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      In Paintings and Quilts, Stephen Towns Spotlights Black Leisure in the Jim Crow South

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      “Looking for Lorraine” (2024), natural and
      synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, and acrylic and crystal glass beads, 55.5 x 68 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and Rockwell Museum, shared with permission

      In Paintings and Quilts, Stephen Towns Spotlights Black Leisure in the Jim Crow South

      January 2, 2025

      ArtHistorySocial Issues

      Kate Mothes

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      In central Florida, Ocala National Forest is dotted with more than 600 lakes and rivers. A nearby recreation hub, Silver Springs, has capitalized on the tourism potential of these glistening, clear bodies of water for decades, offering sandy riverside beaches and taking visitors on jaunts in glass-bottom boats.

      Until 1968 and the passing of the Civil Rights Act, Silver Springs—similar to many other places in Florida and the South more broadly—was racially segregated and only open to white patrons. In 1949, the owners of Silver Springs opened Paradise Park a mile down the road as a destination “for colored people,” as the welcome sign read, who were prohibited from the other resort.

      “Swimming Lessons” (2022), acrylic, oil, and metal leaf on panel, 40 x 40 inches

      Paradise Park was one of three beaches in Florida open to Black visitors during this time and also offered sandy beaches, rides in glass-bottom boats, a petting zoo, a dance pavilion with a jukebox, performances, games, and a softball field. It remained in operation until 1969, shortly after desegregation, and became a subject of fascination for photographer Bruce Mozert (1916-2015), who documented happenings at both recreation areas.

      For artist Stephen Towns, Mozert’s images and the history of Paradise Park provide the foundation for Private Paradise: A Figurative Exploration of Black Rest and Recreation, now on view at the Rockwell Museum. Through paintings and quilted compositions, the artist explores how certain parks could be places of refuge and leisure for Black Americans during the Jim Crow era.

      “Black people had to set up their own spaces in order to find recreation and to find peace,” Towns says in a video accompanying the exhibition. “This show is a way of illuminating that. It gives people a sort of way into history that’s not as scary as it can be in other forms.”

      Towns’ paintings portray groups of children swimming, sunbathing, and playing on the sandy shoreline. His fabric compositions are imagined scenes of respite and togetherness, which come across as disarming and candid.

      “Motown in Motion” (2024), natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, and acrylic and crystal glass beads, 55.5 x 68 inches

      “Motown in Motion,” for example, depicts a group of young people gathered on the beach, and “I Will Follow You My Dear” trails two women swimming underwater—another nod to Mozert’s work as a pioneer in underwater photography.

      The figures in Towns’ paintings are more posed, drawn directly from Bruce Mozert’s snapshots, depicting smiling kids at play. Towns often uses reflective materials like metal leaf that emanate light back toward the viewer, reiterating a sense of brightness. “I want people to feel that warm, reflective energy when they see the show,” he says.

      Explore more on Towns’ website and Instagram, and if you’re in New York, you can see Private Paradise in Corning through January 19.

      “Taking Flight” (2022), acrylic, oil, and metal leaf on panel, 40 x 40 inches

      “I Will Follow You My Dear” (2024), natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, and acrylic and crystal glass beads, and shells, 55 x 72 inches

      “When We Were Young” (2022), acrylic, oil, and metal leaf on panel, 40 x 40 inches

      “A Taste of Lemonade” (2024), natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, crystal glass beads, metal and resin buttons, 55.5 x 68 inches

      Photograph of visitors at Paradise Park by Bruce Mozert

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    • 163 Shares164 Views

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      Community, Traditions, and Resilience Ring Through New Public Works for Tbilisi Mural Fest

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      Community, Traditions, and Resilience Ring Through New Public Works for Tbilisi Mural Fest

      December 31, 2024

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      Residents and commuters alike can now enjoy more than 20 new, large-scale public artworks across five Georgian cities thanks to the 2024 Tbilisi Mural Fest (previously). The sixth edition facilitated new installations in Kutaisi, Batumi, Gori, and Gurjaani—in addition to its namesake community—by nearly a dozen artists from around the country and beyond.

