"Two Folk Musicians In Nature" by Joshua Jenkins, Acrylic & mixed media, 60x72x1.5 in, 2017, $3000 — "Two Folk Musicians In Nature" by Joshua Jenkins, Acrylic & mixed media, 60x72x1.5 in, 2017, $3000

JoshuaJenkins' human forms are distorted and at times can seem like disfigured scribbles of a body. His people previously seen at leisure in the city streets or in the public square, have now moved into the bucolic countryside of open fields and forests. His disruptive and freeform line, an influence from the Expressionist movement and the energy of street artists, illustrates humanity breaking free of the constraints of society – Jenkins’ characters are almost never working. Yet in “People in the Woods” the individuals are caught in a visual pattern of nature. This artist’s fascination with, “the raw textures that plague old cities”, seems to here be supplanted by the organic textures of nature, both welcoming and vaguely sinister.

"A Contemplation Of Nature" by Joshua Jenkins, Acrylic & mixed media, 36x24x1.5in. 2017, $1250 — "A Contemplation Of Nature" by Joshua Jenkins, Acrylic & mixed media, 36x24x1.5in. 2017, $1250

His Artist's Statement includes this declaration: “Art to me is the soul’s communication - a response to experience and life. This theory is what drives me to create, because I feel as though I have to so for my own wellbeing. Like many artists I use art as a source of therapy—coping with day-to-day stresses, romances, my sexuality, my childhood, and my ongoing struggle with institutional religion. However, not all inspiration comes from my life, observing the people around me also inspire me. In some regards I consider myself a voyeur of life. People intrigue me not only on a physical plane, but also on a deeper emotional level. I tend to feed inspiration to myself from the lives and emotional distresses of others. Ultimately, my work is not to create art at the expense of my own or anyone else’s miseries, but rather to shine a light on the commonalities between us all.”

“It has become apparent to me that my approach to art is to try and give a fresh voice to the Fine Arts, pulling influences from past movements and acknowledging trends that are in today’s culture. I must conclude that my art is always evolving and will also stay true to my original drive for creating, which comes from my soul—the inner voice that I have learned over time to never question.”

Jenkins currently has a "Holiday Pop-Up Art Show" at Mellwood Art Center in conjunction with KORE Gallery. The show features some recent works from his one-person exhibit at Lenihan Sotheby’s Summertime along with other works I have done over the years including a few new pieces done over the past couple of months. Jenkins himself will be available in the gallery on weekends. Otherwise people can get access through KORE Gallery during the week.

Mellwood Art Center
#187 (entry off the courtyard)

Tuesday through Friday: 11 AM to 5 PM
(get access through KORE Gallery)

Weekdend Hours:
Saturday, 12 to 4 PM, Sunday, 12 to 4 PM

Hometown: Poughkeepsie, NY
Education: BA in Digital Media with a Minor in Studio Art, Marist College (Poughkeepsie, New York)
Website: http://www.joshjenkins.com
Instagram: joshuajenkinsart/
Gallery Representative: Joshua is self-represented locally, but have works at Revelry & KORE Gallery, New Editions Gallery (Lexington), CAZA Sikes (Cincinnati).

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"People in the Woods" by Joshua Jenkins, Acrylic & mixed media, 48 x 36 x 1.5 in, 2017, $2200 — "People in the Woods" by Joshua Jenkins, Acrylic & mixed media, 48 x 36 x 1.5 in, 2017, $2200

"Untitled Drawing" by Joshua Jenkins, Pastel, Charcoal, and Graphite, 24x18in, 2017 $350 — "Untitled Drawing" by Joshua Jenkins, Pastel, Charcoal, and Graphite, 24x18in, 2017 $350

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Painting

Vignette: Kathie Daulton

Josh Jenkins · September 5, 2017

“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.*

Painting

Vignette: Devan Horton

Josh Jenkins · August 25, 2017

“By questioning and altering our perceptions of beauty, these works open our minds to accept the nontraditional.” – Devan Horton

"Puff Ball Mushrooms" by Devan Horton, 24 x 24in, oil on panel (2017), $800 | BUY NOW — *"Puff Ball Mushrooms" by Devan Horton, 24 x 24in, oil on panel (2017), $800 | BUY NOW*

The closer we look at nature, the more it can seem alien to us. The word mushroom conjures up a simple shape, earthy in texture and pungent in aroma, with little or no color, yet Devan Horton’s paintings present a range of beauty and organic form far away from that cliché.

