Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2024 i American Art Collector

Welcome to the December issue of American Art Collector! We can’t believe that this issue marks another trip around the sun with you! How did American Art Collector assist your art journey this year? We hope it took you to an event, an art show or a new gallery, introduced you to a few new artists, or led to the discovery of a new favorite genre to add to your collection. If you answered yes to any or all of these questions this is why you subscribe to American Art Collector. Do you want to learn more? Here is how: First, follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We have more than 640,000 followers. You will find an entire community of contemporary art lovers, like yourself, all sharing comments about what…

The latest in contemporary American realism. The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia hosts the first major international tour focused on the work of visionary African-American T artist Mickalene Thomas, who creates elaborate, collage-inspired portraits with rhinestones, acrylic and enamel. Mickalene Thomas: All About Love celebrates Thomas’ distinct artistry through a selection of vivid paintings, collage, photography, video and site-specific installations from the late 2000s to present day. The exhibition will be on view at the Barnes Foundation through January 12, 2025, then moves to the Hayward Gallery in London from February 11 to May 5, and finally travels to Les Abattoirs, Musée–Frac Occitanie Toulouse in Toulouse, France, from June 13 to November 9.…

Currently on view at the National Museum of Women in the Arts is a new solo exhibition of work by Los Angeles-based multidisciplinary artist Suchitra Mattai. Running through January 12, 2025, Suchitra Mattai: Myth from Matter features around 40 mixed media works and large-scale textile installations that explore how memory, myth and visual culture can counter colonial and patriarchal narratives. The artist is known for creating layered textile art by combining richly colored saris, vintage needlepoints, book pages, jewelry, tinsel, bindis, beads and other found objects. This is Mattai’s first major solo museum exhibition on the East Coast and coincides with three other solo presentations taking place across the country.…

Denis Sarazhin’s approach to the human figure has evolved significantly over the years. Earlier in his career, his paintings focused primarily on the human form, expressing various emotions and narratives. “I was fascinated by its form, movement, and the visceral and non-verbal way it could communicate feelings and thoughts,” he says. “My interest was very much about the plasticity of the body and how I could manipulate that form to evoke mood and feelings.” As the artist developed his process and his creative mind, he began to see the body not just as a singular subject, but part of a larger conversation within a complex composition. “The human figure… interacts with a bigger symphony of abstract forms, symbols and figurative objects. This combination has become a part of my visual…

“I see my painted world as a forest, and each painting is showing a small corner of the forest,” says artist Chie Yoshii. “These paintings are just different parts of the same forest in my mind.” Yoshii’s mystical forest is inhabited by women in all of their archetypal perfection as warriors, goddesses, queens, maidens and mythical creatures, their creamy skinned beauty heightened by a saturated jewel-toned palette. Each figure conveys an aspect of the complex and often dualistic qualities of the feminine—ferocity, tenderness, strength, vulnerability, nurturing, innocence and impenetrable mystery. All of these women have an hypnotic effect on the creatures of the natural world, birds, butterflies and beasts. At first Yoshii didn’t know why she was attracted to painting such subject matter. “I knew I was inspired by myth,”…

Artist Jarvis Wilcox was striving to “keep it simple” for his show at George Billis Gallery, on view in Fairfield, Connecticut, through December 21. His 15 new paintings depict an array of still life subject matter, as well as country and beach scenes, in which Wilcox engages the viewer through his expert use of lighting and color. “In these paintings, I have tried to simplify and declutter; to not include the kitchen sink or ‘everything’ I have to say on a subject, but rather make a simple decorative statement,” Wilcox explains. “[It’s about the] appreciation of the subject. While making simple, straight forward paintings, I have been trying to do the same with themes and ideas expressed in my work.” In addition, the artist explains that his method of “decluttering”…

1 RJD Gallery sells painting by Allen Egan after his work appeared in the September issue Allen Egan’s narrative, magical surrealist paintings were featured in the September issue of American Art Collector in advance of an exhibition at RJD Gallery in Romeo, Michigan. “A repeat RJD art collector received their American Art Collector and our E-blast the same week,” says gallery owner Richard J. Demato. “Inside both, they saw the work of Allen Egan and fell in love with The Audience. They jumped on this one! Ironically, this work is the first piece I brought into the gallery from the artist. It was my favorite of his and indicative of his [style].” 2 George Billis Gallery sells works by Missy Savard featured in American Art Collector After a preview of her show at…

