Art is for Everyone

Gin Feldman's "Voodoo Dolls"

Centuries ago Western culture dictated that Art was unobtainable or beyond the reach and/or understanding of the majority of the population.  This myth should have been put to rest by the Impressionists as they gave rise to a wealth of new art being created both in America and in Europe.  Yet a hundred years later the remnants of that oppressive way of thinking still rears its ugly head in today’s art market.  Be it Paris, London or Louisville one is still confronted with a centuries old bias.  Art, regardless of genre (music, film, painting, etc.) exists independently of anyone’s financial status or education.  Art is as individual as the people who create it and support it.   

Most working artists take the time to create pieces that can be purchased by people of all statuses.  The reason for this is simple; they feel (just as we at the gallery feel) that art is for everyone.  A true artist creates for the sake of sharing, not necessarily for the sake of financial gain.  While every artist is happy when a more expensive piece sells it is usually because that added income ensures that they will be able to continue working at their craft. The real joy comes from knowing that the piece made such an impression to the buyer that it moved them to make the purchase.  Hence, art makes the connection for which it was intended. This being said, we like to encourage you to visit your local art galleries and refuse to be intimidated by old ideology and recognize how obtainable these connections actually are.

We at Tim Faulkner Gallery have dozens of pieces all priced under $80.00 that are well worth their asking price.  This is not discounted art!  These are works of art by important artists who have embraced the desires of the public to share in their visions.  We don’t carry “affordable art” here; we leave that to galleries located in shopping malls across the United States.  We carry art for everyone, nothing cryptic, and only intimidating in quality.  Own a piece and you can enjoy it for decades to come.

Hope to see you soon!

All the Best,

Tim & Margaret         

WWBFD (What Would Benjamin Franklin Do?)

WWBFD

By: Margaret Archambault Spivey



During a recent trolley hop at Tim Faulkner Gallery, I overheard a man saying that, “Art is nothing more than money” and that the defining parameter between "Professional Artist" and “Amateur Artist” is "Are you being paid the big bucks? If not, then you’re not much of an artist."  These ridiculous comments were then followed by a deep and hearty laugh of ignorant confidence.  Not only were these statements inaccurate, broad generalizations, but this warped mentality began to concern me when I considered that there may be others with this blatantly foolish viewpoint.  This sort of thinking falls into the same category of those artists who say that they “don’t care” if they sell their art, they just do it for themselves.  It’s shocking that anyone would actually have such a contorted opinion about art and have decided the subject needs attention; just in case this is an indication of a more widespread view threatening to emerge.

First, let’s look at the misguided individual who believes money makes the artist. Why care about these labels?  Not only are they inconsequential, but it’s not always the case.  I know many very talented and serious artists who are not rolling in cash.  Does this mean that they are amateurs?  Hardly.  The distinction between the two has little to do with money and neither is significant, unless of course you have a narrow view about what it is that art and artists really are.  An artist creates, regardless of whether or not you like it, whether or not they make any money from it, or if they are recognized as a quote “Professional”. All art is NOT producing vast sums of cash; in fact most art produces nothing to very little cash.  When you consider that there are hundreds of thousands of artists worldwide creating pieces that never see the inside of a gallery you have to wonder why are they doing this?. Why are they sticking with these non-lucrative artistic endeavors?  Maybe it’s because art is much more than money.  When we focus on the monetary aspects of art that is been produced today, alongside pieces from the past that bring astronomical prices at New York auction houses, or from high paid commission work, we confuse our ability to see clearly. 

Because, the extraordinary prices that some, if not most, of the artwork from the past brings, we cannot compare them with work being produced today.  Work from the past needs it’s own category of consideration.  When we see the money these pieces bring at high dollar auctions, we need to recognize that it isn’t just the artwork itself that garners these bids. These pieces have a special intrinsic value due to their age, their historical context, their condition (especially pieces made before 1900), and of their subject, medium, etc.  I worked in the antiques business for more than thirteen years and couldn’t help but develop an appreciation for early works of art.  Consider this: If I paint a basket of strawberries spilling out onto a simple wooden table it might be attractive, but it won’t be nearly as well received as the c.1850’s oil painting depicting a basket of strawberries spilling onto the table.  The value is intrinsic.  Is that some horrible conspiracy?  I think not.  I think it’s as simple as having an appreciation for antiquity and its inherent connection to supply and demand.   