“Nature has always inspired my work in both concept and form, therefore the majority of my pieces are environmentally centered and are about naturally occurring phenomena and behaviors. With that said, the direction of my work has seen an evolution. Where the focus was once on live subjects such as swarms of animals, insects, and plants in order to portray an active idea, I slowly transitioned into making work about dead matter and elimination.”

Horton refers to her subject here as “dead matter,” yet there is such vibrant life in these images. However inert the reality, the artist’s viewpoint imbues the organic forms with the same living pulse that she explored in her previous work.

"Orange and Blue Mushroom" by Devan Horton, 24 x 24in, oil on panel (2017), $800 | BUY NOW — *"Orange and Blue Mushroom" by Devan Horton, 24 x 24in, oil on panel (2017), $800 | BUY NOW*

"Pink and Green Mushrooms" by Devan Horton, 24 x 24in, oil on panel (2017), $800 | BUY NOW — *"Pink and Green Mushrooms" by Devan Horton, 24 x 24in, oil on panel (2017), $800 | BUY NOW*

“Today, my work discusses themes of rebirth by portraying new life growing from the source of fallen trees. Pulchritudinous is a series of fungi paintings that displays the sheer variety of species and beautiful patterns that hail solely from our local area. Fungus has never been revered for being beautiful, but by taking a closer look at these magnificent recyclers, the viewer is forced to see the intricate patterns and wide spectrum of color that was there all along. Even the word Pulchritudinous is an ugly term at first sight, but quite literally means “something of great physical beauty”. By playing with techniques that make objects appear more attractive, all of my work revolves around a change in perspective by viewing that which we look at negatively in a new light.”

Horton currently has solo exhibition at Perennial Gallery, 625 Madison Ave, Covington, Kentucky, through August 20, 2017

Age: 23
Hometown: Covington, Kentucky
Education: BFA, Painting, Northern Kentucky University, 2016; while in school participated in a study abroad to Rome and Florence Italy.
Website: http://www.devanhorton.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hortondevan/

"Split Gill Mushroom" by Devan Horton, 24 x 24in, oil on panel (2017), $800 | BUY NOW — *"Split Gill Mushroom" by Devan Horton, 24 x 24in, oil on panel (2017), $800 | BUY NOW*

"Turkey Mushroom" by Devan Horton, 24 x 24in, oil on panel (2017), $800 | BUY NOW — *"Turkey Mushroom" by Devan Horton, 24 x 24in, oil on panel (2017), $800 | BUY NOW*

Painting

Vignette: Julio Cesar Rodriguez

Josh Jenkins · August 4, 2017

“I started to find my identity and prominence through artistic creation, and the physical and conceptual relationship between humanity and nature became the starting point.” - Julio Cesar Rodriguez

Julio Cesar Rodriguez is unquestionably a Surrealist painter, his work echoes some of the great masters of the movement, such as Magritte, and in the new images shown here, he still retains the disruption of the human form that is a common characteristic of his previous work, but there is also a simpler, more innocent feeling here. Although the monochromatic images are rendered in acrylic, they have the graphic quality of drawings, and the merging of young girl’s heads with aviary studies are suggestive of an other worldly relationship between the two.

"A" by Julio Cesar Rodriguez, 8x12in, acrylic on canvas (2017), $500 | BUY NOW — *"A" by Julio Cesar Rodriguez, 8x12in, acrylic on canvas (2017), $500 | BUY NOW*

"I describe my work as a mixture of figuration and expressionism with an air of surrealism, where I project my individuality as a creator poetically and philosophically,” says Rodriguez. “I am interested in the connection between man and nature and everything that connects to both. I recreate this in a symbolic way and convert them into a scene with characters in ambiguous situations.”

The fantastical aspect of Rodriguez’ paintings are not removed from autobiography. We have accepted that dreams are always deeply revelatory, and the artist’s imagination becomes a bridge into that alternate world.

“This sample of my most recent work is a philosophical approach to those formal-poetic visions with which I'm reviewing my life. Each work becomes an illusion of alternate reality where I have fun with my unconscious and dialogue with my memories and shared memories in order to build an illusory present.”

*"B" by Julio Cesar Rodriguez, 8x8in, acrylic on canvas (2017)*

“From that I started to find my identity and prominence through artistic creation, and the physical and conceptual relationship between humanity and nature became the starting point. My work is a recreation symbolic of my personal experiences, the reflection of my life - my joys and sorrows, my loneliness and thoughts ...like the seasons of nature. My paintings present my intimate works from silence, where with my own angels struggle to break free from everyday life and thus recreate my passage through this world. My works are the ideal medium for channeling my interiority as creator; windows that open to the world, becoming the exact connection between the viewer and the artist - and in the end, both witness the magic.”

