Current Issue: Artvoice v7n47, week of Thursday November 20 » back issues
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A Natural Museby Cynnie Gaasch |
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The past month offered some of the finest tree reflecting opportunities I recall. The colors and lines of the mighty oaks and maples in Delaware Park have been downright awesome over the last couple of weeks.
Predicting the inspiring forces of nature, the Neighborhood Collective Gallery at 810 Elmwood Avenue put together an exhibit of seven artists work, all about “Trees.” Monica Angle, Peter Dyett, Mark Lavatelli, Nathan Naetzker, Catherine Parker, Christopher Stangler, and Catherine Linder Spencer each show examples of their own personal investigation of the tall sources of shade, protection, and warmth in this show that will be with us through November 26.
Walking up into the gallery at Neighborhood Collective is a little like climbing into a tree house. Up the stairs, into a relatively low ceilinged space, and over a balcony, you can look out a wall of windows that shows you the trees that line Elmwood and cradle the Lexington Co-op against the blue sky. I recommend visiting the sun-filled space during the daylight hours. Into the gallery, and you are surrounded by the many worlds of these artists, each one giving a different experience of the surface, the vista, the lines of trees. The natural complexity of the giants is a ripe muse for an artist’s brush, camera lens or mixed media.
Catherine Parker’s “Cottonwood Trees” is painted with energetic and loose brush strokes. Charcoal delineates the rough edges. Green, white and purple layer to fill the muscular form of the tree’s solid trunk, and the white paint shows the reflection of sunlight. The artist’s bravado shines through. “Tree Roots” shows a tangled and dangerous mess, largely painted in black and white. The structure pushes across the surface of the paper and creates a foreboding space.
Nathan Naetzker’s paintings made of images captured by a camera last December and this August in the middle of the night—lit by the reflection of light on snow—and at dusk. The paintings become almost two-tone with a line of trees creating a silhouette against a field of midnight blue or hazy green. These works are deeply intimate, portraying a beautifully selected moment, and giving power to a sense of solitude and quiet.
“Tree Glyph #3” and Tree Glyph #5” by Mark Lavatelli are a dance of line and form on a field of muted color. Working into layers of oil paint and encaustic, the artist carves out the lines of tree branches, opening a web across the surface of the painting. The colors revealed below flicker. It is not as if these paintings look like a true representation of a painting, honed down to linear descriptions of graceful branches. They do, however, clearly portray the enjoyable act of looking at a tree, noticing every turn and bend, nook and cranny, as branches weave around each other, stretching forward and back above you.
Rust and Mass
Robert Schulman’s photographs of “Dumpsters and Other Strangers” are on display through November 19 at Artsphere Studio on Amherst Street. Schulman explores the Modernist presence of these ubiquitously giant and boxy objects. He manages to find moments that transform the photographs into Russian Constructivist paintings—clunky structures bending against each other. The rust of age provides the contrast in these works that will have you noticing beauty in the ugliest corners of your travels.
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Issue Navigation> Issue Index > v4n45: Wal-Mart: Little People are Fighting Back (11/10/05) > A Natural Muse This Week's Issue • Artvoice Daily • Events Calendar • Classifieds |
Artvoice Blog Headlines
Who Goes Where When Hillary Goes to State?posted November 19, 12:04 pm on Artvoice DailyCity Hall News has flow_chart that tracks who might replace who, from Hillary’s Senate seat on down (click to expand or follow the link—it’s an awkward shape): |
It’s Robert Rich Sr. All High Stadiumposted November 14, 5:05 pm on Artvoice DailyThese new signs properly label the structure. We’ve been reading recent stories in the Buffalo News about sportswriter Tom Borrelli’s terrible fall last week at the old All High Stadium. He’s currently battling life-threatening injuries... (more) |
CWM Fined for Violationsposted November 14, 2:41 pm on Artvoice DailyThis week Chemical Waste Management was fined $175,000 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for violating its permits and the state’s hazardous waste laws. I don’t have much to say about that, except it doesn’t seem to me like too much money... (more) |
Musical Chairsposted November 14, 12:51 pm on Artvoice DailyThe AP reports that Hillary Clinton met with Barack Obama in Chicago yesterday, adding fuel to speculation that she might be Obama’s choice for secretary of state. If that happens, it has long been rumored that Brian Higgins would be appointed to her Senate seat... (more) |
Paint the Townposted November 14, 11:06 am on Artvoice DailyLate last night, at the tail end of one of the few weeks in the past year in which we did not publish anything snarky about anybody, someone threw two gallons of paint on our front doors. Seems a waste; we hadn’t even earned it. Nonetheless, we were cleaning up all morning... (more) |
