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pril 25, 2014

The Tenth Annual Mary Liz Memorial Masters Exhibition

Russell Brodie Tecu’Mish Munha’Ke Jon Laidacker

Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank ’ sNE Corner, 13th & Pine @OTWDirtyFranksfacebook.com/OTWDirtyFranks

Looking AheadApril 27 ‒ May 30 From the Collection of Jay McConnell Opens Thursday, May 1, 7‒10 pm

Thursday, May 8 Submission Deadline for 11:59 pm Ninth Annual Community Juried Show

June 1 ‒ August 1 Ninth Annual Community Juried Show Opens Thursday, June 5, 7‒10 pm

August 3 ‒ 2014 Midsummer Show September 19 Opens Thursday, August 7, 7‒10 pm

September 21 ‒ 2014 Autumn Invitational November 21 Opens Thursday, September 25, 7‒10 pm

Sunday, October 12 Sunday with the Masters 2013 Mary Liz Fellow Robert Bohné é and ’14 Fellows Russell Brodie and Jon Laidacker

Thursday, October 30 Submission Deadline for 11:59 pm Tenth Annual Juried Exhibition

November 23 ‒ Tenth Annual Juried Exhibition December 27 Opens Thursday, December 4, 7‒10 pm

December 28 ‒ New Year’s/Mummers Break January 9, 2015

on the cover, from top, left to right: Russell Brodie’s “Schuylkill River,” “Jaipur Clock Tower,” Tecu’Mish Munha’Ke’s “Road Trip,” Jon Laidacker’s “Bud Light,” “Portrait of a Special,” “A Special,” “Figure Study” (seated), Russell Brodie’s “45th Street.”

All Off the Wall shows are special̶created by passionate artists, fi lled with inspiring art and compelling points of view. But it’s impossible to love every child precisely the same. The show that often comes fi rst is the Mary Liz Memorial Masters Exhibition.

On the face of it, MLMME is about artists and their journeys. A common trajectory for a given Mary Liz Fellow is to have shown here years ago̶perhaps early in a career̶and to return with more than a few laurels and a deepened, matured talent. The 24 artists who have held this highest honor over the fi rst decade are a Who’s Who of our 35-year history.

These shows also remind us of Off the Wall’s journey: it’s about a tenacious, visionary woman who drove this pioneering alternative gallery forward̶helping our unpretentious space aspire to be a leading venue for established and emerging artists alike.

Mary Liz is likewise an important part of MLMME10. But there is a key diff erence this year. To date, almost every Fellow has been one of Mary Liz’s many colleagues, mainstay artists or discoveries. This year we welcome three artists whose fi rst Off the Wall shows came after her passing in October 2004. Each took a diff erent path here, refl ecting how we continuously grow our community.

Our fi rst juried exhibition in 2005 was a work in progress, to be sure. But we’ll never forget that it introduced us to one of the most gifted painters̶at the most intimate scale̶Russell Brodie.

Off the Wall’s connections to the Mural Arts Program began under Mary Liz, but when MAP artist Jon Laidacker debuted here fi ve springs ago, his frank, unvarnished portrayals of Philadelphia life turned heads. Jon returns with a body of ‘iArt’ that ushers in a new medium, still grounded in the sure hand of an exceptional painter.

Our friends and frequent collaborators at The Plastic Club provide a great venue for discovering fresh talent. Tecu’Mish Munha’Ke has proven to be just that̶with witty, inspired assemblages plucked from the past.

We are thrilled to open this new chapter of a tradition that has won a place in many of your hearts. Thank you for helping us turn the page.

Jody Sweitzer Togo TravaliaCurator Manager

Tradition &Transition

Our Mary Liz FellowsWe’re proud to welcome Russell, Jon and Tecu’Mish, who join 21 previous Mary Liz Fellows as some of the most talented and prolifi c artists to have graced our Wall. Sadly, last month this family lost a member when Jack Thompson passed away. To learn more about his amazing life, read Jack’s obituary in the Daily News: bit.ly/NR2ezK. And if you want to see Jack’s work̶beyond what’s below and his portrait by 2009 Fellow Bob Arufo̶just look to the right of where you’re standing. Yes, in its fi fth decade of watching over the bar, that is Jack’s reproduction of a detail from a W.A. Bouguereau painting.

20052005Ellen Powell-TiberinoEllen Powell-TiberinoJerome RobinsonJerome Robinson

20062006Clark DeLeonClark DeLeonJim FerrellJim FerrellBob JacksonBob Jackson

20072007Raphael TiberinoRaphael TiberinoWayne W. Urff erWayne W. Urff er

20082008Huston RipleyHuston RipleyJesse VandenburghJesse VandenburghRob WillisRob Willis

20092009Bob ArufoBob ArufoBob JacksonBob Jackson

20102010David GuinnDavid GuinnJim Montgomery Jim Montgomery

top and bottom: Jack Thompson’s “The Writing Hand of Dr. Samuel Johnson” and “John T. Thompson”; center: Bob Arufo’s “Jack.”