November 5 & 6, Rodriguez will be participating in the 2017 Open Studio Weekend, presented by Louisville Visual Art and the University of Louisville’s Hite Institute for Art.

Age: 40
Hometown: Holguin, Cuba
Education: BFA, Fine Art Academy, Holguin, Cuba
Gallery Representation: Revelry Boutique Gallery
Website: www.juliocesart.com

"G" by Julio Cesar Rodriguez, 8x8in, acrylic on canvas (2017), $400 | BUY NOW — *"G" by Julio Cesar Rodriguez, 8x8in, acrylic on canvas (2017), $400 | BUY NOW*

"E" by Julio Cesar Rodriguez, 8x8in, acrylic on canvas (2017), $400 | BUY NOW — *"E" by Julio Cesar Rodriguez, 8x8in, acrylic on canvas (2017), $400 | BUY NOW*

*"C" by Julio Cesar Rodriguez, 8x8in, acrylic on canvas (2017)*

*"F" by Julio Cesar Rodriguez, 8x8in, acrylic on canvas (2017)*

Photography

Vignette: Julius Friedman (1943-2017)

Josh Jenkins · July 21, 2017

*"Peony" by Julius Friedman, photography*

*Artist, Julius Friedman. Photograph by Sarah Davis.*

Once when Julius Friedman was delivering an informal lecture for Louisville Visual Art, he noted how the cover of his most recent book at the time, “Images & Ideas”, was a shot of the condensation on his shower door, and how he had once waited 2 hours for a car to move off a particularly fascinating oil and water puddle in a parking lot so he could photograph it.

Friedman’s images are characteristically so expertly constructed and expressive of a stringent graphic discipline that the randomness at the root of this anecdote seems surprising, but I think the lesson is that an artist does indeed see the world differently; at all times observing their environment on a fundamentally different level than the average citizen.

Art is communication, so if the ability to share that point-of-view is the most important measure of an artist, then Friedman must be counted as a Modern Master. His commercial work, most notably the posters that made him famous in the 1970’s, are brilliant in capturing the appeal of art in terms so vivid as to command the attention of all levels of society. In effect, he established a brand for the arts in Louisville, designing iconic images for so many important arts organizations: The Speed Museum, Louisville Visual Art, the Louisville Ballet, the Louisville Orchestra…the list goes on and on.

*"Erica de La O 1" by Julius Friedman, 20x30in, photography printed on aluminum (2010)*

He did no less in his personal work, exploring technique on an esoteric level that always translated to fun and fascination for the viewer. He photographed Louisville Ballet dancer Eric De La O exhaustively but never exhausted the subject, producing dozens of potent images over several years. He photographed flowers, a prosaic and common subject that in Friedman’s hands become an astonishing example of his own relationship with nature. The same observation applies to his Becoming Wisteria series, images of model Alli Wiles positioned among the wisteria on his 200-acre farm.

In 2016, Frazier Museum in Louisville hosted a vital retrospective of Friedman’s work, showing more than 200 posters and also incorporating The Book, a project in which he deconstructed a collection of discarded books and which was his last published work. There was also a dazzling installation of color photographs on aluminum that, in and of itself was impressive enough to represent his creative vision, but what most excited the artist was an immersive screening of his most recent film work, flowing, abstract images of water in nature.

It was just water running in a stream – or it was simply peonies, or a painter’s palette, or an old book, but Julius Friedman always made us see the commonplace in a new light.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Website: http://www.imagesol.com

*Nathan Felde, Fred DeSanto, and Julius Friedman (c.1970) outside Images studio. Photographer unknown, courtesy Tad DeSanto.*

*"Untitled #10" by Julius Friedman, 20x30in, photograph printed directly on raw aluminum (2015)*

*Book cover for "Images & Ideas" by Julius Friedman*

*"Fresh Paint" by Julius Friedman, photography*

*Artist, Julius Friedman. Photo courtesy of John Nation.*

nature

Vignette: Joshua Jenkins

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Vignette: Kathie Daulton

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

Vignette: Devan Horton

“By questioning and altering our perceptions of beauty, these works open our minds to accept the nontraditional.” – Devan Horton

Vignette: Julio Cesar Rodriguez

“I started to find my identity and prominence through artistic creation, and the physical and conceptual relationship between humanity and nature became the starting point.” - Julio Cesar Rodriguez

Vignette: Julius Friedman (1943-2017)

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