Old Editions Book Shopposted November 13, 1:58 pm on Artvoice DailyAV videographer Matt Quinn tours Old Editions, an often overlooked treasure at the corner of Oak and Huron Streets downtown: show enclosure (video/x-flv; 21.29 MB) |
This Is Not Today’s Newsposted November 12, 9:37 am on Artvoice DailyBut it would be nice if it were. Via the Data Stream, by way of Jon Winet. |
This Just In…posted November 11, 3:28 pm on Artvoice DailyAlways in the vanguard, researchers of the University at Buffalo’s Center of Human Capital have reached a bold conclusion, according to a statement disseminated this afternoon: Although no official determination has been made about whether New York State or the U... (more) |
Silver Lining: Edwards Remains a Good Guyposted November 11, 11:17 am on Artvoice DailyMarshawn Lynch Amid the anguished finger-pointing, plaintive wailing and resigned head-shaking sweeping the region following the Buffalo Bills’ third straight defeat, Season Ticket would like to apportion a minute sliver of credit. Quarterback Trent Edwards, by most quantitative and qualitative standards, failed miserably at New England on Sunday (not coincidentally, this was also his third consecutive regressive outing)... (more) |
Mazzariello’s Ristorante & Martini Barposted November 7, 4:30 pm on Chew on ThisPhoto taken by Rose Mattrey From Antipasti to Primi to Secondi, Mazzariello’s (114 Bloomfield Ave, Lancaster, 206.0561) has conquered the map of Italian cooking. Your palate will be exposed to an array of spices, herbs, and ingredients indigenous to Northern & Southern Italy... (more) |
Post Election Bits & Bytesposted November 7, 12:02 am on Tech VoiceElection ‘08 is now in the history books - so I figured it’s time to take a look backward, and a look forward at some relevant headlines. Hacking Democracy First, we’ll take a look at one of the best kept secrets of the campaign season, from both sides, care of a Newsweek article published just today... (more) |
BNMC Open Meeting Tonightposted November 6, 1:19 pm on Artvoice DailyTonight at 6pm in the auditorium of the downtown library, everyone is invited to attend a public hearing on the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus—North End Projects. Among the projects planned are a 300,000 square foot Medical Office Building to be owned and operated by Ciminelli Development Company, Inc... (more) |
That Pigeon Won’t Flyposted November 6, 10:05 am on Artvoice DailySteve Pigeon Here’s another example, this one two years old, of the way Steve Pigeon’s political committees are alleged to steer money to candidates illegally. On September 15, 2006, the Pigeon-controlled PAC Citizens for Fiscal Integrity paid “RUR Strategy Group” $9,000 in consulting fees, according to CFI’s campaign finance disclosure forms... (more) |
SeaBar’s Social Calendarposted November 5, 12:44 pm on Chew on ThisSeaBar will host live jazz and sushi nights starting Friday, November 21st at 8 p.m. (5235 Main Street, Wmsvl, 204.5283). A Cave Springs Riesling Tasting Event will take place at SeaBar’s suburban location on Wednesday, November 9th at 7 p.m... (more) |
Artvoice TV: Latest Additions » more on AVTV
Dr. Riyaz Hassanali: The effect Smoking has on your Skinposted November 21, 4:50 pm on channel Local Interest
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Twilightposted November 19, 1:09 pm on channel Movie Trailers
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamasposted November 19, 1:06 pm on channel Movie Trailers
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Avi Takes Artvoice Shopping for the holidays @ Lexington food Co-opposted November 19, 11:52 am on channel Food
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TRAIN DAY! @ the Buffalo Historical Societyposted November 17, 3:07 pm on channel Local Interest
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Mass Appeal: Elmwood Fashion Eventposted November 15, 10:19 pm on channel Events
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Buffalo Contemporay Danceposted November 15, 6:43 pm on channel Events
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Old Editions Book Shopposted November 13, 11:42 am on channel Local Interest
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Off Stage: Conversations with Anthony Chaseposted November 12, 4:50 pm on channel Theater
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Happy Go Luckyposted November 12, 2:08 pm on channel Movie Trailers
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Quantum of Solaceposted November 12, 2:01 pm on channel Movie Trailers
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Flash Party at Essex St.posted November 9, 10:59 am on channel Events
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Lakeview Effect at Nietzsche'sposted November 8, 4:54 pm on channel Music
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Flatbed at Allen St. Hardwareposted November 8, 2:28 pm on channel Music
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Obama's Nightposted November 6, 3:13 pm on channel Politics
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