Vote For Us!

Cecil Touchon, PDP464

We are in the throes of a competition for ad space from Beacham & Company REALTORS! Please get on Facebook, "like" Beacham & Company, REALTORS, and post your vote for Emily Amy Gallery. We are up against some pretty stiff competition, so we need your help!!!

Visit Blayne Beacham's beautiful blog, "This Photographer's Life," to learn more about the competition; we are one of only seven finalists! And if you are not a Facebook user, you can cast a vote by making a comment on Blayne's blog instead. As you will see when you visit the blog, we have used this gorgeous new Cecil Touchon pictured above that we received earlier this week to sway voters our way!

In Celebration of Photography

Ryan Hendon, Mid-Century Landscapes, Pictured #2, Vintage Silver Gelatin Print, 8 7/8" x 8 3/4"

September 9th marked the opening of our first-ever photography show which is curated by local photographer Stephanie Dowda. In conjunction with Atlanta Celebrates Photography, Echoes of the Sublime features 10 artists, both local and non-local. Stephanie has selected black and white, color, vintage prints and brand new works to bring us a wonderful introduction into this genre.

The show features works by the following: Allyson Ross of New York, John Paul Floyd of Atlanta, Klea McKenna of San Francisco, Justin Weaver of Atlanta, Jeff Rich of Savannah, Aaron Norberg of Portland, Lauren Hughes of Atlanta, Ryan Hendon of San Francisco, Ashley Kauschinger of Atlanta and Megan Gorham of San Francisco.

Lauren Hughes, Lingered or Luck, Digital Archive Print, framed, 16" x 24"

Not only did Stephanie's curatorial work bring in our largest opening night crowd to date, but she is also receiving rave reviews. Jerry Cullum, writing for ArtsCriticATL.com, says, "...the goal of curator Stephanie Dowda in “Echoes of the Sublime,” at Emily Amy Gallery through October 22, is both ambitious and admirable. Bearing in mind what the sublime has meant in more philosophically secure eras of life and thought, she sets out to find what the sublime means for American photographers in the second decade of the 21st century." Read the review in it's entirety here: http://www.artscriticatl.com/category/art_and_architecture/. Needless to say, if you haven't seen the show, come pay us a visit.

Megan Gorham, Untitled 2008, Archival Pigment Print, framed, 20" x 24"

Be sure to get out and about during the month of October to catch all that the ACP Festival has to offer! Starting with the Auction Gala this evening at King Plow, there are too many events to name. Almost every gallery and public space in the city is participating in some capacity. There is a lecture series, film series, openings and special events. To learn more about all of the programs included, visit www.ACPinfo.org, or swing by and pick up a brochure from us.

J. Paul Getty

A short drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, nestled in the hills of Malibu, sits the Getty Villa. The brainchild and love of American industrialist and oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, the villa rests on 64 acres and houses thousands of Roman, Etruscan and Greek antiquities collected over his lifetime. Author of How to be Rich and a constant presence on Fortune Magazine's rankings of wealthiest Americans in the mid-1900s, J. Paul Getty amassed a fortune during his lifetime. Fortunately for art lovers everywhere, he had a true passion for the finer things in life. Getty dedicated years of time and loads of funds to what is now the world's wealthiest art trust, which he later bestowed upon Southern California, enabling the existence of The J. Paul Getty Museum, The Getty Foundation, The Getty Research and Conservation Institutes, and the Getty Villa.

(image courtesy of Amerikani blog)

Getty was born in 1892 in Minneapolis, and spent his life working to expand his family's petroleum business. Collecting art and antiquities was a passion and favorite pastime of his, and as a result, the Getty Trust includes over 44,000 pieces. Getty felt very strongly that art, particularly antiquities, should be given a strong and accurate context in which to be viewed. The articles should be seen as the original patrons would have seen them. In the case of his particular collection, context called for the construction of a Roman home.

