“The bison struck me as moving mountains, impervious to time and elements.”
– Kathie Daulton

"Mountain Goes to Mohammed" by Kathie Daulton, 20x16in, oil on canvas (2017), $400 | BUY NOW — *"Mountain Goes to Mohammed" by Kathie Daulton, 20x16in, oil on canvas (2017), $400 | BUY NOW*

Kathie Daulton believes the purpose of modern representational art is to stop time. Arguably, any static image accomplishes this, but in “Museum Row” the street scene seems frozen, except for one figure allowed a sense of motion, a women in white and purple who might be in a world of her own at this moment, her penetration into the space so intentional as to make the rest of us feel as if we are standing still.

In “Mountain Goes to Muhammad,” the painter confronts the stoic gaze of a nearly immovable object, a massive bison on the American prairie. Time again stands still, but with an underlying tension in anticipation of what the monolithic creature might do next in the sunbaked landscape that was his domain long before humankind encroached.

That quality of immutability carries over into a painting of bicyclists. Intellectually, we know that they are in motion, yet the image arrests them sufficiently to suggest the figures moving slowly, with gravitas, as a herd of bison might move. The swift speed of the scene is downplayed in favor of what Daulton refers to as, “…some less definable essence of a moment.”

"Old Hippies" by Kathie Daulton, 20x16in, oil on canvas (2015), $300 | BUY NOW — *"Old Hippies" by Kathie Daulton, 20x16in, oil on canvas (2015), $300 |* *BUY NOW*

Daulton has studied with local artists Rita Ford Jones, Joyce Sweet Bryant and Cathy Hillegas, and attended workshops with nationally acclaimed artists Judi Betts and John Michael Carter. She is an active member of the Floyd County Crit Club and Madison Art Club. She received a purchase award in the Ohio Valley Regional juried show in 2002, and a first in an annual Floyd County Crit Club show in 2013.

Daulton's work is displayed at Art on Main in Madison, Indiana. She will also be exhibiting with other Floyd County Crit Club members during the month of September at Pearls on Pearl, New Albany.

Hometown: Charlestown, Indiana
Education: Self-Trained
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/At-the-Lake-Painting-278423408862954/

"Big Four Bikes" by Kathie Daulton, 20x16in, oil on canvas (2015), $300 | BUY NOW — *"Big Four Bikes" by Kathie Daulton, 20x16in, oil on canvas (2015), $300 | BUY NOW*

*"Big Four Bikes (detail)" by Kathie Daulton*

"Museum Row" by Kathie Daulton, 16x20in, oil on canvas (2012), $300 | BUY NOW — *"Museum Row" by Kathie Daulton, 16x20in, oil on canvas (2012), $300 | BUY NOW*

Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more. — *Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more.*

Ceramics

Vignette: Amy Chase

Josh Jenkins · September 1, 2017

*"Complacency" by Amy Chase, 9x5.5x5in, Porcelain Cone*

It was recently announced that Amy Chase is one of the recipients of the 2017 Al Smith Fellowship. The prestigious award, named in honor of former arts council chair and Kentucky journalist Al Smith, recognizes professional artists who have reached a high level of achievement in their careers. Since its beginning in 1983, the program has provided more than $2.5 million in funding to artists in the visual arts, literary arts, media arts, composing and choreography. In this round of funding, the fellowships were awarded to artists in the choreography and literary arts disciplines.

Examining a selection of Amy Chase’s work, one gets the sense that a community has been built. The forms are often abstract, but the relationships are clearly drawn, and some of the figures capture very human postures and attitudes. Those figures live on various platforms, so there is always a context of isolation or separation. Sometimes characters are drawn closer, and other times they are widening the distance between them. Often, and most irresistibly, two of them (for they almost always seem to come in pairs) are connected by a slender thread, pulling on their tether in a precarious fashion that creates a delicate tension.

*"Compliance" by Amy Chase, 10x8x10in, Porcelain*

“The surface consists of intricate patterns that are applied using precise silkscreened slip and glazing techniques. These choices in pattern address personal experiences, while at the same time evoking the viewer’s own memories.”

Chase’s artist’s statement makes it explicit that these patterns and textures are drawn from childhood memory, so there is an undeniable element of autobiography in this work. Yet the abstraction puts us at a distance; we are empathetic because the fundamental dynamic at play resonates within our own memory. The anonymity allows us to see ourselves in this nebulous but welcoming community.

