Showing posts with label fine art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fine art. Show all posts

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Hoping for fame & fortune in NYC....and helping out close to home.

 
Our house is covered in bubble wrap. And, no, it's not an extreme weatherproofing technique we're trying out...Joe's been busy wrapping up his pieces this weekend to send them to New York. He was invited to have a selection of his pieces shown in conjunction with a symposium this month where local museum curators will get a chance to view the work.

The Light is Right by Joe Isacson


We're thankful for this exposure, since it means that he'll be considered to commission a large-scale sculpture in a NYC museum! We've got our fingers, paintbrushes (& everything else) crossed this month!

If you're looking to see some of our artwork closer to home, remember that many of our collaborative artboxes are still at Cook Street Coffee in downtown Barrington, but they'll be down soon, so don't delay.   ;)





20% of any sales of pieces that are at Cook Street Coffee as a result of this show while they're up will help benefit local pregnancy centers through TLC Pregnancy Services, which offers free medical, practical & emotional support for women in need.

See more of our work at xculturearts.comhttp://www.xculturearts.com/

Sunday, April 21, 2013

The Fine Art Jenga Marathon...

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The Swing, completed
Many people who have seen our show at the Dole mansion were shocked to discover how Joe makes some of his solo pieces; it's a process that takes a lot of balance, time & patience.

For example, The Swing (shown here, both in progress & completed) was created out of one flat 8' piece of Hickory.

What I find particularly interesting about this, is that he cut the wood at no more than a 10 degree angles to create this wavy effect; to me, this shows how just being a little off course can lead you in a completely different direction.

Now, in general, I think that the artistic process any artist chooses is a reflection of his/her character. This is no exception. For each piece to be assembled into the whole, it is necessary for Joe to hold the wood together while it dries.
Hickory pieces ready for assembly
Me, I'm way too impatient for that. As he made this piece, I found myself counting the 40+ wood pieces that he planned to hold together and multiplying that by the time it took for each connection to dry. The answer? Way Too Long. For me, that is.

Joe revels in repetition and the art of carefully engineered attachments. What drives me crazy as I see him watching each piece dry in a pose that looks like freeze-frame jenga, seems to be meditative to him.

Joe, in 'action'


Want to see more?

You can see loads of artwork, find out more about us, sign up for our newsletter, or even purchase pieces (!) all online here: xculturearts.com

or LIKE our Facebook page & be our FB BFF.





   
   
   





Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Second Chances Only Come Around Once...




Thanks to everyone who came out for 1st Friday! We know that Friday nights can be difficult to make for working folks & so, we present to you: 2nd Chance Saturday.

Missed out on 1st Friday last night? Good news, you'll have a second chance to see the Inside the Box show in the Dole Gallery: Join us for a relaxed, more private gathering this Saturday, April 13, 5-8 pm.

We have 57 new pieces of work on display - hope you can come check it out!
 
As we hung the show, I couldn't help but be awed by the added attraction of the historic architecture that surrounds us in this space...the floor alone is amazing.


Joe, right, explains some of the work...
If you haven't heard yet, here's the scoop on our current art exhibition:

Inside the Box - featuring our new shadowbox series & more!

Joe + kathleen isacson's collaborative 'solo' show
Join us for2nd Saturday 'opening night' on Saturday, April 13, 5-8 pm!



Where is the Dole mansion? 
 It's a historic 100+ yr old building by Crystal Lake's waterfront...
Dole Mansion/Lakeside Legacy Found.
401 Country Club Rd, Crystal Lake, IL 

A sneak peek at the first room of the show before opening.
Opening night 'soundtrack' below...

 Need more info?
Gallery site: lakesidelegacy.org

Artists' site: xculturearts.com

 
The show is also open for viewing m-f 9-5 until April 26, but we hope you can make it this Saturday when we're there to visit with you! 

 LIKE our Facebook page  to hear about our current art events, calls for artists & more.


 

more about our lives, universe & everything here: xculturearts.com