Great local art at the Vine Arts Center
The current Member Show at the Vine Arts Center reveals the promise and richness of the art scene in Minneapolis, and establishes the Center as a go-to gallery for quality local art. The entire show is an interesting mix of talent and mediums, but the photography, ceramics and collages are the standouts.
Jeremy DePew’s photos of Vietnamese and Thai women are honest and unsentimental. “Vietnamese Woman #2” is a close shot of an elderly woman surrounded by colorful fabrics. The lively colors in the cloths contrast with the neutral, withered skin of the subject’s face, arms and legs, presenting a thoughtful portrait of aging.
Richard Raschio shoots ordinary objects in an extraordinary way. Using a macro lens, Raschio gets up close and captures the patterns in such unlikely subjects as a pile of garbage and a tangle of old hoses. “I walk around with my head down a lot,” Raschio says, always looking for social meaning in human debris and recycled objects. The results are interesting photos of unusual shapes, rich textures and brilliant colors or, in the case of black and white, subtle tones.
Sue Kolstad’s collages create mood through tonal values and form. Most of her collages are abstract landscapes, in which the artist uses broad shapes and nuanced earth colors to evoke the flat surfaces of Midwestern prairies. In “Long Townscape” (see photo) Kolstad shifts her focus to the urban landscape, and portrays the energy and motion—the hustle and bustle—of a busy city through the play of dynamic curves and diagonals against slightly tilted vertical shapes.
Andrea Sepulveda’s photography of graffiti art captures its spontaneity and creativity. Kim Pickering places her painting (pen, ink and watercolor) of broken shells inside a mat cut in the form of a perfect, intact shell, and aptly names the composition “Coming and Going.” Also not-to-be-missed are the fine ceramics of Pratibha Gupta and Rob House.
Delicate colors, a fine linear design, and a Japanese woodblock print effect characterize Chris Sandberg’s series of giclée prints, titled “Transitions.” In “Normandale Garden-Transition,” soft shadows reflect the blues and pinks of the surrounding objects, while a myriad of linear reflections in the pool, pulsating against a strong diagonal in the foreground, gives the scene a dynamic quality. In “Waterfall-Lantern Transition,” subtle lines, rather than traditional modeling, create the forms and planes of the boulders, arranged in a flat design reminiscent of Japanese prints.
Larry Nelson’s “Surf ‘N’ Off Shore” is an innovative photographic collage that the artist calls “Fly Eye” art. Thirty-five photos of sand, surf and sky are arranged in seven rows, with the artist’s feet entering the collage in the five photos along the bottom row. Nelson states on his website that he starts his collages, “feet front and center. Including myself in my work is like anthropologists including themselves in their ethnographical research. They are invitations to stop, look, and listen to life as its happening.” The photos, arranged in columns and rows, give simultaneous views of shifting light conditions and sea colors. The foamy sea in the bottom row jumps off the surface of the photo, and the sandy border eliminates the boundary between picture and frame.
The Vine Arts Center, located in the Ivy Arts Building in Seward, is a collaboration of about 30 artists who share their ideas, as well as the care of the gallery and art store. The Center has a strong commitment to the community and welcomes proposals for solo, group and community shows. Vine Arts artists are planning a group project for 2013—something to watch for! The current Member Show will run through June 23rd.
Minnesota has many exceptional local artists, and this current show is a great opportunity to view some of their works and purchase great local art at reasonable prices.
Vine Arts Center information:
Website: http://www.vineartscenter.com/index.htm
Phone: 612-728-5745
Address: 2637 27th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55406
Gallery Hours
Monday and Thursday: 5:30-7 pm
Saturday: 11am- 5pm
The Vine Arts Center is an art-inspired space. Artist members work cooperatively to unite diverse artists, patrons, and the broader community through our creative presence and events.
Janet Contursi has been a freelance writer for more than 23 years. She writes an art column for Southside Pride and art blogs for the Examiner and TC Daily Planet. Visit her ArtsMinnesota website and follow ArtsMinnesota on Facebook.
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