*"Enticement" by Amy Chase, 3x4x3in, Porcelain, Underglaze, Luster*

Chase is currently the Design Coordinator for Louisville Visual Art in Louisville, Kentucky. Since residing in Louisville she has also been the Ceramics Instructor and Gallery Director at Spot 5 Art Studio and taught Ceramics at Jefferson Community and Technical College. From 2010–2012 she was the Adjunct Professor of Ceramics at Southeast Missouri State University located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Amy Chase has been awarded the title of ‘Emerging Artist’ by American Style magazine, has been featured in Ceramics Monthly, Clay Times, 500 Ceramic Sculptures and 500 Ceramic Vases. Chase has also has an extensive exhibition record including venues such as: The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; The Clay Studio of Missoula in Missoula, Montana; The Washington Project for the Arts in Washington D.C.; Carbondale Clay Center in Carbondale, Colorado and Lincoln Arts in Lincoln, California.

Hometown: Murray, Kentucky
Education: BFA, Murray State University; MFA, Southern Illinois University
Website: http://amychaseceramics.com

*"Inclination" by Amy Chase, 8x4x3in, Earthenware, Fibers*

*"Solidarity" by Amy Chase, 9x7x4in, Porcelain, Stoneware, Flocking, String, Luster*

"Deciphering Fiction" by Amy Chase,  6x6x6in, Terracotta, Wood, String, Underglaze — *"Deciphering Fiction" by Amy Chase, 6x6x6in, Terracotta, Wood, String, Underglaze*

Special, Photography

Feature: PYRO Relocation

Josh Jenkins · August 30, 2017

From The Firehouse to The Butcher Block: PYRO Gallery On The Move.

It was christened PYRO because it made its first home in a converted firehouse on Hancock Street nestled along Nanny Goat Strut. Yet it has always seemed a good name for an artist’s cooperative: a word suggesting the fire of inspiration but also containing a note of danger. As the members prepare to move into their fourth home at 1006-1004 East Washington Street, they seem poised to rediscover the upstart nature of their beginning.

From the firehouse they relocated to the former Chapman-Friedman Gallery on West Market Street, one of the most beautiful gallery spaces in town, with high ceilings and polished wood floors. The location felt premium, but the traffic didn’t match the mission. Too many tourists carrying miniature bat souvenirs from the nearby Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory and not enough art collectors.

Meanwhile, 10 blocks east on the same street an explosion of restaurants, local retail, and galleries called NuLu was happening, gaining national attention with coverage in the New York Times. PYRO joined in by moving to a space in the 909 East Market building. It was an effective exhibition space, but positioned away from the street in an L-shaped structure, it was hidden from view to passing traffic.

“If we had been one block west it might have made all of the difference,” laughs James “Chip” Norton. Norton has been conducting a tour of the new location, which still needs a lot of work, some of which will take a period of months to complete. As opposed to the idea of a large, single gallery, the new location is actually two adjacent buildings that will house five separate exhibition spaces for PYRO, as well as a home for DE Gallery Boutique, which has shared space with PYRO at 909 East Market. The two will be connected by an addition whose construction is currently underway, the foundation blocks still visible as of this writing. Beyond this is a common outdoor area that the building’s owner, Andy Bleiden, is planning on developing in such a way that it will connect with the businesses on the equivalent block on Main Street, Hi-Five Doughnuts, and Pho Ba Lu.

*"Untitled #1" by Keith Auerbach, archival digital print, 2017*

“This community - which is named Butcher Block - consists of several renovated National Historic homes and is a family of retailers, galleries and restaurants that work together to promote their members,” explains PYRO member Debra Lott. “The Butcher Block businesses will be connected by a green space in the center and we believe it will become a destination for tourists and local customers for a unique, relaxing, shopping experience.”

Despite the broken up space, Norton states, “Once we are finished I think we will have pretty close to the same linear square feet that we had in the previous location, but it will be easier to have multiple exhibits when we choose.” There will also be a full working kitchen, which will help facilitate public events.

PYRO Gallery was founded in 2003 by CJ Pressma, Marilyn Whitesell, Debra Clem, Erin Devine, Susan Gorsen, Michael Brohm, David Modica, Cean Peevey-Rosenthal, Mitch Eckert, Keith Auerbach, and Susan Moffett, who is still a member and very excited about what she sees as potential and possibilities: “Potential in that, this "Butcher Block" area will be a destination once all the development is complete - Butchertown is blooming! And possibilities in that having several smaller galleries will allow us to have more exhibits up by different people, perhaps some guests of PYRO. Not to mention some fun and challenging installation/performance artwork.”