20112011Michael GuinnMichael GuinnAlice Meyer-WallaceAlice Meyer-WallaceJack ThompsonJack Thompson

20122012Phil SumpterPhil SumpterMarlise M. TkaczukMarlise M. TkaczukRick WrightRick Wright

20132013Robert BohnéRobert BohnéMatthew GreenMatthew GreenJim MontgomeryJim Montgomery

20142014Russell BrodieRussell BrodieJon LaidackerJon LaidackerTecu’Mish Munha’KeTecu’Mish Munha’Ke

Russell BrodieI am inspired by the idea of paintings as objects, which leave a record of our time on Earth. Paintings bring physical form to our thoughts and feelings. They represent the past and manifest a vision for the future.

For the past fi ve years, architecture and sunlight have been the primary subjects of my work. Buildings that speak to a specifi city of place have been a strong focus̶particularly buildings in West Philly (where I live and work), as well as places in India (where friends hosted me for a month). I have also begun work on a series of paintings of places across the United States, created from photos taken while touring as a musician in the band Grandchildren.

I’ve been painting in oils for the past 20 years, and it’s never come easily. I think this challenge is what keeps me engaged in the medium. I’ve never really felt that I had a natural ability for painting or drawing; rather, I have been inspired by the astounding things I’ve seen other people create using oil paint. I was very fortunate to be exposed to a wide array of arts and culture as a child, and the paintings of Vermeer, Monet and Hopper all made a strong impact on me when I fi rst began to practice art seriously.

Above all, I am inspired by my loved ones. I dedicate this show to the loving memory of my grandmother, Daphne Molly Crossley (1918-2014).

It’s an honor to be included in the Tenth Annual Mary Liz Memorial Masters Exhibition. Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s has been one of the biggest supporters of my work, and I’m a huge fan of everything Togo and Jody do here. Thanks for taking the time to check out some of my work.

“National Mall”

The following 21 paintings, mainly on the left side of the Wall, are all oil on panel:

“45th Street”300.

“Amer Fort”200.

“Baltimore Ave. #1”350.

“Baltimore Ave. #2”250.

“Central Palace in Light”250.

“Central Palace in Shadow”250.

“Independence Hall”150.

“Jaipur Clock Tower”200.

“Jantar Mantar”250.

“Karbala Masjid”100.

“King’s Tomb #4”250.

“King’s Tomb #5”250.

“Man Sagar Lake”200.

“Minnesota”250.

“New Delhi Patio”250.

“Oakland”250.

“Rambagh Palace Fountain”150.

“San Francisco”250.

“San Francisco City Hall”250.

“Schuylkill River”250.

“University of Pennsylvania”200.

above: “Baltimore Ave, #1”; right: “Jantar Mantar.”

Above all, I am inspired by my loved ones. I dedicate this show to the loving memory of my grandmother, Daphne Molly Crossley (1918-2014).”

“

clockwise from top: “45th Street,” “Man Sagar Lake,” “New Delhi Patio.”

Visit Russell online: russellbrodie.com

The following 12 paintings, mainly on the post, are all oil on paper, mounted on panel:

“48th Street #1”75.

“48th Street #2”75.

“Baltimore Ave. #3”60.

“Baltimore Ave. #4”60.

“Baltimore Ave. #5”75.

“Bethesda”100.

“Casey, Iowa”75.

“Dock St. Roof”50.

“National Mall”75.

“St. Francis de Sales #1”75.

“St. Francis de Sales #2”75.

“Springfi eld Ave.”75.

clockwise from top: “Casey, Iowa,” “48th Street #1,” “Oakland”

Jon LaidackerI wouldn’t by any means consider myself technologically savvy, but I’ve always been intrigued by what technology can do and how quickly it evolves. That said, I had never incorporated it in my practice as an artist. Like most academically trained painters, I considered technology a territory that should remain largely separate from the act of painting.

Two things made me reconsider. First̶and I promise this isn’t intended to be an Apple commercial̶I got an iPhone in 2012. This was my fi rst smart device. I spent hours at a stretch playing with it and searching on the App Store to see what this tiny plastic and glass rectangle was capable of. I had already come across a number of drawing apps, such as Brushes and Sketchbook Pro, but so far had only used them to jot down quick thumbnails and concepts̶essentially making my iPhone into a tiny electronic sketchbook.

After a few months of iPhone sketching, an artist friend of mine, Thomas Walton, showed me of a series of iPhone and iPad paintings by British artist David Hockney. It piqued my interest in this new medium. I was paying attention to a number of animators and illustrators using their devices to create work, but seeing Hockney’s digital paintings motivated me to take this medium more seriously.

For the last year and a half, I have been working digitally and have been pleased and surprised at how easily working on my devices has fi t into a studio practice. The software is so intuitive and the hardware so advanced that at times I have to remind myself that I am indeed working on an electronic screen.