It is also important to reiterate and explore the point about making money off the work an artist produces.  Maybe I’ll be a bit more blunt.  Any artist who pretends to not harbor a desire, or fantasy, or dream, no matter how fleeting or inconsequential, to someday make money or to be recognized as a talented or desirable artist is a liar.  Sorry folks.  Let me clarify that I don’t mean to imply that all artists are only working only FOR money, because that is obviously an inaccurate statement.  What I am saying though, is that we all want our work to be appreciated as much as we ourselves appreciate it.  If we are fortunate enough to actually make money off of our work then GREAT!  What the hell’s wrong with that?  Damn, I hate the all-virtuous, loner; pay no attention to me, façade that so many people adopt.  If this idea of introversion were accurate than the photo pools of online art groups would be completely empty.  I also know this to be true because I spent a good nine or so years claiming that I didn’t care what people thought about my work because I was only doing it for myself.  Granted there is a certain degree of truth to this statement, in that it is not always my goal to please others with the work I produce, but it is equally true that my former subconscious fear of rejection was a powerful tool that prevented me from bringing my work out into the open.  Once I received positive responses which landed me representation with an important gallery, I recognized the power that our fears, conscious or not, have over us.  I’m making money from my work, not much, I surely won’t buy an island or anything, but damn it feels good to know that someone I don’t know personally pulled out their checkbook and bought a piece of my interpretation of life.  Pardon me if I don’t see the negative attachment to this concept.          

Every artist, even the ones making money are trying to express something, or at the very least relieve some creative aspect of their personality.  If you’re an artist and pour your passion into your work, heart, body, soul, and so on, and you become recognized for this, then that becomes just another aspect of your work. I say Congratulations!  If you are a misguided individual who thinks that Art is about money and the only “Professional” artist is a well paid one, then I challenge you to expand your apparently narrow corner of the world to explore galleries and events where art happens every day.  Art is about truth and the truth here is that it has nothing to do with money.  Benjamin Franklin who adorns the front of our hundred dollar bill spent the majority of his artistic life struggling for his passion and look where that got him.                     

News on the New- by Tim Faulkner

Here at Tim Faulkner Gallery we have always emphasized the importance of promoting local art. Anyone who has been in the gallery knows that the bulk of the wall space here is filled with the best this city has to offer. That being said however, I would like to take the time to introduce you to some of the amazing names that have joined the gallery from around the country. We at the gallery are proud to inject the local art market with work by Don Luper ( Sedalia MO),  Rachel Meuler ( New York NY),  Gary Chapman (Birmingham AL),  and Coby Cox (Lafayette LA)

Don Luper began his formal training at State Fair Community College in Sedalia MO. He completed his BFA at the Kansas City Art Institute, and went on to the University of Missouri to obtain his MFA. After graduate school, he returned to Sedalia as an instructor at State Fair Community College where he continues to work today.

Don’s near life-size drawings are jaw dropping! These pieces are charcoal on paper and they simply dominate a room. The viewers eye is drawn to them instantly and you can clearly see the thought process as it happens; “Is that a drawing?” …Why, yes it is! 

Don Luper "Mexican Skirt" 40x60inces

Gary Chapman has spent the last 18 years teaching Painting and Drawing at all levels at The University Of Alabama at Birmingham. His resume is so impressive it hurts! Gary has over 40 solo exhibits to his credit all over the United Sates as well as showing extensively in Europe. He has received numerous grants and fellowships for his work including a 1996 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Painting from the Southern Arts Federation and a 2002 and 1994 Individual Artist Fellowships from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. His work has been reviewed extensively and is published in over 20 catalogs and books including the # 3, 16, and 52 Editions of New American Paintings. His work has been purchased for the collections of the Birmingham, Huntsville, Jule Collins Smith, Mobile, Montgomery, Wiregrass, Meridian, University of Mississippi Museum, FSU, and Ogden Museums of art as well as many corporate and private collections throughout the country.

