Thanks to WBENC for the approval of our application and for the future opportunities we will discover because of it.
The Wonderful Work of Eileen Braun
A couple of weeks ago we had an amazing studio visit with mixed media sculptor Eileen Braun and were fascinated by her transition in materials - from ceramics to rattan - in the creation of her extraordinary, otherworldly vessels.
Eileen Braun, Smoke, 2017, rattan reed, wax, pigment and string
We are sharing here, her description of the work and a glimpse at what she has been working on.
"In 2016, I put my clay work on hold and sought a new media less demanding of material constraints. After a lot of experimentation, I found it in encaustic wax and rattan weed. As I make the work, the forms grow increasingly more complex. Their sizes range from 3 - 7 feet high and the deep shadows (not easily shown in images), provide a completely different personal experience. The work is deceivingly light, weighing in at a mere 2- 6 pounds.
My art mirrors natural forms with a biomorphic edge. Often the exact life cycle stage one is viewing is too complex to pin down. Is it focused on seed, mature growth, or the desiccation of this system? I leave that up to the viewer.
Movement, texture and complexity of form are integral to the work as well. My hope is that the viewer will be drawn in by the shape. While approaching, they will be intrigued by the ever-changing views because one can see both through and around the form simultaneously. The texture, shadow and line created by the materials add to the multidimensional cornucopia of delights.
Process: The sculptures are constructed from rattan reed, encaustic wax, cotton string, and glue. In some instances I have added dress-makers pattern tissue - influenced by my research of Japanese Akari lamps. The rattan reed is left natural or occasionally pre-stained; soaked, manipulated and secured at all junctions with cotton string. Additional elements to the sculpture are constructed or texturized with encaustic wax. The exoskeletons in many instances have been en-robed in wax, giving them the appearance of metalwork."
Enjoy the work and imagine the possibilities - tabletop installations, wall-hangings, ceiling installations...
Just exquisite!
Honoring MLK / Tim Rollins + KOS
Tim Rollins* and K.O.S., Letter from Birmingham Jail #2 (after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), matte acrylic and book pages, 2008 (Collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art)
"We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider ... We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands ..."
Letter from a Birmingham Jail
April 16, 1963
Tim Rollins* and K.O.S., I See the Promised Land (after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), matte acrylic and book pages, 2008
"Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation."
I Have Seen the Promised Land
April 3, 1968
* Tim Rollins, artist and visionary who used texts to elevate the minds of young at-risk youth in a collaborative practice of art making and activism, died on December 27, 2017. His legacy, like Dr. King's, is essential to our American story.
Happy Holidays from AP Projects
Recharging our creative juices, AP Projects will be closed from December 22, 2017 through January 2, 2018.
Jason Woodside, Spiral, acrylic and resin on wood, 10 x 10 inches
Here's to a magical transition into a brand-spanking
New Year!
Cheers!
Amy Parry Projects
Chic New Atlanta Hotel - Hotel Clermont →
ILLUSTRATION: COURTESY OF PHASE:3 MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Hotel Clermont is due to reopen next year.
"Hotel Clermont welcomes guests in March after an extensive renovation that merges the building’s classic 1920s features with punk-rock style. In addition to a restaurant and a rooftop bar, the property’s infamous Clermont Lounge remains and, though it got a freshen-up too, retains its gritty glory—and its black-duct-taped bar."
(Garden & Gun Magazine, November 15, 2017)
Ultra Violet | PANTONE'S 2018 Color of the Year
“We’re in a complex time; this is a complex color.”
- Lee Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute
With their announcement, Pantone explains: "[Ultra Violet] is a very provocative shade, but it’s also a thoughtful color–it sounds like a bit of an oxymoron,” Eiseman says. “This is the kind of color attached, historically, to originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking. These are the elements we need to create a meaningful future. Inventiveness and imagination is something we seek in our personal lives and business worlds. People are looking for that ‘magic bullet,’ and this shade is the perfect shade to lead right into it . . . It’s intriguing, fascinating, and magical.”
Please enjoy 20 images inspired by the color Ultra Violet...
Currently Inspired By...
Check out some of the art that has inspired us lately!
100 new images to warm you up!
Words with Friends | Brett Smith
Brett Smith is a self-taught abstract artist, represented in Atlanta by Sandler Hudson Gallery. We've been following his work for some time and just love it. We were delighted when he said yes to the casual interview, seen below. Thanks, Brett!
APP: So why Atlanta? As a South African native, how did you settle on this "city in a forest" and what are some things that keep you here?
