New Art Exhibit Featuring Allen Russ: “City of Trees: The Natural Monuments of Washington DC”
Over the weekend we had a new art exhibit go up called “City of Trees: The Natural Monuments of Washington DC” from DC-based photographer Allen Russ.
Allen Russ on the series:
“This is an ongoing book project of landscape photography focusing on the trees of Washington DC. I am working on this project in conjunction with the Trust for the National Mall. For the next several years, I will be adding photographs as I create them.”
As you may recall, Allen has exhibited at Vastu before back in 2010 as part of a $500 or Less art show and was even interviewed, at the time, by Cecile Oreste from Borderstan.
About his work:
“I would characterize my work as equal parts science and art. Often when I conceive of a photograph, so much of my intent is to capture some biological, chemical and physical symptom of the effects of time on my subject as well as the geometry of the subject and the scene of which it is a part.
It is often the case that I manufacture or manipulate my subject over weeks and months. Treating it chemically or simply leaving it to be affected by weathering. Although, many of my subjects are man-made relics of the industrial era, I am primarily photographing nature.
I am trying to capture not just the symptoms of time, but the actual passage of it. This means that I spend the time around many of my photographs under long exposure conditions trying to contain 30+ minutes on a single piece of film.”
"Mulberry 1, Monument"
What:
Allen Russ exhibit, “City of Trees: The Natural Monuments of Washington DC”
Where:
Vastu
1829 14th St. NW / Washington, DC 20009
When:
January 30, 2012 – March 25, 2012
Behind the Scenes: Greg Minah
Yesterday, Baltimore-based artist Greg Minah posted this great video on our Facebook page. It shows the process and work that goes into making many of his pieces. We’ve exhibited Greg here in our showroom before and he’s a favorite of many of our designers when working on a design project. Check it out!
Greg Minah: Painting | Method from Greg Minah on Vimeo.
New Art Exhibition from Colin Winterbottom
"Orangey-Red with Flaking White"
“Elegant Corrosion”
While something of an oxymoron, this is also the name of Colin Winterbottom’s newest photography exhibition now on display here at Vastu. And nothing could be more beautiful and elegant than these photographs of corrosion and decay.
“Having developed a reputation for haunting and evocative black and white photographs of the urban landscape, Colin Winterbottom has turned his camera to a study of rust and industrial decay. ”Elegant Corrosion” is an abstract series of vibrant, saturated macro photography which exudes energy and texture. The exhibition features a mix of high-gloss prints on aluminum and framed prints on paper.”
Dark and Light Running Green
Visually organic with an industrial feel, Colin’s pieces from “Elegant Corrosion” would be an excellent addition to any art lover’s collection.
To celebrate this new collection, Vastu will be hosting an opening reception on December 1st, from 6 to 8PM. So come by to enjoy Colin’s work, have some snacks and mingle with your neighbors.
WHERE:
Vastu
1829 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.234.8344
WHEN:
Opening Reception: December 1, 2011 / 6-8PM
Exhibition: November 15, 2011 – January 15, 2012
Vastu Shoutout: Regina Miele & Arts@1830
(Image by Luis Gomez Photos)
A couple of nights ago, Vastu co-owners Eric Kole and Jason Claire attended a soft opening of Regina Miele’s new gallery, framing and studio space, Arts@1830. Regina (an artist herself and friend to Vastu) formerly occupied Raven Arts which was above Bar Pilar, a couple of doors down from our showroom.
Borderstan describes the new space as being “clean and spare, white from floor to ceiling. A moving wall at the back of the gallery space can push forward towards the front, to allow for more framing space, or backwards towards the studio, for a bigger gallery.”
We want to wish Regina the best of luck with this new gallery and hope you all will come out and support her.
You can see more pictures from Tuesday’s soft opening/media night here and while you’re at it, “Like” Regina’s new gallery and studio on Facebook!
Eames: The Architect and the Painter
What’s better than a documentary about design? How about a documentary about famous designers Ray and Charles Eames?
If that got you a little excited then you’re in luck because First Run Features has released, and is now showing, Eames: The Architect and the Painter.
From First Run Features:
“The husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames are widely regarded as America’s most important designers. Perhaps best remembered for their mid-century plywood and fiberglass furniture, the Eames Office also created a mind-bending variety of other products, from splints for wounded military during World War II, to photography, interiors, multi-media exhibits, graphics, games, films and toys. But their personal lives and influence on significant events in American life – from the development of modernism, to the rise of the computer age – has been less widely understood. Narrated by James Franco, Eames: The Architect and the Painter is the first film dedicated to these creative geniuses and their work.”
