Favorite New Thought: Ray Caesar

One of our favorite thoughts Ray Caesar, has an exhibition opening this weekend at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles. “A Dangerous Inclination” continues on Caesar’s cathartic theme of elegantly haunting works. Caesar’s latest works disclose a more personal side to his narratives. While maintaning the self disclosure theme “A Dangerous Inclination” has definite notes of difference.  Ray Caesar was born in 1958 in London. At an early age, his family moved to Toronto, Canada, where he currently resides. From 1977—80 he attended Ontario College of Art. Of his work, Caesar says” Virtually all of my work deals with coming to terms with the subconscious elements to my life and the way I experience the world around me. My work seems to keep on the regular themes of “Hunting Back Innocence” and “Revelations of Light” and the painful process of “Self Examination” and hidden voices calling like sirens in the night. Premonitions and the worlds of pleasure and pain and ugliness and beauty and humiliation and dignity. For many people what I do is art, but for me the pictures are a communication from my subconscious to my conscious mind. That being said, I love and enjoy what I do and on one level it’s always simply been about sitting in the sun and making pretty pictures” M★C READ MORE

Favorite New Thought: Ray Caesar

One of our favorite thoughts Ray Caesar, has an exhibition opening this weekend at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles. “A Dangerous Inclination” continues on Caesar’s cathartic theme of elegantly haunting works. Caesar’s latest works disclose a more personal side to his narratives. While maintaning the self disclosure theme “A Dangerous Inclination” has definite notes of difference.  Ray Caesar was born in 1958 in London. At an early age, his family moved to Toronto, Canada, where he currently resides. From 1977—80 he attended Ontario College of Art. Of his work, Caesar says” Virtually all of my work deals with coming to terms with the subconscious elements to my life and the way I experience the world around me. My work seems to keep on the regular themes of “Hunting Back Innocence” and “Revelations of Light” and the painful process of “Self Examination” and hidden voices calling like sirens in the night. Premonitions and the worlds of pleasure and pain and ugliness and beauty and humiliation and dignity. For many people what I do is art, but for me the pictures are a communication from my subconscious to my conscious mind. That being said, I love and enjoy what I do and on one level it’s always simply been about sitting in the sun and making pretty pictures” M★C READ MORE

Corey Helford Gallery: Ray Caesar

Opening Reception Saturday, October 22, 2011 from 7‑10pm
On View October 22 – November 12, 2011
Los Angeles, CA

Format: Digital

One of our favorite thoughts, Ray Caesar, has an exhibition opening this weekend at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles. “A Dangerous Inclination” continues on Caesar’s cathartic theme of elegantly haunting works. Caesar’s latest works disclose a more personal side to his narratives. While maintaning the self disclosure theme “A Dangerous Inclination” has definite notes of difference.  Ray Caesar was born in 1958 in London. At an early age, his family moved to Toronto, Canada, where he currently resides. From 1977—80 he attended Ontario College of Art, followed by 17 years from 1980—96 working in the art & photography department of the Hospital For Sick Children in Toronto, documenting disturbing cases of child abuse, surgical reconstruction, psychology, and animal research. Coupled with inspiration from surrealists Kahlo and Dali, Caesar’s experiences at the hospital continue to influence his artwork. His haunting imagery is created digitally using 3D modeling software called Maya, mastered while working in digital animation for television and film industries from 1998—2001. In 1999, Caesar received a Primetime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Special Effects in a series. Read the full article »»»»

DUEL: The Aerosol Assassin

The Aerosol Assassin: Refining the spirit of graffiti, of guerrilla art can be a tricky practice in contemporary arts. Although contemporary and post graffiti has become an important genre within art today, it is still too often viewed with a specious eye. John Williams  - DUEL – sidles the thin boundary between contemporary art and his much loved street work, a foot either side of a distinct line. DUEL’s technique is much lauded by his – street- contemporaries, it is also easily recognized by those who gaze on contemporary abstract art. DUEL’s refined stensiling style drags the mind back to Post-Painterly Abstraction and Abstract Expressionism, multi-layered, mult-messaged, geometric abstract works that begged a viewer to seek THE hidden meaning. Amusingly DUEL informed me that each picture has a hidden word, then warned he’d had people stand in front of a picture for 45 minutes trying to find it. This latest show is a serious collision of gestural abstraction and guerrilla street art, the works lift DUEL’s art to his next level.  The works are intricate, layered and spontaneous. Bursts of color have always been part of DUEL’s form, many of his current works simply pop with color, line and contrast. Attraction to street based works has to be partly based on a seemingly energetic approach, almost an attack on canvass. Staying true to this can be a hardship, we all have to make a living and the pressures of conforming to moderation is a hard thing. Duel, fortunately doesn’t seem to suffer any need for an arithmetic mean. His measure is well entrenched  in a glorious history of mischief, a bounding talent and an eye that is well attached to a weirdly wired mind  M★C READ MORE

Melbourne: Kick Gallery Presents Anthony Day

Anthony Day |  Lost Horizon
Opening 6-8pm Thursday June 30
Exhibition runs June 28 – July 16 2011

Lost Horizon is Anthony Day’s debut solo exhibition with Kick Gallery. A dedicated young painter Day has already had successful exhibitions in Sydney and Melbourne as well as having been shortlisted in a number of national prizes. With consummate control over the materials he uses, Day has developed a particular approach to landscape painting that combines his skillful attention to detail with a sensibility for creating resolved compositions that are harmonious and nuanced. The clarity of vision that Anthony Day achieves in his work is derived from his affinity and connection to the bush from his rural upbringing in the region of Victoria of Euroa and the Strathbogie Ranges. Highlighting the raw intensity of objects from nature or the vista of landscapes as a whole, the result of Day’s meticulous work are paintings that exhibit the strength and stoicism of the Australian landscape.

For further information visit http://kickgallery.com

Kick Gallery - 4 Peel Street - Collingwood - Melbourne - Australia - 3006

Sydney: Ben Frost, New Exhibition! Giggle at Blank Space

Our favorite Sydney artist has an upcoming exhibition. Giggle On The Stretcher an exhibition by Ben Frost A selection of paintings, drawings and editions on canvas, board and found objects. Opening Saturday June 25th, 4pm – 6pm The Exhibition preview from 3pm, this 2 week exhibition continues until July 7th at Blank Space, 374 Crown St, Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia. Online catalogue will be available on Saturday June 25th M★C READ MORE