Gallery and Exhibition Reviews: Raffaello Centro D'arte

Bruno Caruso

 Pan

Renzo Meschis

Da "La Figlia di Lot" Omaggio a Guttuso

(From "The Lot's Daughter" Homage to Guttuso)

Renato Guttuso, Title and Date Unknown 

(Guttuso is not a contemporary artist, but I have included this piece in reference to Meschis' work)

Antonio Navarra

Oil on Canvas, 2009

On an uneventful weeknight in Palermo, I went to visit the Raffaello Centro d'arte (Center for the arts). I love visiting galleries versus museums because you get to see art that is made by local artists for FREE! 


Like most things in Italy, the gallery world and exhibition procedure is different from what I am used to in America. The space was pretty small, nothing larger than a standard American living room. When I walked in there were some paintings hung on the walls, but most of the work was stacked in a corner. The gallery assistant apologized for the confusion and explained that they had just finished exhibiting in another location. As I explained in the Antonello Blandi exhibition review, due to a lack of space in the galleries themselves most exhibitions are held in cultural hotspots around the city.


Finding a gallery between shows is a special treat, because you get to experience the no frills side of the art world. After a quick introduction by the assistant I was left to my own devices to wander through the space.


The work that was hung on the wall was not labeled, there was no special precedence given to any one piece.* It felt like I had just entered an artists studio. The gallery assistant gave me free rein to touch and move the works stacked against the wall and answered every question I had without hesitation and without giving me a sales pitch. She also allowed me to take photographs for the blog. (My apologies, I know they are pretty low quality!) 


Ignoring the couple of prerequisite lithographs by Salvador Dalí and Fernando Botero that seem to exist in every gallery, I was able to focus on the work of Sicilian artists Bruno Caruso, Renato Guttuso, and Meschis, and as well as other Italians, such as Roman artist Navarra.**


Here are a few of their works, if you have any questions about a particular piece you can contact the gallery directly or just email me!

Notes:

* Due to the lack of labels near the work, and the fact that I was not entirely sure the gallery assistant actually worked for the gallery, the paintings featured lack some information. If you really want some information, just email me and I will try to get it for you! 

**Although I do love the work done by Dali and Botero, this blog is focused on featuring  contemporary local artists. Also, I say prerequisite, because in my experience most galleries that focus purely on sales rather than exhibiting their artists seem to have one or two lithographs by a well-known artist hanging around. 

Artist Interview: Tex Jernigan

Messed up Flower, 2006

Hand wrought steel, 18"x6"x6"

Scottsdale Diamond, 2007

Scottsdale, Arizona

Flag of Louisiana, 2009

Kansas City, Missouri

Flag of Iran, 2009

Smithville Lake, Missouri

Name: Tex Jernigan 
Current City: Kansas City 
Hometown: Dallas 
Preferred Medium: Sculpture/Photography 
Education: Kansas City Art Institute 
Website Link: texjernigan.com


Tell me about you work in one sentence:
I design and construct illusions using simple materials as well as the physical world itself, and I then hold events where I invite people within the work and offer to take their picture for free, posting it.


I remember that your early sculptural illusions were made from a lot of steel poles. The image would morph depending on the perspective. How did this interest in optical illusion sculptures grow from this type of object to an interest in flags, an icon that represents not only a people but its government?
I think I started making flags as a way of distancing myself from the illusions I was making with perspective.  I realized that a magic trick isn't really about illusions and magic, it's about the people being tricked.  Without people, without an audience, a magician's trick doesn't exist, it's a vacuum where the magician is the only one involved and he knows how it works, so the trick is nullified.  I guess what I'm saying is that for me, the people became a central focus in my work.  And yes, I want to get Barack Obama inside of the Illinois flag, or better yet, the Chicago flag, it's a doozy.
I don't have a business plan yet. 


What is your favorite forum/method of sharing information about art?
The internet, of course, what other kind of forum is there? 


Your work is selected to show in a gallery or museum in the world, where would you choose?
Pernambuco, Brazil.  It has the most beautiful flag, and it's state capital, Recife, is the Venice of Brazil.


I wondered if you always choose the places you make sculptures for using this selection process, or if cultural/social/political issues ever play a role?
I have a friend who married a girl from Iran, and I created the Iranian flag for their wedding.  The traditional flag was chosen instead of the current flag, which most Iranians don't like, since the traditional flag was their flag for thousands of years, and the new one is less than a decade old.  But when the family showed up, some of them felt that to pose in front of the traditional flag could be an act of treason.  They ended up getting their picture taken, but they asked me not to post it online, so the only picture I posted was Brent (attached).

As a kid, I drew a lot, so it wasn't long before people began to praise my drawings.  I gradually stopped doing it for myself and started doing it for other people, and my artwork became a way for me to connect with people socially, and has continued to, so I'm most aware, now.


The art world right now is experiencing a newfound medium of exchanging information virtually. Do you think that this has affected the relevance of galleries, studios, and museums?
Yes. Let's add the word, "how" in front of "do."
The internet allows anybody to have a voice, so perhaps Galleries and Museums are more relevant, serving as a marker for an artist's success. There's a pretty good documentary by Ben Lewis which counters this argument,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gth8_3msnIk  -- you would like it, it inadvertently explains why Van Gogh was the most famous artist when we were kids. 


Would you rather have your work well known in the art community or well understood in the general population?
I think that the general population is in the process of joining the art community, and I take pleasure in assisting that merge by putting individuals in the spotlight. 


Who are your artistic influences?
James Turrell, Andy Goldsworthy, and Christo


What is it about your work that makes it different from these people and relevant in today’s society?
I added "People" to the mix.


Its 2012 and as the Mayans predicted, the world ends. Every cultural link is destroyed, but luckily there are few survivors. You are among them and are selected to document our cultural past. What artifact/artwork would you choose to record first?
I would continue making my art - it requires nothing but my hands, my eyes, and the world around us. 

In that same train of thought, are you persuaded by people you encounter at all? For instance, if I said that Sicily has a particularly interesting flag, would that spur your interest?

Are you Sicilian?  I would make that flag for you, especially if we did it in Italy.  I'm often inspired by the people I encounter - I have a working visual knowledge of most flags in the world now, so it's a pretty good conversation starter.  Every person in the world has a flag or two that is part of their identity, and it's fun to celebrate it.


In what period of your career did you feel most aware of the needs of your audience, if ever?

Would you prefer to deal through gallery representation or directly with clients, why?

Images from Previous Posts

Hello, for some reason the images from the previous post will not show up, but I have added them here. Hopefully they remain available!