PYRO Gallery’s FINAL show in its current location, 909 E. Market St., is a group exhibit featuring members and several invited guest artists. PYRO Squared, through August 26.

The current membership consists of: Debra Lott, Jeffrey Skinner, Bette Levy, Mike McCarthy, Susan Moffett, Guinever Smith, Bob Lockhart, C J Pressma, James Norton, Claudia Hammer, Corie Neumayer, Nancy Currier, John McCarthy, Keith Auerbach, Beverly Glascock, Shawn Marshall, Julia Davis, Kathy Loomis, Leslie Anglin.

The first show in the new space will be Experimenting with Light by Keith Auerbach. It will run September 7 through October 21, with an opening reception September 7 from 5 to 9pm. The exhibit will be part of the 2017 Louisville Photo Biennial. PYRO will also be open for the First Friday trolley Hop on October 6.

PYRO has a Grand Opening planned for December of 2017 - exact date to be announced.

*"Untitled #3" by Keith Auerbach, archival digital print, 2017*

This Feature article was written by Keith Waits.
In addition to his work at the LVA, Keith is also the Managing Editor of a website, www.Arts-Louisville.com, which covers local visual arts, theatre, and music in Louisville.

Painting

Vignette: Sharon Matisoff

Josh Jenkins · August 16, 2017

*"For the Roses" by Sharon Matisoff, 19x36in, oil on canvas (2017)*

“Painting allows me to transform my perceptions of the world into portraits and figurative compositions.” — Sharon Matisoff

Sharon Matisoff likes to paint portraits, but as an artist in Kentucky, the temptation of thoroughbred horse racing as a subject is inevitable. “Although I’ve always painted people, recently I discovered the joys of equine painting. Now I primarily divide my artistic attention between these two subjects. Horses are poetry in motion and I aim to capture their grace and power when I paint them. It is gratifying to me that my portraiture skills are also useful in portraying the myriad ways in which people interact with horses. I feel as though my life as an artist is just beginning.”

Matisoff has been painting for years, but being newly retirement affords her the time to double down on her studio practice. Her slightly heightened sense of color is grounded in naturalism, and her sensitive observation of detail, which has always been a key element of her portraiture, is put into good use in her behind the scenes images of the world of horses. Her perspective on the racing form of the horse and jockey are adept, but the fact that her sensibility is drawn to the more workaday aspects of the equine world is telling.

*"Catching Up" by Sharon Matisoff, 19x36in, pastel on sanded paper (2017)*

*"Chillin'" by Sharon Matisoff, 27x19in, pastel on sanded paper (2017)*

“I often work in pastel when I’m so inspired that I don’t want to stop and mix colors or stretch a canvas. The desire to paint is so strong that I must immerse myself in a painting all at once. Pastel painting allows me to be fearless with the elements of art in the most lyrical way. Oil painting is a language that I learned later in life, and so demands a more considered approach. With the elaborate preparation that oil painting requires, I work in this medium when I feel very deeply about a subject and pastel is too ephemeral to convey the depth or complexity of the subject. Armed with these media, I feel as though I can interpret the subjects that touch my soul.”

Matisoff will be one of the featured artists in the Fall Equine Show at the Brown Gallery in the Brown Hotel. The show will be on display from September 1, 2017 through January 1, 2018.

Hometown: Oak Park, Michigan
Education: BA in Psychology from California State University-Northridge; Studied art at the Art Center College of Design (Pasadena, California)
Gallery Representation: Jessie's Art Gallery and Custom Framing (Frankfort, KY)
Website: http://www.sharonmatisoff.com/

*"Before the Race" by Sharon Matisoff, 19x36in, pastel on sanded paper (2017)*

*"Wild Blue" by Sharon Matisoff, 24x24in, oil on canvas (2017)*

Mixed Media, Photography

Vignette: C.J. Pressma

Josh Jenkins · July 25, 2017

"Dangerous Passage" by CJ Pressma, quilt - photographic collage printed on cotton and quilted on a long arm machine $1800 | BUY NOW — *"Dangerous Passage" by CJ Pressma,* *quilt - photographic collage printed on cotton and quilted on a long arm machine $1800 | BUY NOW*

It is the hope of the individual artist to make work that speaks to their time, to influence the world around them. C.J. Pressma has done that – maybe enough for several artists, through his personal work, certainly, but also by operating the Center for Photographic Studies - an alternative school of creative photography, in Louisville in the early 1970’s.

