AmesNews: No. 24, Fall 2006
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GALLERY NEWS
Pieced, Patterned & Practical: Quilts & Coverlets, pre-1930
October 3, 2006, through January 6, 2007
Quilts and coverlets have always satisfied many needs. They provide warmth on cold winter nights and comfort from the chill. Quilts have also brought color and beauty to what may otherwise have been drab, even desolate, existences. Currently, we are drawn to quilts for other reasons. We allow our thoughts to wander as we speculate on the history of an anonymous piece: who made it, when, why... was it a wedding, a birth, a memorial piece (such as the AIDS quilt)?
Then there is the fascinating concept of reuse of scrap, that waste-not-want-not ethic. As I look at the quilts we have collected, nothing excites me more than to find a 1-inch square that has been formed by piecing together 2 or 3 tiny scraps, carefully matching the fabrics so the integrity of the larger pattern is not compromised. But clearly pattern is not everything. The exuberance of an improvised quilt that has no discernible pattern and is an eclectic collection of scrap can be equally joyful. The enthusiastic reception given to the Gee’s Bend quilts (now at San Francisco’s de Young Museum) makes clear the universal appreciation for these innovative works. Is it economics that drives these pieces or just plain common sense? Why cut up fabric only to sew it back together again? Our show, Pieced, Patterned & Practical, explores these questions.
Go Figure: Bodies of Work from Our Collection
Through September at the Gallery
Nearly 75 works, ranging from 3 inches tall to actual life-size and from busts to full figures occupy the gallery space, filling it with the warm presence of a roomful of “company.”
The exhibit features a wide array of objects dating from the mid 1800s to the present day. Among the earliest pieces is a truncated figure whose head has been reworked on a body attributed to the Grodner Tal region of the Southern Alps; it dates from the 1830s. While most pieces are anonymous, some bear specific attribution to popular artists in the folk art community, the well-known William Dawson among them. Painted and unpainted carvings by Julio Garcia (the last few in our inventory) and Black Joe and Family by NY State artist Jerry Farrell are among the signed works. Also on view are a small collection of root carvings by artist Ned Young, whose work dates to the turn of the last century; and there are a few of Jim Bauer’s robotic figures and works by Maine artist Harvey Peterson to provide a contemporary balance.
The range of materials also run the gamut...painted and unpainted wood, recycled scrap, cloth, tin, and aluminum are all featured in this very charming gathering. We hope you’ll have the chance to stop by and join the “crowd.”
Ted Gordon
Through September at the Gallery
In our smaller gallery room, we are showing a collection of drawings by Ted Gordon. The sometimes startling, often enthralling images instantly grab the attention of the viewer. Gordon’s compulsively drawn faces are thought by some to be self portraits. In addition to the dozen or so compelling images that we have had on display, we’re pleased to announce the recent arrival of several more drawings from Gordon, who is one of our more prolific artists. For those of you who know his “doodles,” there are many familiar faces; but we have also discovered a few surprises. Some pieces are black and white, some are full figures, there is a cat, and an alien. As usual, Gordon’s inventive titles add provocative hints of what he has in mind. The newest works have just been added to our website. We hope you’ll enjoy viewing all of his drawings, either in person when you visit the gallery or by checking them out on the website.
The show in the gallery will continue until the end of September.
Full-Plate Tintypes: Painted Puzzles
October 10, 2006 – January 10, 2007
For the past 10 years or so, we have been building a collection of full-plate painted tintypes (also known as ferrotypes) and now have a large inventory of these fascinating works. Although we have mounted a few photography exhibitions in the past, this will be the first time that we are devoting space exclusively to this relatively unusual area of decorative art. Unpainted 1/16 plate photos are quite common, but full plates (averaging 9" x 7") with paint are rare finds. The often elaborate period frames in which the tintypes were presented attest to the high regard in which they were held.
As an inexpensive form of portraiture, the photograph quickly supplanted the work of the limner painter, who traveled the road producing portraits for the gentry. Tintypes appeared in the mid-1800s, but were found to be dull and lack-luster by some.
Defining the figure with ink, highlighting the lace trim, and painting the jewelry gold were meant to brighten and enhance the image. Also, adding a colored background, drape, carpet, or foliage might be used to totally conceal an unwanted part of the picture and even its photographic origin.
Painting that conceals or alters the image is particularly intriguing to us. A solemn couple with a headless apparition between them; and the mother on whose lap the baby sits but who is painted out so that it appears that the infant is sitting on a chair—these are some of the intriguing discoveries among our painted tintypes.
We’re excited by the prospect of launching a new section of our website. Sometimes it’s hard to understand why, but from time to time, we find ourselves with pieces we love that just don’t seem to sell. Like anyone else, we would like to make room for the new items we have found, so we’ve decided to have a page on our website devoted just to these clearance items. Check www.amesgallery.com for the soon-to-be-installed “Ames Attic”; we hope you’ll find things there that you just can’t resist, especially at their greatly reduced prices!
Holiday Gift Sale
Join us at the gallery for the 4th annual Holiday Gift Sale, featuring hand-crafted items from BonKnits, Cake Shop Studio, Dulcinea Design, La Serena, and Pretty Please. There will be jewelry, ceramics, and sewn, knitted and crocheted accessories... gifts for children and adults.
Pre-SALE: Saturday, December 2, 5 – 8 pm. SALE: Sunday, December 3, 11 am – 6 pm.
Refreshments and live music
OF INTEREST
Intuit Celebrates 15 Artful Years
Intuit is an organization founded in Chicago 15 years ago by a group of passionate and dedicated collectors of folk art. Over the years it has grown to be unique in its endeavor to preserve, study, and exhibit outsider art and to educate and amuse the public with its innovative shows and informative newsletter and website. On September 15th Intuit will be opening the Robert A. Roth Study Center, which will make its back gallery, library, and archives available and accessible to the public.
In celebration of Intuit’s 15th anniversary there will be a benefit gala in Chicago on the weekend of October 6–8, which we plan to attend. It should be an exciting event. There will be a dinner to honor NYC gallery owner Phyllis Kind (a former Chicagoan), and to celebrate Intuit’s 15 years of promoting and exhibiting outsider art. Phyllis Kind is considered the doyenne of this field, the dealer who was one of the first to realize the importance of outsider art. She is also one of the founding members of Intuit. In addition to the dinner, the weekend schedule includes silent and live auctions, a 15th anniversary exhibition at the gallery, and a show sponsored by Country Living magazine. If you aren’t a member of Intuit, you might consider joining...and maybe we’ll see you in Chicago for the gala weekend.
For more information, go to www.art.org, or call Intuit at 312-243-9088..
GALLERY NOTES
We had hoped to make this newsletter more concise than usual, but we find ourselves with so much to tell you that we’re running the full 8 pages. We’ve updated our website and added a new feature that will be called Ames Attic (see page 2).Our calendar is filled with information on our shows here at the Gallery as well as many exhibitions of note that are out and about. We hope you’ll find events of interest in your area.
We’re about to go off to the East Coast for a buying trip. We are on the lookout for fresh and exciting objects to present to you at the Gallery and at the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show in October. We always look forward to the excitement of the hunt and to seeing good friends (and, of course, eating Maine lobsters).
In December, we will again be hosting a Holiday Gift Sale when a group of artisans will be here to show and sell their wares. We look forward to seeing you in the near future.
--Bonnie Grossman, Director