      Many of the works reference local traditions, like Afzan Pirzade’s depiction of vintners holding a basket of grapes, representing a form of agriculture common in the eastern region of Kakheti. Tina Chertova incorporated a traditional lace-like pattern into a stunning, blue, multistory mural featuring birds, people, deer, and other decorative motifs. And in others, figures assume mythical personas, prepare food, and portray togetherness.

      This year, the monumental compositions adorn the sides of buildings that range from two stories tall to more than a dozen, the largest painting reaching 65 meters tall and 20 meters wide. Through vibrant splashes of color, the works celebrate resilience, community, and local customs in an array of styles.

      Explore more on the festival’s website.

      Innefields, Batumi

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    • 150 Shares199 Views

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      Sonya Kelliher-Combs Merges Collective Knowledge and Native Alaskan Heritage in Mixed Media

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      “Goodbye” (2018), installation from Anchorage Museum’s Collection. All images courtesy of the artist and Hirmer Verlag, shared with permission

      Sonya Kelliher-Combs Merges Collective Knowledge and Native Alaskan Heritage in Mixed Media

      December 26, 2024

      ArtBooksHistorySocial Issues

      Kate Mothes

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      Raised in the Alaska community of Nome, which sits on the coast of the Bering Sea, Sonya Kelliher-Combs traces her family lineage to the northernmost reaches in Utqiaġvik and the central inland city of Nulato. Now based in Anchorage, her Iñupiaq and Athabascan ancestry, cultural heritage, and relationship to the land constitute the nucleus around which her multidisciplinary work revolves.

      Growing up in a rural community, Kelliher-Combs observed and learned “time-honored traditional women’s and collective labor—skin sewing, beading, and food preparation—that taught her to appreciate the intimacy of intergenerational knowledge and material histories,” says an artist statement in the foreword of the artist’s new monograph, Mark.

      “Credible Small Secrets” (2021-present), sculpture, printed fabric, human hair, nylon thread, glass beed, and steel pen, variable dimensions. Photo by Chris Arend

      Published by Hirmer Verlag, the volume explores the breadth of Kelliher-Combs’s practice, from paintings, sculptures, and installations to her curatorial and community advocacy work.

      Drawing on the materials and symbolism of ancestral, Indigenous knowledge, Kelliher-Combs addresses what she describes as “the ongoing struggle for self-definition and identity in the Alaskan context,” delving into history, culture, family, and long-held customs.

      The works “also speak of abuse, marginalization, and the historical and contemporary struggles of Indigenous peoples in the North and worldwide,” her statement continues. In “Goodbye,” for example, 52 gloves and mittens are gathered together as if waving a collective farewell.

      The poignant installation aimed to open the dialogue about the sensitive subject of suicide, the rate of which at the time Kelliher-Combs made the piece was nearly 52 Native Alaskans per 100,000—more than triple the age-adjusted rate among Americans in general. The mitts were all handmade and lent by local community members.

      “A Million Tears” (2021), painting and mixed media, variable dimensions. Photo by Chris Arend

      Through delicate, tactile sculptures and atmospheric paintings, the artist venerates ancient ancestral practices, like animal hide preparation, while exploring the way contemporary materials like plastic and fossil fuels are transforming the landscape. She often incorporates maps, thread, beads, hair, and fabric.

      Kelliher-Combs also combines organic and synthetic materials, merging the traditional with the new; the local with the imported. She describes how she pushes “beyond the binary divisions of Western and Indigenous cultures, self and other, and man and nature, to examine the interrelationships and interdependence of these concepts.”

      See more of the artist’s work on her website, and find your copy of Mark on Bookshop.

