THE PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST...
AND OTHER THINGS
Featuring Artwork by
DONALD E. CAMP | KATIE BALDWIN | JILL BELL
VINCENT DESIDERIO | MARGUERITA HAGAN
DARLA JACKSON | ROBERT JACKSON | JOHN KARPINSKI
ALEX KANEVSKY | CHRISTINE LAFUENTE | CHELSEY LUSTER
KIRK MAYNARD | LYDIA PANAS | HIRO SAKAGUCHI
JAMES STEWART | RON TARVER
Curated by Maida R. Milone
Left: © Donald E. Camp, Freedom Summer - Self Portrait Of The Artist As A Child, Archival Pigment Print, 30" x 19"
Right: © Donald E. Camp, Freedom Summer - 1964, Archival Pigment Print, 30" x 46"
““With the explosion of visual self-reflective images, it is the right time to consider the long tradition of artistic self-portraits and what that practice looks like in our current culture.””
Exhibition Dates:
June 1 - 24, 2023
Reception & Meet the Artists:
Saturday, June 3, 1 - 4 PM
Location:
Gross McCleaf Gallery
127 S 16th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Gallery Hours:
Wednesday - Saturday, 10 - 5 PM
Gross McCleaf Gallery hosts The Portrait of the Artist… And Other Things™, curated by local art consultant and former CEO of The Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA), Maida R. Milone. This sixteen-artist exhibition features works by Gross McCleaf artists, Christine Lafuente and James Stewart, as well as other artists, many with strong ties to Philadelphia and past group exhibitions with the gallery – Katie Baldwin, Jill Bell, Donald E. Camp, Vincent Desiderio, Marguerita Hagan, Darla Jackson, Robert Jackson, John Karpinski, Alex Kanevsky, Chelsey Luster, Kirk Maynard, Lydia Panas, Hiro Sakaguchi and Ron Tarver.
Curator Maida R. Milone organized the exhibition and selected the artists. She writes, “I spend much of my free time in art museums and art galleries wherever I go. I find looking at art, being literally surrounded by art, the calmest and yet most stimulating experience, and one of the most hopeful, too, that a person can have in this chaotic, often frightening world.
“While I am engaged by many genres of art and not surprisingly drawn strongly to certain artists’ work more than to others, I never fail to be fascinated by artists’ self-portraits, especially when I am glimpsing their other work at the same time. I often find myself stopping dead in my tracks in front of self-portraits, searching relentlessly for what the artists want to tell me about themselves and their times and their work generally. And, too, what they are saying about the nature of art and its role in self-revelation.
“We all spend so much time these days looking at (or consciously avoiding) selfies on social media. Given that contemporary preoccupation, I began to wonder if our doing that could significantly dilute the impact and significance of self-portraits – seen one, seen a million? -- or perhaps having just the opposite effect, make us appreciate even more these articulated acts of self-representation.
“With the explosion of visual self-reflective images, it is the right time, I believe, to consider the long tradition of artistic self-portraits and what that practice looks like in our current culture. How have artists working in a variety of media been impacted, if at all, by this trend to publicize personal imagery? This exhibition is an answer to that question.
“Believing that it is important for viewers to see an artist’s self-portrait in the context of their other work, I asked each artist to pair their self-portrait with another piece. For the artists, making this selection required them to consider how best to create a resonating dialogue with viewers; and for the viewers, the paired works are an invitation to an intimate exploration of these artists’ self-images and their work.”
Given the nature of this project, each artist was invited to describe their self-portraits in their own words.
To visit the event page on Gross McCleaf Gallery’s website, visit: The Portrait of the Artist...and Other Things - Curated by Maida R. Milone - Exhibitions - Gross McCleaf Gallery
Gross McCleaf Gallery has been a positive and enduring fixture in Philadelphia’s art scene for over half a century. With the mission of promoting established, mid-career, and emerging artists, GMG has provided a beautiful space for the exhibition of fine art in a convenient Center City location. The gallery features monthly exhibits in its three gallery spaces as well as on-site access to its extensive inventory. The welcoming staff at GMG is ready to provide information and guidance as you build your personal or corporate collection. For more information, visit: https://www.grossmccleaf.com/