BS: I got a tennis scholarship to play for Georgia State University. Back then, Atlanta was going to host the '96 Olympics so I thought that would be a great experience. Compared to other college towns, Atlanta seemed to be an exciting city to live in and had a lot going for it, so it really was an easy choice. Apartheid was ending in South Africa and the future was very uncertain, I had this opportunity and I grabbed it.
APP: I know your current series is called "From Scaffold to Thicket" and is largely inspired by all the cranes and construction chaos that is always scattered around our city. Can you talk about the thicket element and how this body is a progression from past bodies of work that are more obviously about nature?
BS: The full name of the current body of work is ‘the portrait of a landscape under construction, from scaffold to thicket we build.’ Recently the themes and ideas behind my work have shifted. I have become more interested in how we interact with nature not just being inspired by trees, flowers, branches etc. This delicate balance we have with each other and our precious planet, all the systems and structures that make up this complex web we interact with on a daily basis (and for the most part ignore) has become my new muse. All the construction going on around us in urban environments amplifies this idea of a constant need to build and grow. Nature also has a constant need (and struggle) to grow and flourish and this tension is the starting point for the current work.
APP: What kinds of "art tools" do you use that might surprise people?
BS: Lol!! Studio secrets! Well, the new paintings are made with an empty ballpoint pen and sometimes the back of a paint brush. I have also used paint stirring sticks from Home Depot and Popsicle sticks, whatever works!
APP: Can you comment on the trial and error aspect of creating these layers of lines and how you begin/when you finish?
BS: The paintings are really this great combo of painting and drawing. Technically, they are made of paint and a cold wax medium but I view them more as drawings. I just start drawing elements and images from photographs that I have taken or collected from social media or the internet. At some point I will pick up the paint brush and paint over some or part of the drawing. This creates a ghost like quality which for me is evocative of the building being destroyed over time and then I draw new images over the top. Recently I have used oil pastel to make additional images once the paint dries. This can be considered an example of trial and error as you are taking a big risk when you decide to draw over something that you already think is successful, but no risk no reward!
APP: We noticed you experimented recently with a bit of 3D. Is sculpture something you think you will dig deeper into?
BS: Yes, sculpture is increasingly on my mind. It seems like a natural progression for me and I have some ideas when this work gets exhibited, so stay tuned!
APP: You've been doing the black and white thing through this series but we love your past use of color also, particularly the orange. Do you have a color you like best?
BS: That is a tough one, color is so seductive. Orange was a stand out from the LIFE series but I’m not willing to say that is my favorite. I think it depends on the shade and intensity of the color; I mean there is red and then there is REDDDD!!!
APP: Do you ever draw curves? Or doodle in circles?
BS: I do, the first work on paper I ever did was circles drawn with watercolor pencil. It was based on bubbles in water; water is life after all. A lot of my work based on flowers also embraces the curve or looped line. I like exploring line in all its forms I just try and find what will be appropriate for what I’m trying to achieve visually and thematically.
APP: We would love to see your florals!
We noticed that you use the hashtag #globalwarming sometimes when you post images of your work. How does the work comment on this very timely topic?
BS: It gets back to this idea of balance. We need to keep building and expanding our cities, communities and population, (but) the environment is struggling to survive. It really is the war of our time; too many wrong moves and the ramifications can be catastrophic. I’m trying not to take sides just observing and trying to start a conversation. I want the paintings to be slightly overwhelming, hints of scaffolding and construction cranes draw the viewer in as these images are familiar to everyone, and then you can explore the pictures and put your own spin on it.
APP: We loved seeing the recent work alongside many other great Sandler Hudson artists in Summer Thunder. Is there a solo show in the works so we can mark our calendars?
BS: There is definitely a solo show in the works, still working on the dates.
APP: Speaking of other artists, who are some of your favorite mark-makers?
BS: Cy Twombly probably has had the greatest influence on me. I feel like he is ever-present. There has been such a move to take the hand of the artist out of the painting process, for better or worse, I find I always come back to painters who get their hands dirty: Joan Mitchell, Brice Marden, Pollock and Shiraga come to mind.
APP: What are some of your favorite places to get inspired around ATL? In the city or in nature?
BS: I love walking the Beltline. I feel like it is such a great addition to the vitality of the City. The Mercedes-Benz stadium was just incredible to watch as it was being built. Anywhere a building is going up or coming down for that matter. Buildings are far more interesting during the construction phase or the destruction phase, they are constantly changing while they are being built, kind of like watching a plant grow. I took many ‘thicket’ photographs of thorn bushes in Africa last time I was there, and I see this influence in the new paintings.
APP: Do you follow "Cranes of Atlanta" on instagram?
BS: No, but I will!
APP: Do that.