      “Credible II” (2022), painting installation, mixed media. Photo by Chris Arend

      “Credible, Fairbanks” (2019), painting, mixed media, 16 x 16 inches. Photo by Minus Space, courtesy of the Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado

      “Credible Small Secrets”

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    • 163 Shares139 Views

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      Through Gestural Oil Paintings, Maria Calandra Guides Her Stream of Consciousness Onto Canvas

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      Images courtesy of Courtesy of Fredericks & Freiser, NY, shared with permission

      Through Gestural Oil Paintings, Maria Calandra Guides Her Stream of Consciousness Onto Canvas

      December 21, 2024

      ArtNature

      Jackie Andres

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      While traditional plein air painters capture their surroundings while outdoors, artist Maria Calandra takes a different approach. By roaming the coastal headlands of Maine, exploring the waters of Florida, and venturing out to the rolling fields of Southern France, Calandra finds inspiration in nature for her dynamic oil landscapes.

      The artist’s Brooklyn studio is laden with energy after she returns from such invigorating excursions. “I paint while reflecting on that moment during a hike when you start to feel Earth’s vibrations pulse through your feet and up your spine, letting memory, intuition, and those leftover vibrations take the reins,” she describes.

      Calandra’s painting style mimics this intensity as she translates a stream of consciousness through fluid brushstrokes and oscillating organic forms. Instinct guides the artist, who describes the act as “automatic painting.”

      This January, the artist will be in a group show at Half Gallery in New York followed by a solo show in June at the gallery’s Los Angeles location. Find more on Calandra’s website and follow along on Instagram.

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    • 125 Shares129 Views

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      Psychedelic Distortions and Glitches Streak Across Alexis Mata’s Bold Paintings

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      All images courtesy of Alexis Mata and The Hole, shared with permission

      Psychedelic Distortions and Glitches Streak Across Alexis Mata’s Bold Paintings

      December 20, 2024

      Art

      Grace Ebert

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      From digital glitches to mind-bending distortions, Mexico City-based artist Alexis Mata is interested in how visual information gets lost or skewed as it shifts from one context to another. In his oil paintings, bouquets and vast desert landscapes spread across the canvas as if melting or stretching into unrecognizable forms. “When your eyes look too long at the same thing, your mind makes the change,” he shares.

      Mata excavates the relationship between analog and digital realms, and his process incorporates both modes of artmaking. Preliminary sketches fill notebooks that travel everywhere the artist does, while he continually snaps photos and records video as references.

      AI experiments help Mata better translate the strange, disorienting outcomes that these rapidly evolving tools can produce. But his research isn’t just visual. “I enjoy experimenting by writing poems or haikus in AI and seeing what emerges. It’s an exploratory process,” he notes.

      Rendered in bold color palettes, the trippy paintings draw connections between digital mishaps and the ways our brains warp an image, whether in moments of intense focus, dream states, or with the help of hallucinatory substances. “I like to think that entire worlds are created within dreams, and these worlds ask to be brought into the light,” he says.

      Many of the paintings shown here are on view in Fata Morgana through January 25 at The Hole in Tribeca. Explore more of Mata’s work, which spans stained glass and textiles to drawing and sculpture, on his website and Instagram.

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    • 113 Shares189 Views

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      Guadalupe Maravilla’s Volcanic Rock Sculptures Invoke Resilience and Regeneration

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      “Dream Backpack 1” (2023), volcanic rock and objects collected from a ritual of
      retracing the artist’s original migration route, 16 1/4 x 12 1/4 x 4 1/2 inches. All photos by JSP Art Photography, courtesy of Guadalupe Maravilla and P·P·O·W, shared with permission

      Guadalupe Maravilla’s Volcanic Rock Sculptures Invoke Resilience and Regeneration

      December 13, 2024

      Art

      Grace Ebert

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      With the region’s smallest geographic footprint, El Salvador boasts the second-highest number of volcanos in Central America. The country is located on the Ring of Fire, a tectonic band that encircles the Pacific Ocean and houses about two-thirds of all volcanos worldwide. Given its eruptive landscape, much of the soil is rich in ash.

      In a series of sculptures, Guadalupe Maravilla (previously) draws on his home country as he sculpts backpacks and enlarged hands from volcanic rock. The works reference the artist’s migration from civil war-era El Salvador as an unaccompanied minor, a traumatic journey that remains a central theme in his practice.