When he founded the Center for Photographic Studies in 1970, Pressma’s initiative was part of what can now be seen halcyon period in Louisville’s creative life. Although open only eight years, the Center’s influence is still felt nearly forty years later. Nearly every photographer above a certain age working in this town seems to have spent time studying there, connecting local commercial and artist photographers with national names in the field such as Henry Horenstein, currently a professor at the Rhode Island School of Design.

"Nightmare in the City" by CJ Pressma, quilt - photographic collage printed on cotton and quilted on a long arm machine, $1800 | BUY NOW — *"Nightmare in the City" by CJ Pressma,* *quilt - photographic collage printed on cotton and quilted on a long arm machine, $1800 | BUY NOW*

On his website, Pressma explains: “The Center provided a learning experience for those seeking to explore photography as creative expression. During its existence the center attracted students from over 35 states and foreign countries to its full-time resident program and provided part-time instruction and darkroom access for hundreds of students in the Louisville metropolitan area. Its two galleries provided monthly photographic exhibits featuring the works of local, regional, and internationally acclaimed photographic artists including Ansel Adams and Minor White.”

Pressma’s work can be currently be seen in Altered Perceptions, an LVA Photo-Biennial Exhibit at Metro Hall, which runs July 17 through January 12, 2018. Some of the images we see here are featured in that show, which also includes work from Mitch Eckert and Jenny Zeller. There are certainly many facets to this artist’s work, but here we view pieces from a period when he printed photographic images and digital graphics onto fabric, allowing him to incorporate them into quilts; a non-traditional photographic presentation tied to a form steeped in tradition.

Pressma enjoyed a highly successful career as a multimedia producer and marketing communications specialist. In 1984, his seven part series Witness to the Holocaust, was released in the U.S. and Canada where it remains in distribution today. Witness to the Holocaust is one of the first productions to use survivor interviews as the exclusive content to tell the story of the Holocaust, and has received numerous national awards.

"Beware" by CJ Pressma, $1800 | BUY NOW — *"Beware" by CJ Pressma, $1800 | BUY NOW*

Pressma has been recognized nationally:

1978 - National Endowment Fellowship in Photography.

1997 - American Advertising Federation’s prestigious Silver Medal Award for “outstanding contributions to advertising and furthering the industry’s standards, creative excellence, and responsibility in areas of social concern.”

2001 - Fellowship by the Kentucky Arts Council.

C.J. Pressma is a graduate of Antioch College and holds an MFA. in Photography from Indiana University. He studied as a special graduate student with Minor White at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and with Henry Holmes Smith at Indiana University.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 72
Education: BA, Antioch College; MFA, Indiana University
Gallery Representative: Pyro Gallery (Louisville)
Website: http://cjpressma.com

"Cartoon Weave" by CJ Pressma, 74x76.5in, quilt - photographic collage printed on cotton and quilted on a long arm machine (2008), $1800 | BUY NOW — *"Cartoon Weave" by CJ Pressma, 74x76.5in, quilt - photographic collage printed on cotton and quilted on a long arm machine (2008), $1800 | BUY NOW*

"Cumberland Burial Site" by CJ Pressma, 79x81in, quilt - photographic collage printed on cotton and quilted on a long arm machine (2006), $1800 | BUY NOW — *"Cumberland Burial Site" by CJ Pressma, 79x81in,* *quilt - photographic collage printed on cotton and quilted on a long arm machine (2006), $1800 | BUY NOW*

"Bull & Friends" by CJ Pressma, 72x78in (2008), $1800 | BUY NOW — *"Bull & Friends" by CJ Pressma, 72x78in (2008), $1800 | BUY NOW*

"Secrets" by CJ Pressma, 94x68in, quilt - photographic collage printed on cotton and quilted on a long arm machine (2011), $1800 | BUY NOW — *"Secrets" by CJ Pressma, 94x68in, quilt - photographic collage printed on cotton and quilted on a long arm machine (2011), $1800 | BUY NOW*

"Great Snakes Alive" by CJ Pressma, 88x77.5in, quilt - photographic collage printed on cotton and quilted on a long arm machine (2008), $1800 | BUY NOW — *"Great Snakes Alive" by CJ Pressma,* *88x77.5in,* *quilt - photographic collage printed on cotton and quilted on a long arm machine (2008), $1800 | BUY NOW*

artists

Vignette: Kathie Daulton

“The bison struck me as moving mountains, impervious to time and elements.”– Kathie Daulton