Based entirely upon a partially excavated, 1st-century Roman villa, Getty provided that context for his namesake's collection in the form of his Malibu villa. The Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy, was buried when Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. It provided the partial model for Getty's plans. As most of it remains to be excavated, the architects of Getty's villa pulled in aspects of other typical Roman country houses of the time into their design. Every last detail is true to the time and luxurious lifestyle of 1st-century Romans, down to the coffered ceilings, lighting fixtures, and open-air construction providing nature's own air-conditioning, (and proof that the Romans were brilliant). Every herb in the herb gardens is drawn from what would have been found in the Mediterranean at that time, and the aromas waft throughout the grounds.

(image courtesy of Modern Art Notes blog)

Getty also believed that the public should have access to his collection free of charge, and thus the only thing to keep in mind is the $15 parking fee per car, (free for all evening events), and a simple online reservation made in advance of your visit. Having gone at 11 on a Monday in July, the crowds must have been smaller than at peak times, but were very manageable. Plan to wander for several hours at a minimum, and hope for sunny weather for the best views of the Pacific.

(image courtesy of Digital Apoptosis)

Getty lived the latter half of his life in Britain, and unfortunately, never had the opportunity to make it back across the pond to see his villa come to life.

(image courtesy of Art Net)

Food as Art.

(image courtesy of hillaryshort.com)

Grilled peach with prosciutto, burrata, arugula and balsamic. Slow roasted leg of lamb with cous cous, red pepper, spiced yogurt and herb salad. Tuscan kale, shaved fennel, radish, lemon, ricotta salata and breadcrumb. But first, Fanny Bay oysters. Just a peek at a recent meal had at the uber-cool Gjelina in Venice Beach. At the corner of Abbott Kinney Boulevard and Milwood Avenue, sits chef Travis Lett's three year old establishment. The atmosphere is kinetic, the interiors "industrial chic," and the food, artful. Lett has created a seasonal menu that is both captivating and aberrant. Off the beaten path. The menu is derived using only ingredients available at the local farmer's market, and the wine list represents the California coast beautifully, without excluding the Italians and French.

Just be sure you do not leave the building without having desert. The affogato with caramel and biscotti to be specific. Affogato being an Italian desert, which, upon being delivered to your table, consists of gelato which is drowned in piping hot espresso on the spot.

(photo courtesy of la.foodblogging.com)

Next up? Tequila and qarne asada tacos. The walls at El Carmen on 3rd are plastered with posters of Mexican wrestlers, the back booths with "adult" comics. Found in a Saveur magazine many years ago, my Anthony Bourdain-emulating father had dogeared the page, certain that someday we would make it there to try the enchiladas verde. With a tequila bar featuring hundreds of derivatives of the traditional margarita, (the Guava with salt was divine), the food far surpassed a typical bar-style Mexican restaurant. And on said bar, sit lucite lamps filled with neon-lit water and...small Mexican wrestlers. Get one of everything on the menu, starting with the guacamole. By the end of the meal, you will want to take home a framed (porcelain?) bust of a crazed Mexican wrestler. And, a guava margarita.

LACMA

(photo courtesy of Curbed LA)

One of the highlights of last week’s trip to Los Angeles was far and away a visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. LACMA, which sits next door to the La Brea Tar Pits, consists of nine modern buildings, containing among other things, Modern Art, Japanese Art, American Art, special exhibitions and amazing views of the Hollywood Hills.

The "Urban Light" installation in the courtyard is especially cool, featuring 202 restored vintage street lamps from around Southern California that were collected and organized by artist Chris Burden. You can walk among the gorgeous installation, or swing on the lampposts à la Gene Kelly.

(photo courtesy of Denver Westword)

This summer and fall the Tim Burton exhibit is at LACMA, featuring examples of work done throughout his life including paintings, film, and costumes. The infamous scissor hands once worn by Johnny Depp are on view, along with preliminary character sketches for Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice and Batman. The exhibit runs through October, and was a pleasantly interesting surprise.

(photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art)

Along with a very impressive permanent collection of works from the Abstract Expressionists along with Contemporary artists, including a magnificent Richard Serra steel sculpture, the highlight of the afternoon was Christian Marclay's 24-hour film The Clock. Marclay compiled a montage containing 1000's of film clips ranging from early cinema up to new releases. Each clip features a timepiece at an exact moment during a 24 hour time period. Wether it is James Bond glancing at his watch at precisely *4:07, or Katharine Hepburn breezing past a clock that reads 7:45 while setting the dining table for a dinner party, the film captivates your attention as you never know what will pop up next. It is synchronized with real time, so feels a bit spooky. There will be one 24-hour screening of the film on July 28th beginning at 5pm. Go see this film! It also received the Golden Lion Award at this year's Venice Biennale.

*(I stand corrected. A loyal reader pointed out that I was incorrect in saying 7:24 previously, Bond's watch clearly reads 4:07!)

More on L.A. to come!

(photo courtesy of LACMA)

Walk on the Westside

newly hung Summer Salon at Emily Amy Gallery

Although it is sprinkling outside, it is still a great day to walk around the Westside!!

Please join us from 11-5 today for the Westside Arts District's 3rd Saturday Art Walk. We hope to see you at the gallery!

Tacos Por Favor

(image, Phranc's Striped Swimsuit, courtesy of bergamotstation.com)

One half of EAG heads to Los Angeles on Wednesday. The planning started months ago, and thanks to our friend Capella Kincheloe of A Curated Lifestyle there are a few exciting things on the itinerary like Tacos Por Favor, and the Summer Dance Series on the Santa Monica Pier that only locals might know to suggest. For more great ideas from Capella, read that post here.

(image courtesy of The Getty)

Also on the agenda of course are many, many galleries and museums. Thanks to some insight received from another recent LA transplant, Bergamot: Station has been added to the list, as it's the hot spot for gallery hopping, and a great way to see a lot in one day. With over 30 galleries and the Santa Monica Museum of Art tucked into one complex, sounds like a great way to take it all in. Then of course LACMA for the modern and contemporary collections, and the Getty.

And thanks to fellow foodie Gwyneth Paltrow, and her blog Goop, the list of restaurants to try is endless.

More details to come next week. Suggestions of things to do, see, eat, drink are encouraged!

(image courtesy of Tory Burch)

(images of Animal courtesy of goop.com)

The Reviews Are In...

(image, Bailey overlooking his installation, Windward Coast, courtesy of The New York Times)

As you may know, Radcliffe Bailey's show, Radcliffe Bailey: Memory as Medicine, is now open at the High Museum. It runs through September 11, so there is plenty of time left to catch the show, which includes mixed media paintings and installations. Bailey is an Atlanta-based artist, and received his BFA from the Atlanta College of Art. He is represented in Atlanta by Solomon Projects on Monroe Drive.

If you have already made it out to see the show, what did you think?

Read Cathy Fox's review here. The New York Times write up here. And Creative Loafing's preview can be read here.

(above images, Monk and Travel By Night, courtesy of Solomon Projects)

Tragedies in the Art World

Cy Twombly Dies

Yesterday, July 5, Cy Twombly passed away in Rome, Italy. One of the most influential and successful abstract artists of all time, Twombly was born in Virginia, but lived most of his adult life in Italy. Twombly emerged in the mid 19th century alongside Rauschenberg, Motherwell, and Kline, and from then rose to fame. He was known for his "scribbling," linear, large-scale abstract paintings. Several examples are included below. He has always been a favorite artist of ours, and a constant source of inspiration.

Twombly was only the third contemporary artist given the honor of painting a gallery ceiling in the Louvre, the others being Kiefer and Braque. The painting, which is 3,750 square feet, can be found in the Salle des Bronzes.

(above image, Twombly's "Say Goodbye, Catullus, to the Shores of Asia Minor," courtesy of nytimes.com)

(image courtesy of www.dangolden.com)

As Jerry Saltz so eloquently said in his celebration of Twombly's life, which can be read here, "Twombly’s fusing of thought, mark-making, narrative, history, myth, and formalism made me see that there is no such thing as purely abstract or representational art. He’s the artist who made me see that all art is equally abstract and that something as simple as handwriting and scribbling, unleashed, can be art."

