All posts by Stephen Hawkins

James Drake at the New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe

Throughout his career, James Drake has examined the theme of humanity in all of its triumphs, failures, and follies—including violence and war; love and desire; greed and gluttony; and the realities of life along the U.S.-Mexico border. The exhibition James Drake: Salon of a Thousand Souls includes sculptures and works on paper by the Santa Fe-based artist dating from the 1980s to the present day. Among the dozen works to be shown are a never-before-exhibited 21-foot red pastel drawing and a wall drawing done in the museum galleries specifically for this exhibition.

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“Lin Emery: Unique Forms of Continuity in Space and Time,” Sculpture Magazine

Originality has an inside and an outside. Understanding the nature of originality in sculpture requires an understanding of both—of the inside, what it is in the sculptor’s life that created her artistic personality, and the outside, what sets her work apart from that of other artists of similar inclination. In Lin Emery’s case, there is a strong connection between these two sides of originality: the personal dynamic of her artistic evolution explains her place in the history of kinetic sculpture. There is a consistent element of autonomous discovery in Emery’s artistic life, as well as a highly personal mix of philosophical and artistic influences. In some ways, her work constitutes a logical part of the tradition of kinetic sculpture that descends from Constructivism. But her sensitivity to natural forms and modes of movement sets her work apart and enriches that tradition.

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“Round Up: The Best of Prospect.2 New Orleans: Part 3,” Pelican Bomb

The moment the sky turns dark is transformative. In the Brulatour Courtyard, it’s the time when Dawn DeDeaux’s perverted portrait of Ignatius Reilly comes to life, converting the romanticism of the historic courtyard into the dark imaginings of John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces. Those familiar with the iconic New Orleans novel will recognize central elements from the narrative in this installation. The Levy Pants revolution, the Lucky Dog cart, and Reilly’s hunting cap all make appearances; while Reilly’s slovenly bed occupies center stage of the courtyard, fountain spewing from its center.

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“John Geldersma: Black Wings,” THE Magazine

JOHN GELDERSMA’S SCULPTURES at Chiaroscuro Gallery are imbued with both the bayou exuberance of his Louisiana background and the minimalist rigor of his East Coast training and early milieu. His work shows a loving give and take with his materials.

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Electric Tigers and the Nature of Digital Awe: Dave Greber’s “Peekaboo,” louisianaesthetic.com

What do you get when you cross the jungle imagery of famed 19th century painter Henri Rousseau, the Vietnam War, Louisiana swamps, 1980′s aesthetics, maybe a little of the 18th century poet William Blake’s “The Tiger,” new age mysticism, quantum mechanics and 21st century digital video techniques? You get artist Dave Greber’s video installation “Peekaboo,” which is currently running at Arthur Roger Gallery.

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