We are VERY fortunate to have 3 pieces here at the gallery and we will have more work from Gary in the near future!



Gary Chapman "Flyboy" 31x43 inches

 

Rachel Meuler is a multidisciplinary artist working with drawing and painting as well as sculpture and installation art. She received her MFA in Sculpture from SUNY Purchase in 2001 and has been living in New York City ever since. Her work has been featured in many galleries in New York, and Boston, as well as Berlin, and Sienna, Italy.

                                                          

Rachel stretches paper over canvas frames and creates these wonderfully absurd morphed characters using gouache. The result is almost like documentation that might have been discovered in the notes of H.G. Wells “The Island of Dr. Moreau”. The work has also been published in several publications in the New York area. These are great pieces that are already getting an enormous amount of attention.

Rachel Meuler "Running Buckskull" 8x8 inches

Coby Cox  is a painter currently living in Lafayette,LA, A few years ago local painter Damon Thompson gave me a book for my birthday called “ Constance-A Collection of 40 New Orleans Artists”. It documents the aftermath of Katrina and where some of the cities more prominent artists ended up after the hurricane. Several months ago Margaret (my gallery director) and I were looking through this book and found Coby’s work. On a whim we contacted Coby and now we have 4 of his drawings on display in various places here at the gallery. Coby’s drawings are fantastic examples of masterful mark making. They are simple and to the point, as well as eye-catching and humorous.  They are works that get that 2^nd and 3^rd look because they deserve it.

Coby Cox Untitled

What we find especially impressive about the new additions to the space is that while so many people complain about the local market and express a desire to leave it (and that’s the same wherever you go), its talent like the above artists that want to be included in the Louisville art scene.

All the Best!

   

Lisa Austin's "The Art of Seduction"

Artist Reception: March 10th from 6-10pm

Tim Faulkner Gallery

Don't miss David Modica's "Veneration"

Tony Perez - The Last Interview by Tim Faulkner

Tony Perez "The Mummy" on vintage vinyl

On December 21st Tony Perez passed away leaving an indelible footprint not only here at home, but in the art world everywhere. Tony and I had been working on an interview and article for Louisville Bricks, but had decided to postpone it until after the holidays. The reason for this was that Tony was formulating a new body of work and we wanted to be able to discuss that as well. We just assumed that there would be time soon after the new year was underway.  As I was putting this together, I was re-reading emails and I ran across something that Tony had sent to me recently and it made me very sad.

He said "Don't let the grass grow under your feet, but it is nice to slow down and smell the roses, something I should do more often."

I know we shall all miss seeing him in the gallery for a very long time. I still expect to turn and see that quirky, Spanish born Englishman walk upstairs and say "Do you guys wanna see what I have in my car?"

    




Q.  How did you end up in the States?
A.  I met a Kentucky girl in London and after a few years of dating back and forth we thought we may as well get married and move here.

Q.  Have you all ways been in to street art?
A.  My interest has all ways been in art out side the gallery walls. Be it in an ally, a train or a hot rod. My interests range from modern design to a love of vintage Americana, knowing that below the dimly lit street light there has always been an underbelly of speakeasy's and teenage delinquents, that make life more interesting. Pop culture in all its glory.

Q.  Is there a big contrast between European and

American street

art?
A.  What I see is that there is more interest in art in general in Europe and street art has all ways been very popular and adventurous. I have been asked to participate in more festivals and shows in Europe and have sold more pieces there than here. Almost a 3 to 1 ratio.

