Habitat Opens @ Rosenberg Gallery November 13

Habitat, an exhibition curated by Laura Amussen, focuses on the relationship between artistic practice and domestic space. On view at Goucher College's Rosenberg Gallery from November 3 - December 7, 2008.
Artists: Angelo Arnold, Rachel Bone, Alyssa Dennis, Robert Sparrow Jones, Chris La Voie, Jackson Martin, Sebastian Martorana, James Reick, and Eddie Winter

Opening Reception: Thursday, Nov. 13 from 7-9 p.m.

And honestly, who would pass up any opportunity to see Robert Sparrow Jones' paintings?

Beastiarum Vocabulum @ Rosenberg Gallery

Jessie Boyko's unapologetic rhino fornication, her paintings are based on her travel experiences

Beastiarum Vocabulum, the new show at Goucher's Rosenberg Gallery, features artists who are exploring the relationship between animals, humans and art. The theme of the show came to curator Laura Amussen after last year's Art Basel, where she saw a number of artists investigating these ideas. The included artists each have a very different take on and reason for their animal imagery. Some worked more figuratively, and others have abstracted the animal beyond recognition, as with David Page's leather drumsticks (below), and Beverly Ress's delicate paper work.

Gowri Savoor uses animals to represent memory and its occurrence in her life

Detail from Lisa Dillin's igloo sculpture

Beverly Ress

Evan Morgan's sculptures in front of Jenny Mullins' animation

Beverly Ress

Me inside Lisa Dillin's growling sleeping bag...yes it growls

Evan Morgan's deer ducks

David Page in front of Melissa Dickenson

Lily and a friend admire Melissa Dickenson's pieces

David Page

The show as a whole has a slightly more commercial feel than past Rosenberg exhibitions. This is maybe in a large part due to the included prices, and (me, personally) having seen Page's work recently at Jordan Faye. Amussen, as always, has selected some beautiful and interesting pieces for the space, my favorites being Jenny Mullins' video and Lisa Dillin's funny/surreal/bizarre sculpture, but I think, honestly, I would like to have seen some more beasts-it is a little tame.

The show is already open to the public, but will have its opening reception on Thursday, September 25th from 6 - 8 pm.
COME SEE IT FOR YOURSELF!

Bestiarum Vocabulum Opens @ Rosenberg Gallery

Beastiarum Vocabulum, the new group show opening at Goucher College's Rosenberg Gallery, investigates the relationship between humans and animals, and the contemporary vocabulary created by artists who use them in their work.
The exhibition will be on view from September 15 - October 19, with an opening reception on Thursday, September 25, 6 - 8 pm.
Featured artists: Jessie Boyko, Melissa Dickenson, Lisa Dillin, Evan Morgan, Jenny Mullins, David Page, Beverly Ress, and Gowri Savoor.

Still from Jenny Mullins' animation piece

From the catalog essay: A bestiary or bestiarum vocabulum was a book popular in the Middle Ages which contained illustrated descriptions of various animals, birds and even rocks. The natural history and illustration of each beast was typically accompanied by a moral lesson. In addition to providing intriguing interpretations of animals, bestiaries offered tales about the existence of bizarre and loathsome mythical creatures. Since that time animals have appeared in the visual arts in everything ranging from decoration to symbols and allegories.

Detail from Lisa Dillin's sculpture

The show, curated by Ten Tigers' friend/fav, Laura Amussen, is guaranteed to be excellent. Rosenberg is not that far away, carpool, take the city bus, take the college town bus (its free!), just make sure you get there, I promise it will be worth it.

When Concept Rules Composition; Full Circle Opens at Rosenberg Gallery

John Ruppert's sculpture in front of his "gourd"

Full Circle, an Artscape satellite exhibition, features the work of local, Baltimore artists that investigate and employ the circle in their art. Curated by Laura Amussen (who's done a consistently amazing job with the space), the concise, accessible theme makes for an inviting show. The range of size and material provides appropriate diversity and an interesting division of the gallery's unique space.

Hadieh Marjan Shafie's scroll-filled wall pieces

Amussen ought to be applauded for bringing Artscape to Goucher, creating some much-needed ties with the greater Baltimore community, but also for delivering a show with an uncommon level of professionalism to those who venture north of the city.

John Ruppert's "crucible," front, "pumpkin" right, and Yongumi Song Organ's "Bubbles" to the back left

Renee Rendine's "Lure" made of crocheted fishing line

Paintings by Carol Miller Frost

Mary Earley's untitled sculpture

Tim Horjus' "!!SINCERE COMPENSATION!!"

Hadieh Marjan Shafie

Tim Horjus' "Congraduations!!!"

Hadieh Marjan Shafie

Youngumi Song Organ's "Bubbles" made of hair on paper

Tim Horjus' "Hi From Brandi"

Gallery goers admiring Kate McKinnon's paintings

The exhibition will be up and open to the public through July 31. Make sure to check it out.
For more information, visit the Rosenberg Gallery website.

Laura Amussen's Lady Chapel Minstallation

MINSTALLATION GALLERY OPENING TOMORROW, SATURDAY JUNE 21

Lady Chapel, a new minstallation by Laura Amussen, opens Saturday June 21 with a reception from 4 - 7 PM. The piece will remain on view through August 16.

Images and details about the show at the Minstallation Gallery blog:

minstallation.blogspot.com

Ethnography of No Place @ the Rosenberg Gallery

Mylar Installation by Kazue Taguchi

Laura Amussen took on her role as Rosenberg's curator fearlessly, bringing contemporary, local and relavent artists into Goucher's college campus. Her curatorial presence and keen sensibilities have obviously enriched the environment for both the students and exhibiting artists. Ethnography of No Place, the current exhibition, deals with psychological landscapes and imagined places. Rosenberg is completely transformed, simultaneously united and disjointed with each artists' vision of "no place." The seven participating artists dealt with this theme in a variety of ways, creating imagined spaces out of everything from mylar to maps to doll house furniture. The lack of human presence within these pieces, each of which employ or reference familiar materials, is disarming and isolating. The viewer hopes to find themselves feeling comfortable within another's psychological landscape, creating a unique dichotomy of being invited to look, but not to stay, and definitely not to understand.

Lea Bailis's sculpture in front of Dawn Gavin's map installation and Courtney Jordan's drawings (above)

String mountains by Ali Schmeltz

Imagined Architectural Drawings by Courtney Jordan

Isabel Manalo's abstracted landscape paintings

Detail from Dawn Gavin's map installation


Bridget Sue Lambert's photographs of doll house interiors

For more information on the show and the artists:
http://meyerhoff.goucher.edu/rosenberg/