Hopefully by the time you are holding this magazine in your hands, the political noise has receded into the background, and we have let out a big collective sigh of relief that the presidential campaign is behind us. It is December, after all, a time when we count our blessings and take stock of all we have to be grateful for—our health, our loved ones, and life’s simple pleasures, like art. Some consider art a luxury but for many of us, and especially the artists who fill our pages, art is a necessity. It is their lifeblood, their livelihood, their means of processing, expressing and connecting. For those of us in the industry, from the gallery owners to the museum curators and the employees of magazines like this, I would…

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of its Indigenous Arts of North America collection in 2025, the Denver Art Museum is launching a year of programming, including solo exhibitions of leading contemporary Indigenous artists Kent Monkman and Andrea Carlson. The 100th anniversary programming will also include an 8,000-square-foot reinstallation of the museum’s permanent Indigenous Arts collection spaces and a scholarly convening reflecting on the last century of collecting, as well as a nod to the future of Indigenous art and the role of museums.…

Art Bridges Foundation is launching the next chapter of the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM) cohort, marking the debut of three original exhibitions across university museums. After a period of collaborative research and development, these exhibitions will showcase an exciting blend of artworks from CAM’s permanent collection alongside pieces from the hosting museums. The first exhibition, Portraying Identity, is currently on view at the Denison Museum at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, and will continue through November. Next, the Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University will launch Pairings: CAM Paintings & KMA Prints on January 17, 2025, and the Art Museum of West Virginia University will present Radiant Pages: The Art of the Book on January 24, 2025.…

To be considered a master, one must demonstrate a high level of expertise, which usually requires many years of experience. Artist Carol Marine is widely known as a master of the modern still life and, through her innovative approach to the genre and the warranted recognition she has achieved, has earned her place in American Art Collector’s Contemporary Masters series. Marine is the author of the popular book Daily Painting: Paint Small and Often to Become a More Creative, Productive, and Successful Artist, has created an online gallery sales platform for artists, and teaches sold-out workshops around the globe. Marine continues to impress the art world with her recognizable style characterized by her brilliant handling of light, values and edge work. The Budding Artist Marine grew up with three…

33PA www.poetsandartists.com ALTAMIRA FINE ART 7038 E. Main Street, Scottdale, AZ 85251 (480) 949-1256 172 Center Street Jackson, WY 83001, (307) 739-4700 www.altamiraart.com BLUE RAIN GALLERY 544 S. Guadalupe Street Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 (505) 954-9902 934 Main Avenue, Unit B Durango, Colorado 81301 (970) 232-2033 www.blueraingallery.com CODA GALLERY 73400 El Paseo, Suite B-1,Palm Desert, CA 92260, (760) 346-4661 www.codagallery.com J LOUIS www.jlouis.co jlouis.is JIMMIE SHEALEY (678) 822-1456 www.shealeyartworks.com shealeyartworks JOHN CUTRUZZOLA Gallery 35, (905) 457-3660 inquiries@gallery35.ca www.gallery35.ca JOSH SORRELL Des Moines, IA info@joshsorrell.com www.joshsorrell.com josh_sorrell LAWRENCE MCADAMS www.lawrencemcadams.com lawrencemcadams1 MICHELE POIRIER MOZZONE poirier.mozzone@gmail.com www.poirier-mozzone.com MicheleMoz NADINE ROBBINS Hudson Valley, NY, (845) 233-0082 nr@nadinerobbinsart.com www.nadinerobbinsart.com nadinerobbinsartist PHOENIX ART MUSEUM 1625 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004, (602) 257-1880 www.phxart.org RYAN GRAFF CONTEMPORARY 804 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA, 94109,…

Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art not only unveils fresh works for its annual Small Works Holiday Group Show in early December, but the Santa Fe-based gallery is also celebrating the show’s 20th anniversary. Gallery owner Deborah Fritz shares that the show has grown and evolved, and has become a cherished tradition for both artists and art lovers alike. This year’s edition features a variety of small masterpieces no larger than 20 by 20 inches, presented by approximately 19 of the gallery’s artists, “offering an intimate glimpse into the creative worlds of our artists,” says Fritz. Find small masterpieces by JC Spock, Mary Alayne Thomas, Bruce Cascia, Kenneth Green, Rebecca Haines, Melinda K. Hall, Sandra Pratt and Peggy McGivern, among many others. Pratt, for example, offers her 20-by-20-inch piece Old Red Barn—showcasing the…