Q. Where are you showing?
A.  Here in Louisville it's an honor to be at the Tim Faulkner Gallery.  I was just in a show in Sacramento CA. and will be showing in Seattle next month. They have chosen to use one of my pieces as the event poster, which is always great encouragement that I am doing something right. In Europe I have just come off a show in Italy, and a festival in Bogota, Colombia earlier this year. I have paste-ups in France, Germany and Cuba right now. I also have representation in Spain and have just sold 5 pieces there. Europe as a whole has a lot more festivals and shows when it comes to street art.

Q. How did you get to do shows outside the States?
A. 99% of them are by invite. I display my work on Facebook and Flickr on the Internet  and have had a great response.

Q. Tell us a little about your work and the process?
A.  These paintings are stencils taken to the extreme. Any were from 9 to 16 layers.
The process starts with photoshop were the picture is posterized and then hand separated without the use of filters.  Once done it is all hand cut, taking up to 60, 80+ hours on some pieces. the detail in each layer is intense. All the bridges and islands are directly worked out in the cutting, so it's constant thinking and planing while cutting. The backgrounds are also made up of several stencils and free hand spraying or painting. The backgrounds on my newer pieces are usually made up using multiple layers of vintage newsprint or magazines. Depth and color are my main objective in each piece. My subject mater ranges from vintage horror and movie stars to homeless people and kustom kulture . I am working on my photographic skills as I would like to do pieces based on my own photos. Because of the long process that goes in to each piece I am usually working on 2 or 3 pieces at a time. I have several piece ready to cut if only I could find the time.

Q. we hear that you also do pinstriping
A. Yes. I have been doing traditional pinstriping for a long time now and try to incorporate it in to some of my more kulture piece. the hot rod pieces on skate boards, old car parts and tool boxes. Pinstriping and stencils seem to be opposites art forms but for me they fit and are a great complement to each other. I love painting on non traditional medium and they both allow me to do so.

Q. Were would you like to be a year from now as far as your art?
A.  My dream is to be able to paint full time and make a living from my art. I would like to do more pieces based on my photography.


I will leave you with one more piece of Tony's insight. The rest, I think, I shall keep for myself until I no longer need the road maps given to me by a very special artist. We have all raised our glasses to Tony in the past, and I know we will do it many more times in the days ahead!

"Being raised in a place where differences were not only excepted but celebrated helps a child gain a greater sense of self worth, or at least feel that it is more important to be yourself and find your own path in life rather than trying to fit in to preconceived social groups. We all graduate towards people with similar ideas and views as ourselves, but to be someone you are not just to fit in, is to me one of the biggest injustices we can do to ourselves. That is not to say we should be different just for the sake of being different. We need to know who we are before we let someone do that for us. We should also celebrate what makes others different, and have an open mind to different views, cultures and aspects of life; social, ethnic and every thing in between.   A social commentary on present circumstances here in the States is something I am trying to incorporate into my art work lately."-Tony Perez


Lowi and Tony at his reception at Tim Faulkner gallery in October 2010

Tom Pfannerstill - "One Man Group Show"

Several years ago I wandered into Galerie Hertz and found myself looking at work by local artist Tom Pfannerstill. At first, I must admit that I was not sure what I was looking at. An empty pack of cigarettes, a crushed paper cup from McDonalds, and other assorted trash that simply appeared to reflect refuse of the over-commercialized society in which we exist. Perhaps a nice sentiment, but one that I had seen many times before. This is an all too common initial perception of Tom’s work and I had fallen into the same trap that most viewers stumble through. In reality, there is no crushed paper cup. What there is however is an intricately hand carved and meticulously painted sculpture that exactly mimics any common item that one might see discarded on sidewalks or rustling through city streets.  When I say exactly, that’s precisely what I mean; they are exact!

In the last few years I have seen countless people walk right past these incredible pieces only to then ask “Where can I find Tom Pfannerstill’s art?” Perhaps this is the peril of creating work that mirrors its subjects so accurately. However, no artist should have to excuse his or her work on the basis that it was created too well. While Tom’s work might be all too quickly missed, his level of talent is not. On the contrary, once the viewer has been educated as to the process of creating these wonderful pieces Tom’s work then becomes as thunderous as a runaway freight train screaming through a dark tunnel. The first question the viewer then asks is “Who is this guy?”

