I was first attracted to Joan Brown’s painting Green Bowl (1964) twenty seven years ago when I first saw it in the book, Bay Area Figurative Art. I had just started to paint seriously and was struck by Brown’s thick, sculptural handling of the paint; the impasto seemed to push the painting into three dimensions. … Continue reading
About this time last year Becky Suss’s first solo show was set to open at the ICA in Philadelphia. Upon entering the room, one felt a curious sense of abandonment; this is because there are no figures in the all too human spaces Suss gives us. The expansive bare walls of the Eleanor Biddle Lloyd … Continue reading
As many of our readers already know the Proximity Arts blog was born out of the inaugural summer session of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts low residency MFA program. Many of our contributors including Liz who manages the blog are currently in their second of three summer sessions in residency. Over the summer months … Continue reading
Material culture is an oasis of imported domestic goods tucked away in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia just off of Wissahickon Avenue. I first came across the store at my mothers suggestion while decorating my boutique Fresh Ayer in 2007. Material Culture is one of those rare shopping environments where you feel immediately transported simply … Continue reading
Ingrained, currently on view at Automat, is an installation by Abby King and Marie Manski devoted to the exploration of the 319 North 11th Street building in Philadelphia and the unique community of artist run spaces that have sprung up there in recent years. Perhaps best known for Vox Populi, one of the first galleries … Continue reading
Get to know our authors through the new Contributor Series. A group of short posts from Proximity Arts members. Allow us to share our work and our thoughts on making work with you. Beverly Ryan has a lot going on she is an Art League instructor, Torpedo Factory Artist and student. Recently she sat down … Continue reading
“The statements, ‘You cannot make it up’ and ‘You must make it up’ are both true. We must let both guide us. What we put down on our paper are real things that we can adjust just as we adjust objects in a still life.” ~Ken Kewley Recently I had the opportunity to take … Continue reading
