Tuesday, April 03, 2007

I CATCH UP WITH DAINA & VIV!!

Better great than never! Women's month is really over now, but I want to mention two female comets who passed thru recently and are likely to return soon.
In January at REBECCA IBEL Gallery: An open conversation by DAINA HIGGINS , graffiti art celeb, and JOE HOUSTON,-- yeah, he's a guy,-- the curator of Contemporary Art at the Columbus Museum of Art. Higgins and Houston discussed High and Low art , and Higgins work. In addressing the issue of elitism Houston and Higgins agreed that the artists themselves tend not to be "elitist" but are "democratic." They spoke of Atget and Man Wray, and maybe even Basquiat! (which doesn't rhyme.) The afternoon was a treat. Higgins, once a street artist, has great art school credentials and is formerly of Columbus. She's now a genuine New York (and Brooklyn) artist working with Melissa Meyer who is a major player at Miranova and Rebecca Ibel Galleries here, as well as in the New York area. Higgins' (mostly) monochromatic works at "Rebecca's" had been finely honed in the making ---repeatedly screened, cut out, stenciled, rendered, and never dripped! Small and exacting for silk screen, the "paintings" suggest faded yet incisive photographs. They present viewers with a "take" on urban houses and scapes. --Cool. Poetic.--Go, Daina, go. And come back soon.
Looking spectacular in Kelly green VIVIAN RIPLEY was glimpsed rushing out of the current High Road Gallery show, DAZZLE, which runs thru April. DAZZLE dazzles. Vivian Ripley gets my vote for ART WOMAN. For years she has been teaching painting AND piano, and her students win awards at both. She has earned more than one artist in residency in the state and national park systems. At a recent Trillium soirree she concertized beautifully while presenting a brief history of music, and managed to remain calm under the duress of more than one fire alarm! When she rustled by me at High Road, she whispered something about having "won first place at the Mill Run show"(for painting) and was "on to another gig." Whoosh! All the comets aren't in the sky. FRAN MANGINO, dazzeled at DAZZLE and so did the curator of High Road, CAROL HERSHEY who, herself , moves in a glowing and versatile art orbit. --OKAY. Women's month 2007, is over.--COME HEAR ME READ POETRY AT AREOPAGITICA BOOK STORE, 3510 N. High 7:30 pm April 27.