Dec 22nd, 2020 • 6 minute read
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Curations with Mel Reese: Christmas 2020
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We’ve made it to Christmas! Huzzah! The time for jingle bells and Christmas carols, festive decorations and boozy glasses of eggnog. People are still enjoying these traditions, it all just looks a little different this time around. We still have the holiday cheer and the same old tunes blasting through our speakers on repeat, but this year we are celebrating alone, showing our love for the ones we love most by keeping our distance. But that’s ok!
Christmas is the season for giving and sharing. Gifting is a wonderful tradition that allows us to be there with our family and friends without actually being there in person. A thoughtful gift, while not as welcome as your physical presence, can come as a pretty close second. At Art in Res, we feel strongly that art can be one of the absolute best gifts someone can give and receive. Art has the ability to transcend time and distance, love and tradition. It can share inside jokes or reveal new understandings. Art allows us to gift more than just an object, it allows us to share our love and appreciation for one another.
So with that in mind, this week artist and curator Mel Reese brings together a collection of Art in Res pieces that celebrate the upcoming Christmas holiday and tradition of giving. Scroll through the post to see Mel’s placement of each piece, as well as how the selected works come together in a thoughtful, coalescent collection.
As the end of the year draws nearer we begin to reflect on where we’ve been and look forward to where we are heading. This past year we’ve seen a lot of turmoil, experienced countless ups-and-downs, so it’s always helpful to reflect on what has been a constant good in our lives... through it all. For all of us here at Art in Res, ‘Art’ has been that constant good, that constant beacon of light within our lives and we hope it has been for you as well. If not, we highly recommend you make looking at, engaging with, and buying Art your New Year’s resolution –– it’s a good one!
So turn up that Christmas music you’ve had on repeat for the past several weeks and scroll onward for even more holiday cheer –– happy browsing!
Gather ‘round the Tree
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I love these two tiny works paired together. Though both are small scale, they have a big impact when we get up close. Bold pieces that pack a punch for two very different reasons.
Dan Bina’s Yo, in his classic, bright, graphic style, which utilizes collage and text as a method for projecting humor, is a piece I interpret as a joyful and playful take on the classic “ho” of “ho ho ho”. The Rockette red lips cut out in a circle mimics the almost sexual shine of the classic mirror red round ornaments hanging on the Christmas tree.
These classic red balls can also be found in Mollie Douthit’s interpretation of a family gathered around the tree within her painting Paper Dolls. With thick, luscious color, Mollie paints an intimate scene of children watching Santa deliver their gifts. A magical, lighthearted and bright narrative uncovered the longer we peer through the window along with them.
Cookies for Santa
For some reason, when I look at this drawing Untitled (sketch #23) by Lynnette Therese Sauer I think of a fun cookie design a kid might make atop the cookies they leave out for Santa. The cookies a dad ends up eating at night once the kids are asleep, dressed like Santa, leaving a strategic trail of crumbs from the plate to the fireplace. Crumbs that he will then eventually have to clean up the next day, but it is all to help keep the illusion of Santa’s existence –– to help our children hold on to any shred of innocence left for as long as humanly possible. Loops and swirls of tasty color and the sweetness of childhood.
Winter Wonderland
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Two of the key staples of Christmas? Evergreen trees and snow! Symbols of a northern winter, we have come to recognize both as synonymous with the December holiday.
In Jacqueline Ferrante’s Traces we experience all the layers, textures, and colors of a blanket of freshly fallen snow. Then we have Camille Warmington’s quadriptych Chenonceau Treescape No.1, a stunning interpretation of the lush foliage of the evergreen tree –– the classic Christmas tree. Paired together, we get to experience the magic of a true winter wonderland.
Green and Red
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But we have to remember that not everyone celebrates this holiday up here in the North East! Many of our artists are based down in Texas. Which means we also get to celebrate the spirit of the season in a true southern, warmer style.
In this grouping I focus on the more abstract traditions of the holiday, the classic color combinations of Green and Red. We get the fiery spirit of Texas with Houston-based Calhan Hale in her HOT TAKE. The green cowboy boot floating in a sea of hot-pink-red next to a literal fire warms me with holiday cheer. Much like Larry Goode’s magical red fog in The Dreamers, we get to imagine what Santa might see from his sleigh while looking down through the clouds at the bright and lively city of Austin. And then there is Brittany J Miller’s playful green and red scene of chickens enjoying the good-life. The classic Christmas color combination reminds me that even Henny, Misty & Dazzle get to celebrate the joys of the season :)
Holiday Hardships
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In the midst of all the holiday cheer it is important to remember and understand that the holidays can be a tough time for many. Not the least of which being that sometime… family is a lot of work. It can all be a little too demanding at times; and that’s O.K! The stunning red and black linework in Diana Rowe’s Illuminating Fears reminds us to take care of our mental health, especially during this time of year. Sarah Dineen’s heavy, matte, gorgeously textured sculptural piece echoes that of a dark ornament one might enjoy hiding deep within the inner branches of the tree –– a small hidden gem meant just for us. Certain Dark Things #87 reminds us that it’s ok to embrace our struggles and let ourselves feel all the feels this season.
Gift Wrapped
This mesmerizing piece by Rebecca Kaufman, Spelling, is the best wrapping paper I have ever had the pleasure of imagining. Slap a bow on it and it’s done. A perfectly wrapped gift forever hovering above your mantle. What’s inside? The warm memories of joy and love from time spent with our loved ones.
With a Bow on Top
Perhaps the bow you can use for Kaufman's gift is the comically large, yet endearing green bow found here in Maddie Stratton’s lovable Accessory. Aptly named, this portrait is more about the bow that is wearing the person rather than the other way around. Not only is this pleasant, light-hearted portrait the perfect color palette for getting in the Christmas spirit, but this person is all of us on Christmas –– when we’ve had one too many eggnogs, giddy from all the gifts and Christmas caroling, delirious from all the joy around us.
Bringing it Together
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In the end, I just really enjoy the way all these textures and narratives come together in a visual explosion of color and joy. The bright, bold reds of Calhan Hale, Larry Goode, and Dan Bina’s artworks paired with the natural coolness of Camille Warmington and Brittany J Miller’s odes to green make for a natural visual Christmas narrative. Covered in a blanket of Jacqueline Ferrante’s heartwarming snowfall, we can sit back and enjoy the joyful scene uncovered in Mollie Douthit’s playful Christmas celebration. The hilarious bow from Maddie Stratton’s portrait plays with Rebecca Kaufman’s perfectly gift wrapped present of a painting. Swirling and twirling through Lynnette Therese Sauer’s colorful drawing lands us in the looping realm of Diana Rowe’s thoughtful reminder of the importance of taking care of ourselves during this season. Finally, we are grounded by Sarah Dineen’s stunning sculptural piece illuminating the darker, yet still beautiful moments we might experience this holiday season –– especially this year.
With these new viewing tools in hand, happy collecting!
Curated by Mel ReeseVirtual installations courtesy of ArtPlacer