“Color has always been a mystery to me,” says Ukrainian artist Igor Lipskykh. “Perhaps that is why I pay so much attention to it. It seems to me that color is the first thing we perceive when looking at a painting. Therefore, I strive to make it interesting.” Lipskykh’s figurative paintings are a dream-like blend of realism and abstraction, his subjects and backdrops rendered in unexpected yet harmonious hues. “I approach color in my works in different ways,” he continues. “At the beginning, there were experiments in Photoshop, and it was quite a long period, then it all overlapped with experiments with paint and material, markers, sprays, acrylic, oil, collage. All [of these things] complemented each other. It added some new colors and shades to my palette. Usually, at the…

Known for its focus on realist and photorealist painters, Skidmore Contemporary Art has been a go-to gallery for collectors of the genre since its founding in Malibu, California, in 1998. In early 2024, the gallery relocated to Palm Desert, California, bringing its roster of high-caliber artists along with it, 12 of whom will be featured in the upcoming exhibition Fresh Paint. On view December 6 through December 30, the show consists of 24 paintings by artists Brooks Anderson, Alexandra Averbach, Jim Bandsuh, Jay Brockman, Daryl Gortner, Michael Sheets, Doug Shoemaker, Brighton Smith, TR Colletta, Emile Dillon, Nicole Finger and Anne-Marie Kornachuck. Among the diverse artwork on display are classical figurative works like Kornachuck’s oil Blue Tide which provides an aerial view of a woman ensconced in a sea of satiny…

More than 160 international galleries will converge in Miami, Florida, for the 34th edition of Art Miami, showcasing a bold array of paintings, drawings, design, sculpture, video art, photography and prints in an electrifying atmosphere. Running December 3 to 8, the fair features a number of exhibitors from across the United States including Rosenfeld Gallery (Florida), Cavalier Ebanks Galleries (New York), Long-Sharp Gallery (Indiana), Chase Contemporary (California), Laura Rathe Fine Art (Texas), Turner Carroll Gallery (New Mexico) and more. “This year, we’re expanding boundaries, fostering new connections and continuing to celebrate Miami’s rich cultural landscape,” says Nick Kornil off, executive vice president and director of Art Miami Fairs. “It’s a privilege to be part of an art fair that showcases incredible talent and inspires meaningful dialogue within the global art…

Jacqueline Chanda’s art journey began as a child and continued through high school and college. After earning a degree in drawing and painting from the University of California, Los Angeles, Chanda went to Paris, France, to further her art studies at several prestigious academies. After a 28-year career as an academic and arts administrator, Chandra has decided to return to her art and is now a full time artist living in Tucson, Arizona. “I am a representational artist who likes to paint most anything; animals, landscapes, etc.,” says Chanda, “but I am most passionate and inspired by people. I love to create genre paintings—scenes of everyday life portraying ordinary people engaged in common activities.” Chanda derives the subject matter for her paintings from places she has visited and lived. “They…

Beginning February 21, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia, is holding the exhibition Photography’s New Vision: Experiments in Seeing. Bringing together more than 100 works from the museum’s robust photography collection, the exhibition looks at the impact of the New Vision movement, from its origins in the 1920s to all way to present day. Included in the show are “century-old photographs exemplifying themes from the movement along with modern and contemporary images that emphasize how technological and cultural changes in the 20th century influence related photography practices today,” the museum notes. Photography’s New Vision will be on view through July 2025.…

Last year, Michael Shane Neal’s portrait of legendary civil rights attorney Fred Gray was unveiled in Tuskegee, Alabama. The portrait was commissioned by a group of donors, known as the Friends of Fred Gray, who gathered for the presentation at the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center. For the donors, the painting was a realization of a long-held dream, but they had even greater aspirations—hoping the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. would include the portrait in its collection. The mission of the National Portrait Gallery is straightforward: To tell the story of America by portraying the people who shape the nation’s history, development and culture. When the Friends of Fred Gray learned that there was no portrait of attorney Gray in the collection, they knew they had…