Tom Pfannerstill is an artist whose work has been shown in galleries from Belfast, Northern Ireland, to New Britain, Connecticut. His collectors span from London to Bellarmine University right here in Louisville, and he is the recipient of numerous awards including the AI Smith Individual Artist Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council. More importantly, Tom is an artist whose impressive career has been documented for decades. While Tom understands the ever changing criteria of the art world, his emphasis is always primarily on the art. Tom writes in his artist statement “I am not particularly money-motivated or unduly influenced by the lure of sales, so I feel free to experiment with new concepts and ways of working and follow them as long as it is interesting”. With this philosophy firmly in hand, he then sets about creating work that is truly unique. Tom once stated “After seeing the work, many people have told me that they, too, began to notice interesting pieces of street trash. The fact that this work can slightly alter a person’s perceptions, (even if only for a short time), open their eyes, or make them view reality in a slightly different way is a very important aspect of what I do.” An artist can rarely ask for anything more than that.

Tom Pfannerstill’s show “One man group show” is now on display at Galerie Hertz and will run through Dec.31^st. Gallery Hertz is located at 1253 S. Preston. For more info call Galerie Hertz at 502-635-3727.

Defining Support - The Art of Buying Local by: Margaret Spivey & Tim Faulkner

One of the more popular motivational catch phrases making its way through the streets of Louisville these days is for us all to “Support Local Art” and/or to “Keep Louisville Weird”.  Although this is clearly a sentiment shared by every gallery, boutique, artist, and art related organization in the city, it seems to be losing momentum.  Perhaps the inundation of billboards, bumpers stickers and radio spots has created an atmosphere of complacency rather than compliance.  What exactly are we as a citizenry doing to follow this mantra?  One need only look at the I-264 exchange at Shelbyville road to know that we have yet to forego the Mall in search of that perfect gift.  Why, during this busy holiday season do we not avoid chain operations that offer nothing more than a conformist approach to giving? What about our own homes?  Are they filled with distinctive, original pieces that help define what is culturally unique to the city of Louisville or the homeowner?  If we truly want to keep art local, rather than simply sound supportive, then we had better do more to encourage “local” citizens to invest their dollars in more than your typical Wal-Mart print. Perhaps local denizens can be encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and experience some of the truly unique spots that Louisville has to offer on a regular basis, rather than only frequent these places on “special occasions”.  Art lives on

Market street

everyday of the week, not just on First Fridays.

Defining how one can support local art goes farther than a catchy slogan. How many of those Volvos driving around the highlands, sporting a buy local sticker actually own an original piece of artwork?  We all have décor adorning our homes, we all try to display a sense of ourselves on our walls and we have all purchased these items somewhere along the way.  Did we truly spend our money wisely?  Even if Art is not a major focus in our individual lives, each dollar we spend locally only strengthens our city’s economy, and therefore, these should not be wasted dollars. No one is suggesting that people not take vacations to other cities or make purchases outside Louisville.  However, when we do decide to buy, we should first consider our own backyard.

Many of the cities top local artists show outside of Louisville and for good reason, because only by doing so can they make a living, and therein lies the major problem.  Why should gallery / boutique owners in Chicago, Indianapolis or Cincinnati benefit from the toils of Louisville’s best?  We have a deep well of artistic talent here and those patrons (including Louisvillian’s) who travel, and spend their dollars in these other markets only perpetuate the problem, regardless of the bumper stickers they may sport on their SUV.  Supporting local art means exactly that!  Spend your dollars here. There isn’t a single gallery in Louisville that would not work diligently to find whatever “special” piece a client might be looking for.  There is no reason, other than vanity, to shop outside our own market.  Just because a painting sells in New York or San Francisco, does not inherently make it a better work of art.  Per capita, all of these major markets have a larger selection of mediocre work for sale than Louisville.  Lucky for us, Louisville is not a tourist destination

 for art buyers.  We have the privilege of creating an art scene primarily for the benefit for those who live here.  Make no mistake, we would like to become a center for regional art buyers, but that can only happen with a firm foundation created by local support.     

