Gallery Flux Grand Opening in the Center of the Universe

Gallery Flux Ashland, Va.

     

     My daughter Bridget and I attended the Grand Opening of the Gallery Flux in Ashland, Va. and we were very impressed!  I was  not expecting a big "to-do" , just from previous Ashland experiences, and I was pleasantly surprised.  My daughter and I were very curious on the ride to Ashland when we kept seeing the Hollywood-style spotlights flashing around and we were trying to guess where they were coming from.  To our excitement the lights were at the Gallery Flux Opening.  With roped off sidewalk and security i thought we were at the wrong event, thinking maybe there was a big Randolph Macon event, but we were at the opening and people were started to roll in before 7 fast!



Bridget poses next to Sunflower Sculpture out front





      This was a very nice learning experience for my daughter, but would have been a great art experience for anyone interestedin the art.  The show was for Hanover County High School Artists, including students from Hanover High, Lee Davis, Patrick Henry, and Atlee.  From the quality of the show and the art itself you would not have known it to be high school students.  



I spoke to the Gallery Director, Hugh Joyce, who informed me that he was having an upcoming show for Hanover County local artists.  Myself being a Hanovarian and artist became very excited about having a venue nearby speicifically for art.  I also ran into a volunteer for Gallery Flux, Nancy Cozart, who was my high school photography and art teacher at Patrick Henry HS.

The space was large and plenty room for a group of artist showing.  It had that new gallery smell and the refreshments and music were a perfect combination for the right ambience.  Patrons were also given the chance to vote for their personal pick for "best in show".  Using a postcard and ballot box , patrons could list their favorite piece and the artist's name as well as what you liked about the work.


Bridget voting for the aluminum can dress piece.



My vote went to this guy.







In short, I look forward to more visits to Gallery Flux and hope to be more involved with the Hanover art scene.  Here is the link to the gallery's site online: http://www.galleryflux.com/mgmt.html

More Art, including work drawings from Snelson



Corner of Nerd and Weird St

 


BatShaun

 


Sandcastle Island



Veiw from the L Sea



Brooke at the Park



Captain America 9/11 Tribute



Cuttlefish Orange



Cuttlefish Red



Cut Paper Show (i did the squid)



For Quan: Sam Jack

My Mural at Rivermont Pizza

Me working on mural for Mckennas



Sunbathing Girl



Random AAAAAAAArt (w/ 8 A's)

Skunkbeard for Marcus McKenna

Shed Zombies: later became a painting

Yellowman

Yellowed Skull

Dark Knight





sick lips and beard face



Wolf and a Penguin



BIG for McKenna






Old Pie Faces

 


Gator for Landon Nelson



Derek's Squid

Clara Nelson's Elephant





Long Neck Giraffe



Gypsy Skull





Painting I did and then covered up for Matt McKenna



Ole Inky







this no longer exists

 


parents stole this



Tentaclees



Boop









Dino's







SpiderMan



KB Classic

Sharp Sockets



Fluffy Hillside Bunny







Masterpieces with My Grandmother

This past Saturday I had the priviledge to see Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris  @ the Va Museum of Fine Arts.  I was invited by my Grandmother and we were very happy to be one of the thousands on the east coast to be able to view these works of art.  I was very excited to see SO many people at the VMFA.  We waited in a looooong line before we were allowed into the exhibition.  I felt pressured to move along quickly and/or make sure others could see that were around me and felt I got a good chance to see everything well enough. 
    I liked knowing I was viewing something rare and when I really thought about it, it probably was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  That being said, I wasn't all that impressed with a lot of the works.  I respected the pieces and knew they were works that defined specific moments in art history...influential, innovative and all that.  I just kept thinking, "This should be blowing my mind!".  I wanted to have one of those life impacting moments where I just couldn't stop looking and thinking , where I was truly inspired by a monumental work of art.  Alas, A lot of the time i would think," looks like he didn't finish this one" or  " I really do not like that color combination " and " My kids could have done something just like this one"
      Now and then my granny and I would cross paths and discuss how she knew I would like this one or that one because of the colors.  We also tended to like similar works, especially the colorful deathbed portrait of the artist’s close friend Carlos Casagemas from Picasso's early career. 

We also had our differences; One in particular from the famed Blue Period, defined by somber shades of blue and green. Celestina (The Woman with One-Eye) (1904),  I was fascinated by this realistic old crone Picasso had captured on canvas perfectly, especially her milky white eye.  Granny didn't like this one so much.  

     Granny and I both knew that a good portion of the paintings and drawings  focused on fragmentation, shifting planes, and skewed perspectives and were going to be a big part of the exhibit. Cubism revolved around the deconstruction and reconstruction of figures and objects on two-dimensional surfaces or in space with new materials.  I think alot of people are most familiar with this style of Picasso. You could also see alot of the african art influence in his cubist self portraits.  Common themes or subject matter that I noticed were skulls, nudes, family/friends, guitars, and nudes. (yes i said nudes twice)

 I never realized how much Picasso loved nudes and ...well boobs.  I was expecting nudes ,even penises, but man the guy loved super-circular boobs.  Of all the anatomy of the women, there was no mistaking the boob or boobs.  Now i am not saying I didn't like the art because of that, I just noticed the plethora of circles. 

I could relate to the fascination of the subject of a skull, especially a cow skull (probably Bull in Pablo's case) since I myself have done many a painting, drawing, and sculpture of a cow skull.

There were tons of works in different media other than oil painting.  Including Pablo's  ink drawing, oil pastel, even assemblages and sculpture.  While my granny was enamored with The Jester,

  I found The Goat to be more appealing (she liked The Goat too, to be fair)

There was alot more printmaking than i expected as well.  The man was busy that's for sure.  This particular print (below) was my favorite.  It might be the minotaur that draws me to it.

There were alot of old photographs of Picasso, his family, and hoity-toity friends.  The photos had an adverse effect on me because I just kept thinking that he may have had a big ego.  After seeing alot of art i felt could have been done by anyone it is hard to think he deserved said attitude but maybe it's just that I try to be so modest about my own art.

(i'm so cool)