(image courtesy of www.artobserved.com)

Art Heist in San Francisco

(Picasso's Tête de femme, image courtesy of BBC News)

In other art news, yesterday a "well dressed" man walked into a San Francisco art gallery, grabbed a Picasso drawing off the wall, and walked back outside to an awaiting cab. He has not been apprehended. The Weinstein Gallery, which also carries the work of Chagall, Miro, and Dali to name a few high profile artists, fears that the painting will be discarded once the thief realizes it will be tough to resell. The piece, Tête de femme, is a pencil on paper drawing thought to have been created in 1965, and with an estimated worth of $200,000. Sounds a bit like The Thomas Crown Affair?

Barbie, Is That You?

(images courtesy of www.barbiecollector.com)

The newest additions to the Barbie collection have arrived and thus officially launched the "Barbie Collector Museum Collection." Three masterpieces, one each by Klimt, van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci, have inspired dolls.

The first doll is inspired by Gustav Klimt's 1907 portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, the second, by Leonardo's 16th century masterpiece, Mona Lisa, and the last was inspired by van Gogh's Starry Night.

We recently viewed Klimt's Adele Bloch-Bauer I, in it's permanent residency at the Neue Gallery in New York. The Barbie version does not do her justice, but is funny considering the hairdo and definitely a new take on the piece.

The Barbie version of Mona Lisa is also entertaining, and a stretch for Barbie. She looks a bit uncomfortable, as she is not used to being so heavily clothed. Since Van Gogh's Starry Night does not feature a woman, it is more of a fashion inspiration. So as far as that Barbie goes, I guess a one-shoulder gown with hints of swirls in blues and creams will have to do? Those shoes...

But back to the first of the new Barbie collection, since it features a piece that we have been thinking about lately. The portrait of Mrs. Bloch-Bauer, which was painted in oil, silver and gold on canvas, has a very storied past. During her lifetime, Adele Bloch-Bauer was a prominent citizen. She was a member of the Jewish-Austrian aristocracy until her death in 1925. When the Nazis invaded, her husband was forced to flee Vienna, and the painting was confiscated along with everything else. From that day on, the painting's ownership was hotly contested for years and years, and was finally regained by a descendant of Adele's.

The 2006 film, The Rape of Europa, chronicles the many lives of this breathtakingly beautiful portrait, along with the countless other pieces of fine art that were casualties of the wars in Europe and the Nazi regime. Ronald Lauder purchase the painting five years ago for $135 million, and it has hung in his gallery at 1048 5th Avenue since. At the time, that was the largest sum ever paid for a painting. If you ever have the chance, go to the Neue Gallery to view this piece, along with their other exhibitions, and be sure to have desert downstairs at Cafe Sabarsky! And just think, for only $34.95 each, we can all own a piece of these masterpieces...

(image courtesy of www.artchooser.com)

The American Realist

(Rocky Pedestal, 1927, via Bowdoin College Museum of Art)

If by chance you have plans to be in Maine this summer, be sure to make a trip to Brunswick to see, Edward Hopper's Maine, at Bowdoin College Museum of Art. In the early to mid 1900s, Hopper spent many summers in Maine, which inspired many of his landscape paintings in years to come. A number of these works have never been on view before now. There will be ninety works, including watercolors, paintings, drawings, and prints on view in the exhibition, which opens July 15.

An American realist painter born in Nyack, New York, Hopper worked mainly in oil and in watercolor, and experienced a very successful career that spanned the first four decades of the 20th century. He sold his first painting at the Armory Show in 1913, at the age of 31! Influential to him were French artists Manet and Degas, among others. His contemporaries included Andrew Wyeth, Norman Rockwell, and Georgia O'Keeffe, and later many Abstract Expressionists would cite Hopper as an influence on their work, including de Kooning and Rothko.