While the economy is certainly shaping up, one must simply look to places like Bardstown road to find vacant store front where once familiar local businesses resided.  This is what happens when we stop supporting local anything.  We have a major responsibility to ourselves and to the future of our city to ensure that Louisville does not become another cookie cutter community.  The next time you plan on going shopping, stay off the Watterson and head downtown to Market street, or Butchertown, or Bardstown road, or one of the many other pockets of deserving local business districts, then your bumper sticker is justified. 

Preservation Through the Lens by Scott Stacy



photo by Scott Stacy



Ever since the era of the Civil War, Louisville has gained respect not only for being the main gateway to the South but also for its importance in the field of rail and river trade. Louisville is a tycoon of manufacturing - one of the largest homes to tobacco markets in the world, and a city that brewed some of the finest whiskey that single-handedly shot Kentucky whiskey sales to the top. Louisville has a prominent place in the pork-packing industry and in the manufacturing of cast-iron gas and water pipes.This city has a distinct character, a nonconformist spirit that is palpable throughout its neighborhoods.

           From the Court House and City Hall (the latter of which is mainly recognized from its square clock-tower) to Churchill Downs, Cave Hill Cemetery, and the sprawling fountains that grace the grounds Cherokee Park, Louisville is an art gallery in itself. A simple bike ride around Louisville will show you the expansive yet overlooked beauty of the city. Louisville has a rich collection of history that is reflected through its buildings and everyday people. However, the great deal of renovation and expansion in Louisville these past few years has reduced many important buildings and historical areas to weedy, vacant lots and parking garages.

        Architecture is a way mankind expresses his ambition to establish a place for himself among the untamed and wild framework of nature. When our eagerness for change and our greed to profit from development accelerate in too short a period of time, the builders of our age leave no room for the importance of history, no room for memory. For instance, the old strip of buildings on West Main Street in downtown Louisville is known as The Iron Quarter, or Whiskey Row. This strip was home to Louisville’s first whiskey businesses and was also the first prominent example of cast-iron facades in the city. I have had my eye on Whiskey Row for some time now, documenting it through photographs because I was sure it was dog-eared for demolition.

        These buildings are irreplaceable artifacts of Louisville’s history that I have been trying to preserve through the rawest and most tangible form of memory: photography. I cannot stay away from these beautiful places that are slowly being destroyed. One of the most striking buildings in Louisville now barely stands at 1633 W. Jefferson St. and 17^th. The Ouerbacker Mansion was built in 1864 by a coffee merchant named Samuel Ouerbacker, in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. This building is threatened for demolition, and would take almost a million dollars to restore it to its former grandeur.

        I believe that it is my duty and responsibility to document and salvage what is left of Louisville’s oldest architecture, and preserve these places the best I can through my photographs. The value of the beauty of these places is far greater than that of the buildings that would replace them if these areas were developed. These newer urban developers are convinced that all these old buildings must go to make room for buildings that will keep up with the times. In short, the developers are making room for a newer city. I am not disagreeing with development, but we must protect and preserve the history that is slowly disappearing before us. Development becomes damaging rather than progressive when it sacrifices our historical artifacts for more economical and artless buildings. Louisville is a city of progression, but we cannot brush our city’s most valuable art – its historical buildings and architecture - under the rug. We need not only to salvage this history but respect it too, and that’s what I intend to do through photography: to bring awareness to those who aren’t attentive to what is happening to our city’s irreplaceable treasures. Next time you are out and about in the city, really look at what gave our town its identity and most valuable characteristic: the art that built this city, that makes it Louisville.





Welcome to Louisville Bricks!

We are always intrested in your questions and comments.  Please e-mail us at louisvillebricks@gmail.com.   Artists and galleries need our support, get out there and buy some local art! We will be updating this blog regularly, so be sure to follow us and stay up to date with our calander section.