Gallery News

“Soul Man,” Journal North

All artists build imaginary spaces. James Drake is fully cognizant of the human tendency to project subjective history and meanings into the spaces he opens and constructs. Even before the visitor reaches the formal entry of his current exhibition at the New Mexico Museum of Art, the artist has placed three functional steel sculptures that announce his personal point of view. These include two benches and a graceful child’s table stacked with books of art and literature that are meaningful to him. There are monographs on Goya, Daumier, Rubens, the Mexican muralists, the novel “Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy, two books of poetry by Jimmy Santiago Baca, including “Que Linda la Brisa” (2001) with photographs by Drake, and the 2008 University of Texas survey of the artist’s 35-year career.

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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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“Women’s House,” a sculpture by John Scott

“Women’s House” is one of the final outdoor sculptures created by the late John Scott. His son, Ayo Scott, Xavier University Art Professor Ron Bechet and Architect Daniel Dreher, among others, salvaged the upper half of the sculpture from the artist’s New Orleans East warehouse. The remarkable piece was recently unveiled at Xavier University’s Ribbon… 

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David Bates, Debbie Fleming Caffery, Dawn DeDeaux, Lesley Dill, Troy Dugas and Srdjan Loncar at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum

Forces of Nature: Selections from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation October 22, 2011 – January 15, 2012 The theme of nature is particularly poignant for Louisiana residents following the unprecedented elevation of the Mississippi River, recent hurricanes, the Gulf oil spill, and constant threats of coastal erosion. Forces of Nature: Selections from the Frederick… 

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“CAC’s Art for Arts Sake Recap with pictures,” InvadeNOLA

“Using an insider’s bag of tricks and trade lingo, Waters celebrates the excess of the movie industry. Word and image play permeate Waters’ work, and the movie industry and its various sleights of hand are a common target. Always ambitious and playful, some of the works are condensed narratives or “little movies” as Waters calls them. Waters wickedly juxtaposes images from films and television that he captured by photographing his television set as they play.”

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“What was best at the Art for Art’s Sake 2011 block party,” The Times-Picayune

Last night’s Art for Art’s Sake block party was a pleasant blur. With the temperature in the sweet seventies and not a cloud in the autumn sky – really, not one – it was the perfect night for an art promenade. Read my AFAS preview here. Julia Street was crowded, but not as cramped as August’s White Linen Night. Lines at the outdoor bars were minimal and the food I sampled – macaroni and cheese studded with lobster – was outstanding. It would have been a great night out, even if the art had not been completely captivating.

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