_______________________________________________________________________
To learn more about Brett's work, please visit Sandler Hudson Gallery or Brett's website.
Custom Mural for C. Ellet's Club Room
Please admire the gorgeous mural that was selected for the curved wall above The Club Room / Bar Area of Chef Linton Hopkins' new ATL Steakhouse, C. Ellet's. The imagery is in reference to the landscape surrounding the Mississippi River where the restaurant's namesake, Charles Ellets Jr. served as an impressive US Army Corps Engineer/Colonel during the Civil War building canals and bridges, managing water flow and planning future river navigation for the US Military.
The 9 x 70 foot mural is mysterious and ethereal, hand-embellished by Seattle-based artist, Maeve Harris.
C. Ellet's was designed by Square Feet Studio, photos courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee. Art consulting by Amy Parry Projects.
Thank you to Retail Design Blog for this great overview of the whole, stunning space!
First Look | Atlanta Hawk's Owners Club | Chris Maynard
Hawks, 2017, hand-carved feathers, 60.75 x 23 x 2 inches
Feast you eyes on this image of the first piece of artwork completed for the newly renovated Atlanta Hawk's Owner's Club at Philips Arena. Created by Olympia, WA artist Chris Maynard, the work is made by carving miniature hawks out of actual feathers with a very small scalpel. With a background in biology and a clear passion for this medium, the work is precise and visually arresting.
It is also three-dimensional; by setting them off the background with tiny pins, the pieces create shadows which is integral to the work. This piece, created for the Owner's Club which will open this month, is about flight and ascension, alluding to the drive of the team's athletes toward the goal.
The Owner's Club is designed by Smith Hanes Studio and will also feature work by Atlanta artists Larry Jens Anderson and David Landis. Stay tuned for more images. This is just the beginning of the transformation of the Philips Arena Art Collection.
To learn more about Chris Maynard and his incredible, beautiful practice, please visit his website:
www.featherfolio.com
Currently Inspired By...
With hurricane season and lots of new projects, there is a powerful energy leading into Fall. Lots of dynamic lines, bold colors and general punch in this batch of images. Enjoy.
Hurricane Symbolism | Elyse Defoor
Earlier this month, prior to the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, we had a great studio visit with ATL Artist Elyse Defoor. Her new space allows her to have many of her past works on display.
This piece, By The X, is from her X.U.ME series - a response to the visual symbolism of the X in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. With our thoughts on the people of Houston, we share this poignant past project.
Elyse Defoor, By the X, mixed media on muslin, 108" x 90"
Watch the PBA30 video spotlight on X.U.ME Project here
Learn more about Elyse here: www.elysedefoor.com
custom | hand-embellished | murals
Please admire the gorgeous mural that was selected for the oval wall above The Dining Room of Chef Linton Hopkins' new ATL Steakhouse, C. Ellet's. The imagery is in reference to the landscape surrounding the Mississippi River where the restaurant's namesake, Charles Ellets Jr. served as an impressive US Army Corps Engineer/Colonel during the Civil War building canals and bridges, managing water flow and planning future river navigation for the US Military.
The 9 x 84 foot mural is mysterious and ethereal, hand-embellished with metallic paints by Seattle-based artist, Maeve Harris.
Learn more about ATL's newest Steakhouse here in a recent article by Eater Atlanta.
And just wait until you see the additional 70 foot mural in the stunning C. Ellet's Club Room!
C. Ellet's was Designed by Square Feet Studio with Art Consulting by Amy Parry Projects
Happy July 4th from APP...
Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.
-Albert Camus
(Roy Lichtenstein, Forms in Space, 1985, screenprint on Rives BFK paper, 31 x 42 inches)
Currently Inspired By...
Inevitably drawn these days to warmer imagery, we are day-dreaming and traveling, inspired by what we find along the way. This Inspiration Board is the result of the connections and conversations that develop as we search for the best art out there.
Enjoy.
APP Out of Town - Hotel Eventi + The Beekman Hotel
Another inspirational spring trip to NYC means another post about boutique hotel excellence, this time an overview of Hotel Eventi (A Kimpton Hotel) and The Beekman Hotel (a Thompson Hotel). What these two hotels do well is offer a complete immersion into the feel of the NYC neighborhood in which they are situated. They also boast new and incredibly impressive art packages, put together by some of the best curators out there. To snag a tagline from Hotel Eventi, both of these hotels are “redefining hotel art.” And while art is just one aspect of the visual luxuries you will encounter walking into each of these hotels, the quality of the art is what elevates them to the truly high-end.
