Posts Tagged ‘Oberlin College’

Artist of the moment………Kate Shepherd

{ October 30, 2014 @ 11:44 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Kate Shepherd is a wonderful artist working in abstract style with basic geometric shapes and limited color. Kate Shepherd was born in New York City in the year 1961.The artist is a painter and printmaker.

Shepherd attended Oberlin College located in Oberlin, Ohio earning a B.F.A. The artist went on to earn a M.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts located in New York, New York. The artist also studied at private ateliers in Paris, France.

Most works are a combination of acrylics, oils, and enamel on wood panel. Her use of materials and mediums leads the viewer to see themselves in the reflection on the surface of Shepherd’s paintings.

Shepherd has always enjoyed architecture and often uses paints that were made for industrial purposes.

price range information: Works range from $5,000 to $50,000.

 

In this clip we view an installation by Kate Shepherd:

Below a link to the website of Kate Shepherd:

http://www.kateshepherd.com/

What a great mix of simple shapes and bold color that reminds me one of Josef Albers and Hans Hofmann.

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Artist of the moment……..Edmonia Lewis

{ November 8, 2013 @ 6:38 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Edmonia Lewis was born close to Albany, New York  in a city called Greenbush, New York in the year 1845. Her actual birthday is not known. Edmonia Lewis was the first woman of color to achieve national prominence. Her father was African- American and her mother was a Native American Indian of the Chippewa tribe. Her mother was a crafts person and also created weavings.

Her mother and father both died when the artist was nine years of age.

In 1856 with some help from abolitionists Lewis attended Oberlin College located in Oberlin, Ohio. During her last year she was supposed to go sledding with some fellow classmates and she served them an alcoholic beverage that made them both ill. The two didn’t die, but were very ill. The townspeople revolted and a mob formed and beat her severely as she was walking home one evening. She left the college before graduation.

For most of her working life Edmonia Lewis was based out of Rome.

Her full name was Mary Edmonia Lewis.

A brief documentary on Edmonia Lewis with some of her sculptures:

Among people she created figures of were leading abolitionists, a leader of an African- American infantry group Robert Shaw, and also the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

During her peak she received two commissions worth $50,000. Even President Ulysses Grant ordered a commission from the artist.

Edmonia Lewis passed away in 1907 whilst in London, England.

Price range information: Sorry none available.

Inspiring to see that despite her difficulties and loss of parents, Lewis relocated to Europe and flourished as an artist.

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Artist of the moment……Ellen Gallagher

{ July 16, 2013 @ 3:39 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Ellen Gallagher is an African- American artist born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1965. Her mother was African- American and her father a success Irish boxer.

price range information: Just this year Ellen Gallagher had a work sell for $987,000 at auction. Though she works in many mediums the output isn’t enough to make a consistent price schedule. Instead I will list the many mediums she employs in her art. Photography, film, oils, gouache, woodcuts, and acrylics.

To make an artistic point of view of racism in her work she chose to do some artwork that represented the souls of African slaves lost at sea in their voyage to the United States.

Has been the sitter for a tapestry by famed American Artist Chuck Close.

For her collegiate studies Ellen Gallagher attended Oberlin College in Ohio. Gallagher than attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. For her postgraduate studies Gallagher attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine.

A major influence on the artist was Agnes Martin. Below an example of her style.

Another major influence was the artist/ writer Gertrude Stein. Gallagher enjoyed the way Stein used text in her art. Below an example of Gertrude Stein’s artwork.

In 1995, Gallagher’s work was exhibited at the Whitney Biennial.

In 2003 participated in the Venice Biennial.

Ellen Gallagher loves to work with film. In this clip she talks about her childhood and the influence of film in her life.  From the great PBS series ART 21.

In this clip we learn more about her collage and multimedia approach using repetition and revision in the process. Many varieties of techniques are used. She even talks about recurring characters such as Pegleg.

A link for some great examples of photographs by the artist. Here she uses a gelatin silver print and adds watercolor and gold leaf for dazzling effect!

http://www.gagosian.com/artists/ellen-gallagher/

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