some works were made with sugar. The location was the Domino Sugar Factory located in Williamsburg, Brookly, New York. In this clip we visit her most recent show with our friend James Kalm:
The show is free to the public, so if you have the opportunity be sure and see Kara Walker’s work!
As usual her work has managed to cause controversy about racism. But the main work of a large “Mammy” type character is executed well using many tons of sugar and loads of assistants.
Sue Williams is an American artist renowned for abstract and figurative works. Sue Williams was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois in the year 1954. For her artistic education Sue Williams attended the California Institute of the Arts located in Valencia, California. The artist briefly attended the Cooper Union School of Art located in New York City.
The artist came to fame in the 1980s when she painted many works that showed nude figures engaged in sex. Since then her work has become more abstract and with her great sense of color Williams is one of my favorite artists. Great color and sublime shapes makes for exciting artwork that you can look at all day because you can always find something different to look at in the painting. What I like most about her work is her variety of line weight. As an artist who grew up idolizing the great Al Hirschfeld, I find that Williams has the same fluid line as the great caricature master.
In this clip we view a show from 2008 featuring Sue Williams:
Another unique idea employed by Williams is to paint certain body areas. Hands or feet but rarely the whole figure. Sometimes even bones or blood vessels are painted.
Sue Williams is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Williams is included in many prestigious collections including the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of Art both located in New York City.
The artist is a proud feminist painter that enjoys working with sexism and gender bias as well as politics in her work. If you enjoy this genre be sure and check out the already profiled Judy Chicago for some similar ideas!
Price range information: Works range from $2,000 to $100,000. Williams is a well established printmaker.
Sally Michel was born in 1902 in Brooklyn, New York. She would go on to be the wife of renown Modernist painter Milton Avery. Sally Avery Michel was earning a good living when she married Milton Avery in 1926.
Price range information: Sally Michel painted in both watercolors and oils ranging from $3,000 to $20,000.
Another key aspect in her her development was her classes at the Art Students League of New York and then would travel to Gloucester, MA to paint her wonderful landscapes. It was during one of these summers she met Milton, in 1924. In 1926 the couple married. She was earning a good living as an illustrator, so Milton was able to concentrate on improving his own artwork.
The couple would have a daughter named March Avery, who would go on to become a professional artist and I promise she will be the next post.
The couple would often pose for each other. The work below is of the artist’s husband Milton, painted by Sally Michel.
Sally Avery Michel passed away in 2003, surpassing the century mark! Awesome!
Sally Michel is part of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and the Metropolitan Museum of Art located in New York City.
What an artistic family with most having a similar style of seeing things. If I were to compare them to contemporary family it would be the McCaw family based out of California.
In this clip we visit a show featuring Joyce Pensato with our beloved art friend James Kalm a.k.a. Loren Munk:
Joyce Pensato is an American artist renown for her work with cartoon style figures done with a black and white palette. A more sinister side to all of our carton friends from Homer Simpson to Mickey Mouse is shown. Joyce Pensato was born in Brooklyn, New York in the year 1941.
Pensato works with enamels, charcoal, and pastels. She also makes installations which use stuffed animals.
Joyce Pensato was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship.
Also a winner of the Pollack-Krasner award.
Her work represents the American Dream gone sour and heading in the wrong direction. Perfect social commentary for a time when people are protesting against low pay and asking for an increase in the minimum wage.
So James Kalm and the Kalm report are often referred to when we visit art shows on this website. James Kalm is the internet name for the artist Loren Munk. Munk was born in the year 1951. Munk is based out of Brooklyn New York and is also a curator. His work has something for everyone from great use of color, to various types of text and letters, and even maps.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
Kalm’s youtube channel featured here often shows the artist traveling by bike to shows across the Brooklyn area.
In this clip we visit a show featuring Loren Munk from 2011:
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