      “Luz y Fuerza” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 14 x 14 x 4 inches

      A trio of pieces, titled Dream Backpacks, refers to “how we immigrate to the U.S. by land and carry everything we own in a backpack in search of the American Dream,” Maravilla writes in a statement. Embellished with pink, purple, and blue paints, the poignant works display a variety of charms—feathers, a small cat figure, and metal details like a spigot—the artist collected while retracing his childhood route.

      Other works take the form of a burly hand cradling smooth shapes featuring pieces redolent of retablos, small devotional paintings often invoking protection during times of hardship. Lightning bolts, stars, and snakes recur throughout the compositions, along with references to the artist’s colon cancer diagnosis, which he has long linked to the trauma he suffered as a child.

      December 12 is special to Maravilla and titles one recent work featuring linked wishbones, crystals, and the children’s rhyme “Sana, sana, colita de rana,” which translates to “heal, heal, little frog’s tail.” As Maravilla shares on Instagram, “On 12/12/12 I found out I had cancer. 12/12/13 I overcame cancer. Today, I am starting a new chapter 12/12/24 with a special meditation.” Similarly, a cake with a “0” candle appears in “Luz y Fuerza,” which resembles a pastry the artist once used to celebrate both his birthday and what he considers his rebirth as cancer-free.

      Citing resilience amid struggle, Maravilla’s sculptures call on healing and regeneration. Volcanic ash, after all, is one of the most potent natural fertilizers and a key factor in sparking new growth.

      Maravilla is represented by P·P·O·W Gallery in New York, where you can find more of his work.

      “12/12/24” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 13 3/8 x 13 3/8 x 4 1/8 inches

      “Dream Backpack 3” (2023), volcanic rock and objects collected from a ritual ofretracing the artist’s original migration route, 16 1/4 x 12 x 4 3/4 inches

      “Self Love” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 13 3/8 x 13 3/4 x 4 7/8 inches

      “Heal Seven Years Back” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 13 3/8 x 13 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches

      “Dream Backpack 2” (2023), volcanic rock and objects collected from a ritual of retracing the artist’s original migration route, 16 1/2 x 12 1/4 x 4 1/4 inches

      “Sana 7 Años Atras” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 14 1/8 x 14 x 4 3/4 inches

      “Si No Sanas Hoy Sanarás Mañana” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 13 3/8 x 14 1/8 x 4 3/8 inches

      “Sana Sana Colita de Rana” (2024), oil on volcanic rock, 14 1/8 x 13 3/4 x 4 7/8 inches

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    • 150 Shares179 Views

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      Three Women Artists Gather for The Jaunt and Hashimoto Contemporary’s ‘Winter Camp’

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      Seonna Hong, “Rest as an Act of Defiance” (2024), acrylic, oil pastel, and tape on raw canvas, 51 x 65 inches. All images courtesy of The Jaunt and Hashimoto Contemporary, shared with permission

      Three Women Artists Gather for The Jaunt and Hashimoto Contemporary’s ‘Winter Camp’

      December 12, 2024

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      Through a unique collaboration between The Jaunt and Hashimoto Contemporary, three women artists spent a week together in the small town of Shelton, south of Olympia National Park.

      Hiking, delving into the area’s history, and learning about each other’s work, Bianca Nemelc, Genevieve Cohn, and Seonna Hong participated in the first Winter Camp. Given space and time away from their daily routines, the artists were invited to find inspiration from their new surroundings.

      Genevieve Cohn, “We Sow a Softness” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 36 x 24 inches

      The Jaunt was founded in 2013 by Jeroen Smeets, who curates the project and facilitates travel for artists to destinations worldwide. The program doesn’t assign a specific agenda or brief; the primary goal is to provide new experiences that inspire the creative process.

      Cohn, Hong, and Nemelc focused predominantly on painting and works on paper, responding to the act of gathering and the lush, natural environment of the Pacific Northwest.

