Aqua Wynwood 2009 (MIAMI)

Paul Wackers

Aqua 2009 was a little disappointing to those of us who loved the awesome, illustration/West Coast aesthetic of the 2008 fair. This year, Wynwood had to hold it down for the Aqua establishment, as Aqua Hotel did not take place. Leaving many of its previous participants without an affordable option for exhibiting, Aqua's quality of work fell drastically, shifting from the psychedelic to the low brow/Juxtapoz genres. Gross. Thankfully, Elenor Harwood and Michael Rosenthal galleries kept it real with some Paul Wackers paintings (@ EH's booth) and new Megan Whitmarsh pieces (@ MR). Below are pix of the good, the bad and/or the noteworthy:

Paul Wackers

Paul Wackers

Barry McGee

Dean Monogenis

Michael Bizon

Iris Schieferstein

detail

A Sidney Pink over a creepy glass sculpture

This is rad, it had no label but I liked it

Old Laylah Ali piece

Yuhi Hasegawa

grossy new goth/lowbrow work

seriously?

Paul Oberst

Nick Kuszyk

James Benjamin Franklin

Megan Whitmarsh above and three below

Cara Ober!!

Ginette LaPalme above and below

Andrew Wilson. This drawing rules.

Kyle Field. I love Kyle Field, but these are not my fav.

More gross art

A.J. Fosik

This was pretty funny

eh.

Photos from Love Letters and Debriscapes @ Civilian Art Projects

Cara Ober's and Nikki Painter's simultaneous solo shows at Civilian Art Projects in DC featured lots of new work by both ladies, and was received by an enthusiastic crowd. The shows run through October 17, and are the last exhibitions in Civilian's current location. For more info on the shows, artists and gallery, visit Civilian's website!

Love Letters and Debriscapes @ Civilian Art Projects

Love Letters, new works by Cara Ober opens Friday, September 11, 7 - 9 pm

Love Letters is Baltimore-based artist Cara Ober’s first solo exhibition with Civilian Art Projects. Ober layers drawing, painting, and printmaking into mixed media works that examine and reinterpret sentimental imagery. Intricate and funny, Love Letters explores the relationship of the artist to image, word, and personal meaning found in the exploration of secret fantasy and expressive interlude.
Also Opening @ Civilian:
Debriscapes by Nikki Painter
With Debriscapes, her first solo exhibition in Washington DC, Richmond VA-based Nikki Painter exhibits new drawings and a site-specific installation that explore -- in bright neon colors, pencil lines, and various materials -- the relationship and continuum between the built and natural worlds.
BE THERE.