HOTEL EVENTI
Hotel Eventi is as hip as it gets - it feels very much like you just stepped into a wealthy collector's city apartment. The work is sort of nonchalantly placed around the main level, yet many of the works are instantly recognizable. Eventi's collection is made up of contemporary work, which is fitting since the hotel is right in the heart of Chelsea, arguably one of the most influential, art rich districts in the world. Reunion Goods & Services is who we have to thank for the impressive design, and the art was selected by curator (visionary) Kyle DeWoody. The hotel effortlessly carries an "artful atmosphere" and despite the high caliber of work, it all feels accessible. Just in and around the lobby you will see work by Barbara Nessim, Alex Katz, and Augustus Thompson. Highlights were the incredible hand-altered mirror by Tony Matelli, the commissioned light fixture/sculpture by Kwangho Lee, a gorgeous Lorna Simpson and a powerful photographic abstract by Mariah Robertson. The Ernesto Leal piece behind the reception desk is also very swoon-worthy. All in all the Reunion Team along with DeWoody have created a thought-provoking, comfortable space in a superior art location in the city. The art and city views you will find in the guestrooms are nothing to sneeze at either.
THE BEEKMAN HOTEL
Down in Lower Manhattan, another absolute gem is The Beekman Hotel. Built in 1880, this Queen Anne style building was the first public library in Manhattan; the Mercantile Library Exchange. Recently transformed into an outstanding boutique hotel, great care was taken to preserve some of the original features including a beautiful 9 story atrium. The elevators, staircases, and ironwork transport you back in time. Although the art package is comprised of brand new works, they blend seamlessly with the hotel's classic features and old NY atmosphere. Katherine Gass, Founder of James Company (Contemporary Art Projects) and curator of The Beekman Art Collection says "hotels are community places and art offers an important expression of the community - one that has an innovative, creative and economic return." Each piece was commissioned with the literary history of the building in mind. Works by Jane Hammond, Cathy Cone, Catherine Howe, and Nathalia Edenmont are inspired by an Edgar Allan Poe poem entitled "A Dream Within A Dream" and are installed throughout the elegant lobby and bar areas. Besides the amazing over-painted historical portraits by Cone, another favorite would be two tiny Patrick Jacobs dioramas which are inset in the passageway between the reception and concierge desks. Seen through tiny glass lenses, the imagery is of a field of dandelions and weeds - giving a glimpse of a time before high-rises took over the city. To stop and peer into these lenses is unexpected distraction within an already breath-taking experience.
These two hotels have made a conscious decision to pour time, attention and money into the art they have hanging on their walls. It is inspiring to see so many commissions of local and international artists, and such a thoughtful blend of styles and non-traditional media when that is obviously not the easiest way to go. The Beekman offers a printed booklet for interested guests to read about the collection (and it's printed like an old-timey script) and will host ongoing events and collaborations with art and cultural partners. The employees at Hotel Eventi were able to explain exactly where Ernesto Leal is from and were eager to do so despite the accumulating line of guests wanting to check in or out. Caring so much about the art shows how much these hotels care about the experience of their patrons because to snag another line: "lasting memories are defined by unforgettable moments." No matter how much you travel, you wouldn't mix either of these hotels up with another. You would wake up knowing exactly where in the world you were.
Boutique. Sophisticated. Perfection.
Enjoy Your Easter Weekend...
"It is the hour to rend thy chains, the blossom time of souls."
- Katharine Lee Bates
Lee Krasner (1908-1984), Easter Lilies, 1956
Collection of the Seattle Art Museum
Currently Inspired By...
"go sailing
away and away sailing into a keen
city which nobody's ever visited, where
always
it's
Spring and everyone's
in love and flowers pick themselves”
- e.e. cummings
The Floral Art of Holly Bryan
Art can come in many forms. Like a visual artist creating a masterpiece simply by putting pencil to paper, our friend Holly Bryan makes stunning works of art by simply combining and arranging different varieties of flowers and plants. Her designs allow for a fresh rotation of art, enhancing any environment.
Please take a moment to appreciate this sampling of her work. The artistry is so evident.
“ART - the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”
Source: http://www.hollybryandesign.com/
International Women's Day
March 8th is International Women's Day...
A day within Women's History month when we celebrate the cultural, economic, social and political achievements of all women across the globe. As a Women Owned Business. we acknowledge the great balancing act that being a working woman can be and we give special accolades to the creative women who do it all.
Every day, not just today, Amy Parry Projects seeks out women artists who make great art from a variety of places and backgrounds. We will continue to suggest these women for each and every project. We will keep interviewing these women for our blog and will always honor their commitment to their work.
In art, as with everything else,
"Everybody's Work is Equally Important"
IMAGE: One of Jenny Holzer's Truisms, 1982, neon