“Bud Light”

All of Jon’s work are limited editions of 20, with multiple prints available:

“Bud Light”ArtRage app on iPhone60. framed / 40. unframed

“Couple of Specials”ArtRage app on iPhone100. framed / 75. unframed

“On Tap”Brushes app on iPhone60. framed / 40. unframed

“One”ArtRage app on iPhone60. framed / 40. unframed

“Portrait of a Special”Brushes app on iPhone60. framed / 40. unframed

“Shelf of Shame”Brushes app on iPhone60. framed / 40. unframed

“A Special”ArtRage app on iPhone100. framed / 75. unframed

“Three”ArtRage app on iPhone60. framed / 40. unframed

“Two”ArtRage app on iPhone60. framed / 40. unframed

clockwise from top: “Two,” “Shelf of Shame” and “Couple of Specials”

I was paying attention to a number of animators and illustrators using their devices to create work, but seeing Hockney’s digital paintings motivated me to take this medium more seriously.”

“

Visit Jon online: jonathanlaidacker.comAnd follow Jon at:facebook.com/jonlaidacker

above and right: “Figure Study” (seated and standing)

All of Jon’s work are limited editions of 20, with multiple prints available: “Figure Study” (seated)ArtRage app on iPad150. framed / 100. unframed

“Figure Study” (standing)ArtRage app on iPad150. framed / 100. unframed

“Studio Chair”Procreate app on iPad250. framed / 180. unframed

“Studio Chair with Brad”Procreate app on iPad350. framed / 280. unframed

“Studio Chair with Heather”Procreate app on iPad350. framed / 280. unframed

“Studio Chair with Molly”Procreate app on iPad350. framed / 280. unframed

clockwise from top: “Studio Chair with Molly,” “Studio Chair with Brad,” “Portrait of a Special.”

Tecu’Mish Munha’KeFourteen years ago̶when my world, as I knew it, ended because of a disabling chronic illness̶never did I imagine this opportunity. I am so thrilled and honored to have been named a Mary Liz Fellow and to show my artwork at Off the Wall with such accomplished artists.

I started making art to save my life. I no longer had a job with suffi cient income to stay in my condo in Chelsea, Massachusetts (across the harbor from Boston), and moved to a small town north of Philly, with no car, friends or close family. I fi gured now I had the time to try the things I had always wanted to do.

Thank goodness Al Gore “invented” the internet! Through it, I started exploring my creativity. I bought and taught myself Mosaic, the web browser, joined online Yahoo Art groups, and exchanged artist trading cards and altered books.

It was when I tried assemblage art using found objects that my true passion came alive! Being a magpie at heart anyway, I now had a real excuse to take these throw-aways and turn them into something new and hopefully wonderful. I was hooked̶no looking back. I started showing my artwork through the local art group here and then I got up the nerve to enter juried shows. Getting rejected was a little hard, especially if I had paid an application fee. (continued on the next page)

“Eye of the Beholder”

Mary Liz, I hope some pieces bring you a smile. Many thanks for your vision and hard work.”

“

Then one magical day in 2011, everything changed. At the time, I had a piece on display at The Plastic Club that a lot of people enjoyed. He was a found-object doggie, and I did for him what I would do for myself: I made him well endowed. My phone rang and a pleasant young woman introduced herself as Jody Sweitzer. Oh my goodness, I nearly fell off the couch̶a gallery curator was calling me! She had seen my artwork, and would I be interested, she asked, in showing at Off the Wall? I could barely contain myself. It was such a fantastic show, so well orchestrated, and Jody and Togo and all the people at Dirty Frank’s made it such a wonderful experience. I feel so blessed.

That great experience and a road trip to Ames, Iowa, for my dad’s 60th high school reunion is what has inspired my art for this show. I hope you enjoy it.

“The Traveler”

All of Tecu’Mish’s artwork are found object assemblages:

“Eye of the Beholder”150.

“Heavenly Hostess: Gertie”125.

“Heavenly Hostess: Imogene”150.

“OohRah”175.

“Phillies”175.

“Road Trip”200.

“Sam I Am”200.

“The Traveler”1600.above: “Phillies,” “Sam I

Am”; below: “OohRah,” “Road Trip”

ALL ART IS SUBJECTIVE.ALL ART IS SUBJECTIVE. Show us a newShow us a new form of art—as you define ‘art.’ CHANGEform of art—as you defi ne ‘art.’ CHANGE PERSPECTIVES. Look at objects & conceptsPERSPECTIVES. Look at objects & concepts with new eyes. Entries can be SOMETHINGwith new eyes. Entries can be SOMETHING YOU CREATEYOU CREATE OROR SOMETHING YOU FIND. No SOMETHING YOU FIND. No digital works or photography. And you mustdigital works or photography. And you must tell the jury WHY this is art in two sentences.tell the jury WHY this is art in two sentences.

call for entries

off thewallgallery

entryguidelines

BUT ISIS ITIT A RT ?

COMMU N I T YJURIEDS H O W v.9.0 6.01– 8.01.14WHAT:WHAT: Up to 5 works, original or found; all entries must be under 48 inches in combined dimensions (H+W+D)

HOW:HOW: Email high-quality jpegs (under 500K); titles, sizes, media, prices and contact info; and a two-sentence statement to offthewallgallery@gmail.comWHEN:WHEN: No later than Thursday, May 8HOW MUCH:HOW MUCH: It costs nothing to enter!

AT DIRTY FRANK’S facebook.com/OTWDirtyFranks