Archive for the ‘1) Available!’ Category
Saturday, November 2nd, 2013
Day One / Open Studios ARTTOUR —
How much sleep I got last night will remain a secret, but I crossed the finish line with everything in place to welcome the public today. We had a steady trickle of folks who enjoyed viewing and talking about art. The design studio, art studio, and gallery/meeting space were looking fine (not to mention the exterior facade), and it feels like I have not caught my breath for several months. Dana outdid herself with some tasty punch and snacks for guests, and she was bragging on my collage all day. Nothing feels like reaching an ambitious goal with a kindred spirit, and I wish every friend in the world had been with me today, too.
Dawn Goes Down to Day
collage miniature by J A Dixon
4 x 4 inches
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Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013
This is a collage artwork that I currently have on display as part of the “Autumn Glory” exhibition in the Mahan Gallery at the Boyle County Public Library. If you find yourself in downtown Danville, please stop by the show. It lasts until December 1st.
Autumn Ode (to Merz)
mixed-media collage by J A Dixon
16 x 20 inches, framed
available for purchase
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Friday, September 27th, 2013
“To me I think artists in general make a statement — and for the rest of their lives — every album, every book — are variations on a theme.”
— Mark Mothersbaugh
Here are two examples of my ongoing participation in groups that collaborate through thematic emphasis. Gentle Zephyr is a response to the theme of “music” at the Collage facebook page, but I also made obvious reference to the previous album, “atomic bombs.” Tir de Duc is my second submission to the Target Practice project initiated by L T Holmes. The exciting collaboration that makes use of vintage paper targets has taken on a new significance in recent weeks. Collage artists could spend all their available time interacting with each other through the many active collaborative formats. It is important to find the proper balance between solitary investigation and the dynamic cross-fertilization taking place within contemporary collage.
Gentle Zephyr
collage miniature by J A Dixon
6.625 x 9.25 inches
• S O L D
Tir de Duc
collage miniature by J A Dixon
vintage target from L T Holmes
8 x 10 inches
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Saturday, August 10th, 2013
“But now I had these targets, and something grand in me wanted to make the two divergent threads — one of my artwork, one of my father — intertwine.”
— Laura Tringali Holmes
An increasingly engaging form of collaboration in collage is the coming together of a diverse group to explore the shared concept. In my last post we looked at an example in which the participants artistically exploited an image or thematic suggestion. Today we feature a remarkable project launched by L T Holmes that makes use of nearly identical vintage paper targets she has magnanimously provided to those taking part. Anyone reading this is urged to investigate her recent blog entry that offers an affecting backstory for the “Target Practice” initiative.
As this outstanding series takes shape, I cannot help but think of the Merz painting, “Hitler Gang,” and how KS (as usual) was just a bit ahead of us. If he thought a target was a cool collage ingredient nearly 70 years ago, I am, for one, quite content to continue digging the ground he broke. At least we are not fearing for our personal safety, thank heaven.
Friday, 1963
collage miniature by J A Dixon
vintage target from L T Holmes
6 x 7 inches
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Posted in 1) Available!, Collaboration, Ingredients, J A Dixon, K Schwitters, L T Holmes, Merz, Theme/Variation | No Comments »
Friday, August 9th, 2013
The thematic series has a long tradition in the visual arts. Collage and assemblage are no different, thanks to the groundbreaking legacy of Joseph Cornell. Preparations are under way for me to expand the Silk Road Series that I began in March. Creating variations within a thematic limitation has also become a fixture of current collaboration in collage. An artist will suggest the visual parameter (such as T R Flowers did recently with an “Atomic Bombs” album at facebook) and participants respond with their individual interpretations. Here’s my contribution to that particular series:
Sweet Contamination
collage miniature by J A Dixon
7.875 x 5.5 inches
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Wednesday, July 31st, 2013
“I’m not an art reviewer, nor am I a psychiatrist, but I’ve often thought that Katrien De Blauwer’s special talent is her ability to speak to and for the collective unconscious of human emotions.”
— Laura Tringali Holmes
I regularly walk to a nearby college natatorium to swim laps. To my periodic astonishment, I will get an idea for a collage while staring at the bottom of a pool. My mind apparently stays cluttered with images of unused ingredients, and I suppose they demand to be composed, even when I am absent from my studio. As I travel to and from the destination, no scrap of litter escapes my attention (an occupational practice for many collage artists). Recently, when I discovered a wadded-up candy or bubble-gum wrapper that looked to me like a tiny, mashed bird (or was it a disfigured fleur-de-lis?), I knew I had to find a place for it, but I preferred that it not get lost in a “maximalist” design. So I encouraged myself to produce a collage with a minimal of elements. This is not my typical style, but I visually partake daily of numerous examples by peers who excel at this technique, if one can call it that. Thankfully, a bit of their approach may have rubbed off. Laura Tringali Holmes has taken it another step by accepting the challenge of creating a collage under the influence of a particular fellow artist. Laura often leans in the direction of maximalism, as do I, and her skillful homage to Katrien De Blauwer, a master of minimalism, is worth a visit to her site. As you may know, I am keen on the cross-fertilization of solid influences. I am not ashamed to say that both of these collage artists are among my favorite sources of rich visual pollen. Watch for a profile of each in future entries here.
Fear of Failure
collage miniature by J A Dixon
4.75 x 6.375 inches
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Posted in 1) Available!, Influences, Ingredients, J A Dixon, K De Blauwer, L T Holmes, Links, Maximalism/Minimalism, Methodology | No Comments »
Friday, July 26th, 2013
At the recent Gallery Hop Stop in downtown Danville, I was pleased that people sought out my display of collage miniatures, tucked away in the conference room of Tye Financial. Needless to say, this small town in Kentucky is not a stronghold of contemporary art collectors, but the opportunity to interact with those kind enough to pause and discuss the medium of collage is always a valuable learning experience for me. Most of my hoard is now configured for direct purchase at this site, before all of it is made available to the public at the 2013 ArtTour, Annual Open Studios of Central Kentucky.
Go ahead and grab one for yourself before November.
J A Dixon and a recent display of his collage miniatures.
Posted in 1) Available!, Events, Exhibitions, J A Dixon, Links | No Comments »