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The detail in Emily Copeland’s charcoal drawings is so incredibly high that when she posts her work online, there is a certain skeptical tone from people who aren’t familiar with her astonishing works. Scan through the comments and you’ll see two oft-repeated slights: “This is a photo” or the 2024 equivalent, “This is AI.” Copeland is undeterred, and when she’s not working on a new piece she turns her attention to educating viewers about high-level, ultra-detailed charcoal drawings. “I have to emphasize these are drawings—not photos and certainly not artificial intelligence,” she says. She’s been posting her work on some of the art boards on Reddit, where the playful, eye-rolling snark runs high. “This is a drawing,” she types. The first comment tends to be, “No, this is a photo…

String lights. Tea cups. Ice cream sundaes. Glass-bodied lamps. I assumed that, like many still life artists, Tom Betts chooses the objects for his compositions largely because they challenge his handling of light. But there is nothing random about his subject matter or the dialogue among the components. Each and every element is deeply symbolic; on a highly personal level that is also rooted in an ancient, universal language that can be found in the shape of every letter in our alphabet. But that’s a discussion for another time. Betts works in series that provides a visual map of his evolution as an artist, and represents a phase of cognitive development (his own, and humanity’s more broadly), as his intellectual inquiries takes him deeper into the esoteric. In a grouping…

The origins of the term “history painting” can be traced back to the 17th century when it was first used to describe grand-scale, figuratively complex paintings depicting narrative scenes drawn from classical history, Greek and Roman mythology, and the Bible. In the 18th century, the genre expanded to include subject matter from more recent times. Contemporary artists who draw from this tradition are faced with the challenge of how to create “history paintings” that hold relevance today. A new show at Laguna College of Art + Design’s LCAD Gallery explores this question through the work of Carl Dobsky, Perin Mahler and Benjamin Duke, and their different methods of modernizing a style of art-making that has roots in the early years of the Italian Renaissance. Mahler, who co-curated Alternate History with…

For Miles Johnston’s show of new work, hosted at Harman Projects, collectors won’t find a “total reinvention” of his conceptual, figurative paintings executed in oil and pencil. Instead, he shares that the pieces are the latest snapshots in the slow development of his work—mirroring his own life experience. “I tend to work in a very intuition=driven way,” the artist explains of his process. “I typically don’t sit back and conceptually plan a theme or a subject matter that I want to paint. Instead, I explore through sketching without explicit intention, but always remaining alert for meaningful and emotionally resonant symbolism that emerges.” Johnston adds that his process is very time consuming and labor intensive, “so the barrier for entry for a pencil work or an oil painting is very high,”…

“I am a colorist and this is the initial viewer impact, whether my palette consists of lush, saturated hues or subtle tones playing one color against another,” explains artist Cora Ogden. “I am most interested in creating still life compositions that ignore the picture plane and create a world within the canvas. My work often says, ‘Come, stand here with me and share this fleeting brilliant moment.’” It had been some time since Ogden had come across a bouquet of Oriental lilies stunning enough to paint. “I just had to paint them in a somewhat mystical glowing light, leaving some still wrapped in the florist cellophane, a nod to the real world,” says the artist. “My favorite part is the subtle interplay of light and color in the background as…

Born in Shanghai, China, Christopher Zhang earned a bachelor of fine art degree in China and a master of fine art in the United States. A versatile artist who works across mediums and genres, Zhang specializes in portraiture and landscapes, and primarily works in oil. “I love people, and love to paint them because of the unique beauty of the human body and its soul,” shares Zhang. “Whether they’re construction workers or ballerinas, from nude models in the studio to the musicians in the streets, all become inspiration for my creation.” As a realistic painter, Zhang, like many others, is facing the challenge of the digital camera, Photoshop, and other technology. “What to do?” He asks. “I think that the Old Masters’ influences are very important, but I also try…

Artist Sven paints in his modest studio by the Maumee River, where he finds an endless source of creative inspiration. “Maumee is a true beauty of northwest Ohio,” he says. “She’s crucial to my paintings—her light is essential and her essence eternal!” Sven has sketched, drawn and doodled since his earliest days. Following his father’s warning not to “starve to chase ideals,” he pursued more “practical” degrees, but continued to create art through all of life’s twists and turns. Eventually, those twists and turns worked their way into his paintings. “I try to have five corners to my works: spiritual, meaningful, beautiful, natural and universal,” Sven says. “That pentagram deep down is in all beings.” Sven’s application of oil and his innovative techniques lend a distinctive three-dimensional aesthetic to his…