my love for you is a stampede of horses.

Jeff Barnett-Winsby: Mark West and Molly Rose.

Documentation always amazes me. Love does too. Often using the latter to catalog such an emotion between two people (especially a forbidden love) can be a fascinating foray into the human condition. Jeff Barnett-Winsby has recently published a limited edition book titled Mark West and Molly Rose. Through correspondence, a hand tooled painting and photographs, the book catalogs a forbidden affair. A bit about the story behind the book:

Artist Jeff Barnett-Winsby had been photographing in Lansing Prison for a year, when he found out that an inmate, John Maynard, had escaped with the help of a social worker, Toby Young. Maynard and Young, under the aliases Mark West and Molly Rose, were captured two weeks later in Tennessee.

Andrew Schoultz Interview with Scion Art.

Scion Art just recently interviewed Andrew Schoultz. The video is a nice foray into Andrew's work, plus it's great to hear his thoughts behind his process, materials and what he's learned along the way. I think you'll like it.

Andrew Schoultz Interview from Scion ART on Vimeo.

New Work: Emily Barletta.

Check out this new crocheted piece (and clay) by Emily Barletta! It's her biggest and most labor intensive piece to date, measuring 68 x 49 x 3 inches. Wow. I asked Emily to tell me a bit about the piece:

"Mostly I just wanted to try to crochet something big (it took 6 months and I kind of hated working on it by the end.) Also I wanted to expand upon the mini crocheted sculptures I was making last year (you can see them here). I guess the piece goes along with the regular themes I've been working with (blood and guts and emotions.)"

One of the things I really admire about Emily is the intensity within her work and her ability to be so real about her it. You can read a Q&A I did with her when the blog was just a wee baby. ;)

 

Be sure to click to get a good look at this puppy.

Sneak Peek: Every Single Where.

I am really excited to post these images of oil paintings by Pakayla Biehn. Her show Every Single Where opens this Friday at Gallery 6 in SF. Jillian Mackintosh gave me a shout about the show and I had to ask her if they were actual paintings...because as you see Pakayla's work is so serene and concise it looks like photography. Just looking at these paintings I feel completely moved, I can only imagine what they'll be like in person. If you are in the Bay area make an effort to stop by the show. Then tell me what you thought, ok? A little bit about the show:

Gallery Six is pleased to present “Every Single Where” a collection of new works by San Francisco based artist Pakayla Biehn. Miss Biehn is a California native who now calls San Francisco home. Decidedly resourceful, she creates environments of curiosity and intimacy that resonate within painting, installation, drawing and mixed media. “Every Single Where” marks her first solo show. Please join us for the opening reception on Friday, December 18, 2009 from 7 to 11pm.

 

Pakayla Biehn’s most recent body of work concerns her congenital vision disability, called Strabismus. Her eyesight consists of mutually exclusive images trying, unsuccessfully, to bond into a cohesive impression. She uses her own embodied identity as a starting point for her paintings and installations. Her goal is to find a visual language to negotiate the intersection of imagery and create a similar perspective to give the viewer an understanding of her own optical condition.

Christian Rex van Minnen: Website Update.

Christian Rex van Minnen updated his website this weekend with three new pieces. Man, his painting is so intense and real! He makes meaty, guts and bulbous, tumors look almost beautiful with the warm light he captures so effortlessly, yet his work still manages to have a macabre edge. They almost glisten sinisterly. I find the pretty, white moths dancing around to be a nice, soft touch. You know, to take the edge off some dis-embowled guts found on the forest floor. I love Christian's juxtaposition of the gory with the beautiful. He does it so well. You can read a Q&A I did with Christian last year here.