Check out a trailer to the movie.
For those of you living here in DC, the documentary won’t premiere until February 12, 2012 at the National Gallery of Art. A full listing of release dates and cities can be found here.
Vastu ♥’s Art
Art is one of those design elements that can really take a space from nice to amazing! It’s also an element that our designers take into consideration when working on a client’s space. Check out how we’ve used art in past projects!
Brian Petro - Church Street Flat
MidCity Artists Fall Open Studios
Who are the Midcity Artists?
They are a diverse and talented group of around 40 professional artists who have come together for the purpose of promoting their art and the Dupont/Logan neighborhoods in the city they call home.
What is Open Studios?
Open Studios is a bi-annual event that allows the public to see where the artists based in the Midcity neighborhood create and get first-hand look at their most current work. This year’s Fall Open Studios event is Saturday, October 22nd and Sunday, October 23rd.
Be sure to stop by Vastu to check out the work of Brian Petro and Colin Winterbottom.
Brian Petro
Colin Winterbottom
Click here to download the map to start planning your walking tour of the various studios.
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To keep up with Midcity Artists, check out their Facebook page
or follow them on Twitter.
Brian Petro’s Showhouse Debut
Vastu art dealer, Brian Petro was recently on tv alongside Eric Kole. Okay, well, Brian wasn’t physically there, but some of his art was!
In charge of finding new and exciting art and artists to showcase in our showroom, Brian has been a friend of Vastu’s for quite some time. He occasionally has exhibitions in our space and you can even seee him at work during one of the many open studios that occur throughout the year.
For his episode of HGTV’s Showhouse Showdown, Eric used three of Brian’s pieces from his Grocery series. They beautifully adorned the wall in the family room and looked great next to the Finland Sectional and Bowie Swivel Chairs from Steven Anthony and the Saarinen coffee tables from Knoll.
Read more about Brian Petro’s Grocery series in this past Design Clique post and be sure to stop by Vastu as Brian is offering 30% off of any purchase of work that’s in his studio. Call for appointments – (202) 270-7352. The studio is here at Vastu – 1829 14th street, NW, Washington DC. Hours are 11 am to 7 tues-sat, sunday 12-5.
New Art Exhibit Starting Sept 13: Rob Rogers
Our newest art exhibit, running from September 13th to November 13th, features artists Rob Rogers.
A native of Sydney, Australia, Rob Rogers has drawn and painted since he was old enough to hold a pencil. Attending Sydney College of the Arts in the 1970s, studying design, he has spent many years as an award winning creative director in advertising. In recent years he moved to New York where he has devoted greater amounts of time to painting, taking up encaustic (wax painting) as a medium in 2009.
Run to White II
After many years painting in oils, he considers his recent choice of medium plays a pivotal role in the creation of his newer abstract work.
“Rich and substantial, sudden and willful, obscuring or revealing, encaustic is a medium that is sympathetic to an instinctual approach. A combination of alchemy and art, it encourages the exploration of surface, the layering of motif and rewards the subconscious impulse. Process continues to play a dominant role as I seek the moments of harmony that occasionally occur when the wax, color and heat collide.”
Rogers’s work is found in private collections in Sydney, Melbourne, Milan, San Francisco and New York. Recently he has exhibited at galleries in Sydney, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
WHERE:
Vastu
1829 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.234.8344
WHEN:
September 13 – November 13, 2011
Designer Spotlight: Yves Béhar
Yves Béhar (1967-Present)
Birthplace: Switzerland
Herman Miller Products: Leaf Personal Light, Ardea Personal Light, SAYL Work Chair
Born to a German mother and Turkish father, this Swiss-born industrial designer studied at the Art Center College of Design in California.
For a relatively young designer, he has had a remarkable career. A graduate of the Art Center College of Design, he started out working with high tech Silicon Valley clients such as Apple and Hewlett Packard, eventually gravitating into the sport, apparel, technology and furniture arenas.
His collaboration with Herman Miller came about through one such conversation. An admirer of Charles and Ray Eames, Béhar decided he wanted to do something for the company himself. “Design is very much at the center of Herman Miller’s culture,” he says. “So one day I just picked up the phone, called them, and said, ‘Let’s work together.’”
Four years later, Herman Miller introduced his two brilliantly innovative lighting products, Leaf and Ardea.
(image and bio via Herman Miller)
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