Artebella On The Radio: January 28

Painter Brennen Cabrera & Spoken word/visual artist Lance Newman will be the guests on this week's show. Brennen is showing at Mellwood Art Center & Lance is part of the cast of Romeo & Juliet Louisville 2020 at Actors Theatre. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM, or stream on Artxfm.com Thursdays at 10:00 am to hear Keith Waits speak with artists.

Brennen Cabrera was born December 4th, 1996 in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a mixed media painter, mainly self-taught with little to no formal education or training. His work has been exhibited around the Louisville, KY area, as well as parts of California, New York, and Chicago, IL. His one-person show, “Windows”, will be at Mellwood Art & Entertainment Center’s Pigment Gallery February 5-28.

Lance Newman II, was raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a writer, poet, host, actor, performing, visual, and teaching artist. His experience is the culmination of a 16-year career performing around the country. As a playwright, he helped create plays such as the “Smoketown Poetry Opera,“ ”The Westend Poetry Opera” and “The Blood Always Returns.“ Under the name, SpreadLovEnterprise, he teaches his creative writing and public speaking curriculum in schools, community centers, and service-providing organizations. He co-hosts the largest and longest-running poetry slam in Louisville; created the public art “LITS Project” on 4th st; and has been featured in newspapers, commercials, and the feature film “Frathouse.” Better known as ‘Mr. SpreadLove,’ a local man of worldly talent.

Vignette: Amy Chase

"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

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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