Upon their deaths, Hopper and his wife Josephine, bequeathed their collection to the Whitney Museum. The upcoming exhibit in Maine is in conjunction with an exhibit that recently closed at the Whitney, Modern Life: Edward Hopper and His Time, which focused on Hopper's use of modern life as subject matter in his paintings of the human experience. Many of the works in the Bowdoin exhibition are on loan from the Met, the Whitney, and private collections. A favorite author/actor/comedian of ours, Steve Martin, is a contributing essay writer for the catalogue that is being produced for the exhibition. Sounds like a must-see!

(New York Interior, 1921, www.whitney.org)

(Soir Bleu, 1941, via www.whitney.org)

Mélange

(image courtesy of Hampton Hostess Blog)

One of our favorite ways to see art hung is in the salon-style. It's inspirational, dynamic, and always unique. Not to mention, a fantastic way to mix all styles of art, photography and imagery. Notice in so many of these images, traditional still life paintings hang right next to graphic black and white photographs. Or, as seen in the third image, you can accomplish a very interesting wall with only traditional elements, like equestrian imagery, botanicals and maps.

Just don't get caught up worrying about symmetry or perfection. And, don't be afraid to throw in other pieces alongside art, like a mirror; or hang your art around existing sconces. This is also a great way to showcase those small, often more affordable, pieces of art that you have collected over the years, that might not be able to hang alone on a wall.

A fun example can be found in one of our favorite movies, The Royal Tenenbaums. Etheline Tenenbaum hangs her son Richie's art along the walls of their quirky home, which was actually all done by director Wes Anderson's brother, Eric...see below.

(image courtesy of Jonathan Adler)

(image courtesy of Verdigris Vie blog)

(image courtesy of Two Coats of Paint)

(image courtesy of Apartment Therapy)

(above two images courtesy of IGN Movies)

(image courtesy of The House of Wood blog, via Domino)

"The Last Thing You Hung"

We loved getting Grant Gibson's blog post this morning thanking House Beautiful for including him in their June 2011 issue. The feature is called "Send Us a Picture: The Last Thing You Hung." The headline says, "Designers know that one of the quickest changes of all is to hammer a nail into a wall and hang a painting, a photo, a gleaming mirror." Grant then highlights a piece of wall decor by a San Franciso artisan that has the power to change a room entirely.

(image courtesy of Grant K. Gibson, "the blog")

At the risk of overstating the obvious, we feel exactly the same way! While it can be intimidating to hang a statement piece of artwork on a wall, creating a focal point for the room, that piece of art has the power to set the overall tone. Don't be afraid to start with a painting that moves you, and let it be the inspiration for the space it hangs in. Alternatively, it can be a very exciting thing to hang a piece of art in an effort to restore life to a room. Allow art to be a conversation starter, and let your personality show through your selections. We are often asked the best way to go about making a purchase of fine art, and we always say, go with your gut. After all, you are the one who will be living with it.

Another example of this we spotted recently was in the latest issue of Lonny. The images of Todd Romano's new LA store, along with his own home, show how his personality, and his fearlessness when it comes to letting art do the talking in a room. Don't let convention stop you from placing a contemporary, abstract piece in a formal dining room. Look how fun that piece is that Grant hung to the right of the "branchlers," on what appears to be grasscloth walls...Not only is that a room we would love to spend time in, but we also want to meet the inhabitants!

(above two images courtesy of Lonny Magazine)

Cecil Touchon in Elle Decor

(image courtesy of Elle Decor)

We are excited to say that gallery artist Cecil Touchon is featured in June's Elle Decor in a project by Manhattan-based designer Alexa Hampton. As part of the feature 'Elle Decor's 2011 A-List,' Alexa is highlighted as a top designer. Cecil's collage is framed above a console in a client's Manhattan home. The daughter of famed designer Mark Hampton, Alexa is someone who's work we have always enjoyed, and we are proud to see Cecil's piece being placed in one of her projects. You can see the feature here.

FS 2205CT06

Cecil is based out of Fort Worth, Texas and has been painting for over 30 years. We also recently mentioned his feature in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles! Which you can see again here. Cecil has been showing with EAG since 2008. Further examples of his work available at the gallery follow.

FS 2924

PDP 417

FS 2730

FS 2896