Octopus Chandeliers: I can’t get enough of them! I’ve been so excited to finally see one of artist Adam Wallacavage’s exhibits in person and my dream finally came true this past Saturday when Wallacavage’s current collection, Magic Mountain, opened at Jonathan LeVine Gallery. Oh man, what a treat for the imagination and an amazing visual experience for everyone in attendance!
Magic Mountain features a series of mixed media sculptures and functional art objects as well as the artist’s first limited-edition multiple. In addition to some of his signature octopus tentacle chandeliers, Wallacavage explores new subject matter in this exhibition including jellyfish, sea anemones, cobra snakes and hybrid-sea-creature children.
He also cast some of the vintage toys in his personal collection to experiment with appropriating nostalgic, cute and kitsch imagery. Combining his passion for aquatic themes, 16th Century Baroque traditions, 1940s Americana and a wild imagination, this body of work embodies Wallacavage’s ideal fantasy flea market. The assortment of twisted shapes and brilliant colors results in a surreal experience.
Over a decade ago, Wallacavage first began experimenting with chandeliers in order to create a dining room in his Victorian brownstone inspired by the classic Jules Verne novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. To construct his original octopus chandeliers, he taught himself the traditional techniques of ornamental plastering, which involves casting and hand-sculpting with epoxy clay and resin. In the years since, he has continued to experiment in form, color and technique, developing his own unique glazes, vibrant hues and finishes.
This new body of work marks a transition point in the artist’s career, a master of his craft ready to expand his creative vocabulary in new directions.
Magic Mountain by Adam Wallacavage will be on Exhibit through November 16, 2013 at Jonathan LeVine Gallery, Located at 529 West 20th Street, 9th Floor, in the Chelsea Gallery District.
Pop Surrealism is a genre of painting that never gets tiresome for me. Connecticut based Artist Robert Deyber paints realist-style visual renderings of clichés, euphemisms and popular sayings or phrases, to create surreal, dreamlike tableaus that really take the viewer elsewhere. I love his work.
Club House
Despite his keen sense of humor and the visually absurd, Robert Deyber is a seriously skilled painter. Much like solving Rebus Puzzles, the fun in observing Deyber’s paintings is trying to deduce the title from the images on the canvas. Sometimes it’s really easy and obvious, and at other times quite confounding. You can even make a game of it with your friends!
Fire Arms
Here are some of my favorites from Thursday night’s opening reception, where I had the chance to meet Robert, and he was very nice!
Lion of Coke
Think Tank
Baseball Bat
Chick Magnet
Martin Lawrence Galleries is located at 457 West Broadway (Between Houston and Prince) in Soho, NY.
Talk about a cake that is just too beautiful to cut! Based on the painting Descent by contemporary surrealist Ray Caesar, this amazing cake is the creation of Fire & Icing Bakery. Wow.
Marine experts have given 25 octopuses (octopi?) a Rubik’s Cube each in a study aimed at easing their stress levels in captivity. Scientists believe the intelligent sea creatures have a preferred arm out of eight that they use to feed and investigate with. They are now testing this theory with a month-long observation project in which the octopuses will be given food and toys to play with. Read the full story here.