      “Sharing common threads and divergent paths amongst each other’s experiences as artists and women navigating the world, the week-long residency allowed artists from different locales, backgrounds, and generations to create community,” says a statement about the program.

      Winter Camp is on view at Hashimoto Contemporary’s San Francisco location through December 21. Find more on the gallery’s website, and you can also explore more from The Jaunt.

      Bianca Nemelc, “Sun Catcher” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 inches

      Seonna Hong, “Get Your Bag” (2024), acrylic and oil pastel on raw canvas, 30 x 24 inches

      Genevieve Cohn, “To Hold, To Harbor” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36 inches

      Bianca Nemelc, “Flower in Breeze” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 30 x 24 inches

      Genevieve Cohn, “Exercises in Attention” (2024), acrylic and conté on paper, 30 x 22 inches

      Seonna Hong, “Investigations” (2024), acrylic and oil pastel on raw canvas, 30 x 24 inches

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    • 138 Shares159 Views

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      Fantastic Blooms Entwine with Sculptural Motifs in Mevlana Lipp’s Imagined World

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      “Zenith” (2024), wood, velvet, acrylic color, ink, sand, aluminum stretcher, 45 x 33 x 4 centimeters. All images courtesy of the artist and Capsule Venice, shared with permission

      Fantastic Blooms Entwine with Sculptural Motifs in Mevlana Lipp’s Imagined World

      December 10, 2024

      Art

      Grace Ebert

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      Behind barred motifs evocative of a wrought iron fence, otherworldly flowers are in full bloom, their heads stretching wide and tall while tendrils and leafy vines wind around the open barriers. Rendered in contrasting palettes of jewel tones and pale, muted hues, these uncanny plants are part of the latest body of work by Mevlana Lipp.

      While visiting Venice earlier this year, the Cologne-based artist admired the elaborately patterned fencing that wove its way throughout the historic islands. “As I wandered through the city, I noticed the intricate metal bars on many windows,” he says. “For me, these bars symbolize a barrier between the world I inhabit and the fictional place I long for.”

      “Seven” (2024), wood, velvet, acrylic color, ink, sand, aluminum stretcher, 45 x 33 x 4 centimeters

      Vista is the culmination of this inspiration and presents an electrifying botanical collection. For these pieces, Lipp continues to meld painting and sculpture, as he layers acrylic paint, ink, and sand onto intricately cut wooden panels, which he positions atop velvet. This soft material interacts with the mottled, spotted, and patterned textures of the painted components and bolsters the sense of depth, becoming a vast chasm behind the fantastical florals.

      Compared to his previous works, though, Vista ventures into warmer, brighter color palettes. The artist shares:

      While the dark blue, green, and lilac backgrounds often create a sense of infinite voids, I wanted to explore other imageries as well. Think of an icy cold mist or a red desert stretching endlessly into the distance. I wanted to create works which have a wider array of temperatures.

      Lipp’s interest in expanding his palette dovetails with the symbolic elements of his work. As the artist sees it, plants are metaphors for base instincts and emotion, as they commune with each other and various species without the same social and cultural pressures of humans. Broadening his formal approach offers more room for spontaneity and unrestrained exchanges. “When you walk into the forest, you take a look at all the existing connections, at how things interact with each other without fear,” he says. “Plants don’t run the risk of hurting each other’s feelings.”

      Vista is on view through December 15 at Capsule Venice. Find more from Lipp on Instagram.

      “Cassiopeia” (2024), wood, velvet, acrylic color, ink, sand, aluminum stretcher, 45 x 33 x 4 centimeters

      “Coil” (2024), wood, velvet, acrylic color, ink, sand, aluminum stretcher, 45 x 33 x 4 centimeters

      “Halo” (2024), wood, velvet, acrylic color, ink, sand, aluminum stretcher, 45 x 33 x 4 centimeters

      “Ice” (2024), wood, velvet, acrylic color, ink, sand, aluminum stretcher, 45 x 33 x 4 centimeters

      “Cassiopeia” (2024), wood, velvet, acrylic color, ink, sand, aluminum stretcher, 45 x 33 x 4 centimeters

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