Gerhard Richter / Derwisch 12.3.97 / 1997 / 12.6 cm x 17.9 cm / Watercolour on paper / www.gerhard-richter.com

I did not know Richter worked with watercolor. The watercolor abstracts are interesting, seem lighter and more playful than his oil abstracts.

The 2001 Retrospective at MOMA displayed how diverse Richter’s paintings are. His early work is of blurred figurative paintings, both with and without colour followed by seductive abstract paintings, with a colour palette that is either brilliant or subdued. His surprisingly diverse range of work has received prolonged discussion from critics, especially due to Richter’s disregard for “traditional” stylistic progression and his use of photographs. [Read more...]

paul christopher flynn / work 1 / oil on canvas / www.pcflynn.com

paul christopher flynn / work 2 / oil on canvas / www.pcflynn.com

Two paintings from a fall 2007 exhibit at the Beijing 798 Space entitled The Homeward Collection by Irish artist Paul Christopher Flynn.

Paul said “It is obvious to anyone who sees my work that I have a great love of certain styles of Chinese painting. During my long absence from painting, the art which spoke most to me was usually Asian, mostly Chinese – it was only natural therefore that when I began painting again, those influences resonated most in my work. The opportunity to create a body of work expressly for show in China was a great joy to me. As I painted I felt a sense of coming home, not so much for me as for my paintings. It is my wish that these emotions – peace, hope, joy – are evident in the work.”

Amy Sillman Contemporary Salon, clip 3

Mark Dutcher, Worlds Apart, 2007, acrylic, oil, and spray paint on canvas, 80 x 92 inches. © Courtesy the Artist and SolwayJones Gallery

Articulate, emotional and committed, Mark Dutcher is a painter’s painter. Dutcher is deeply immersed in the process and act of painting. He is one of those artists whose drive to create is demanding and relentless. Over time, his work has grown and matured, and he easily walks that line between abstraction, expressionism, surrealism and pop. Read more of ArtSlant founder Georgia Fee’s interview with Mark Dutcher at ArtSlant.com.

The more I look at Mark Dutcher’s work the more I enjoy it. There are similarities with Carroll Dunham’s work that I posted yesterday and Fionna Rae’s work as well. It’s a poppy cartoonish abstraction that comes through in the flat synthetic colors, the acrylic textures and floating compositions.

markdutcher.com
www.solwayjonesgallery.com

Not abstract but it’s around the corner in my hood and its painting.

JERSEY CITY, NJ – Jersey City Museum asked Publisher and editor, Billy Miller to invite one of his favorite artists, painter Pia Dehne for INTRODUCING: Why Paint Now? The program will focus on the painting in the 21st-century and feature a discussion with the artists about her commitment to painting in the modern age of the Internet, multimedia and instant image-making. Pia Dehne studied with Markus Lüpertz at the Düsseldorf Art Academy.

About Pia Dehne: Influenced both by Classic German Modernism and the style of the Italian artist Tanino Liberatore’s comics, Dehne incorporates both famous and infamous ‘masterworks’ into her paintings, from Ingres’ Oriental Bathers to Queen’s Fat Bottomed Girls and Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland album art. Ms. Dehne’s painting process is as indebted to photography as it is to performance.

In her work, Dehne assembles live models into a tableaux vivant that are centered on pop imagery. Next, she photographs the tableaux. Finally, back in the studio, she makes a series paintings and drawings based on the photograph of the tableaux. Dehne says, “In the end I don’t really need the photograph anymore. It’s more like a crutch, a place to start. This combines with memory and I completely lose myself to the drawing. I see myself more like an abstract artist. I transform form and content, and try not to think. Otherwise, I would just show the photograph instead of the drawing.”

About Billy Miller: Billy Miller is an artist and writer. He has exhibited his work both nationally and abroad. Some of his exhibitions include P.S.1, John Connelly Presents, Visionaire, Kunstverein München, and Dietch Projects. He is also the editor and publisher of a number of independent publications, including the cult series Straight To Hell, a/k/a The Manhattan Review of Unnatural Acts. Pia and Billy at 58 Gallery: Why Paint Now? coincides with “THE OTHER SIDE,” a group exhibition at Jersey City’s 58 Gallery. The opening reception is Friday, April 11, 2008 at 7 pm. The show, curated by Billy Miller, features small works by Pia Dehne, as well as artists from New York, Brooklyn and New Jersey.

Founded in 1901, the Jersey City Museum is the major presenter of contemporary art serving the people of Jersey City, Hudson County and the region. The museum organizes many group and solo exhibitions every year, featuring works by culturally diverse, contemporary artists and from its 10,000-piece collection of regional significant art and historical objects. Through exhibitions, educational initiatives and programs, the museum welcomes over 25,000 visitors each year, including 11,000 school-aged children and youth. Jersey City Museum is located at 350 Montgomery Street at Monmouth in the Historic Downtown District of Jersey City, within walking distance of the Grove Street PATH and Jersey Avenue Light Rail stations. For more information, visit www.jerseycitymuseum.org or call 201-413-0303.

WILMINGTON, DE – The Delaware Art Museum presents Bridge of Hope: Iraqi/U.S. Art Initiative, an exhibition featuring approximately two-dozen works, mostly abstract, by nine Iraqi and nine American artists, on view March 29 – May 4, 2008. This exhibition is part of the Museum’s new Outlooks Exhibition Series and is guest curated by Rosemary Lane of Delaware , Coordinator of the International Cultural Arts Network (ICAN).

Lane chose the American artwork, and the Iraqi works were chosen by Lamia Talebani of Baghdad, a founding member of ICAN and an Iraqi artist. Most of the Iraqi works were brought to US through Jordan by Claudia Lefko of Massachusetts , an ICAN founding member.

ICAN grew out of the 2006 Global Peace Initiative of Women Iraq-US Summit : Creating a Common Dialogue in New York City . This organization has initiated working relationships and collaborations between Iraqi and American artists. The purpose of ICAN is to engender hope, transcend barriers, and foster goodwill between our countries.

Exhibitions in this series are created by residents and organizations of our surrounding area, contributing to the Museum’s mission of providing an inclusive and essential community resource.

Visit The Delaware Art Museum at : www.delart.org/