VCU Commons Student Gallery

Henry Winfiele I didn't write in your little black book but here is some feedback for you. The show first off is well organized and presents a central idea/theme. Henry has found a typical medium and is using it in an unconventional way to create a striking piece of work that breaks the boundary between painting and sculpture. His sculpture pieces clearly allude to turning sculpture into paintings. I wish his sculptures that he is painting were made by him rather than found objects. (I am assuming that he didn't make them.) I really enjoy his method of drilling into the paintings to show the mulitple layers. Somewhat repetative but good non the less. Henry has realized his technique of layers and drilling is somewhat limited and has continued to push the boundaries of built up paint by exploring other textural methods. This is great to see him keeping himself as an artist out of a rut. Thanks Henry for pushing the evelope.

Harrison Street Coffee Shop

Best of 2008 Photo Show @ Harrison Street Coffee Shop is a collective gathering of people who enjoy good coffee and foods prepared by a local venue. Above each booth is a photograph and upstairs contains the vast majority of the show. It's hard to get a look at the photographs in the lower part of the shop since the booths are commonly enjoyed by patrons. Upstairs you can get a good close look of the work on display. Harrison Street even has their own blog here.

Some of the artists I looked at included:
Hassan Pitts
Kimberly Frost kimberlyfrost.com
Tony Lynch dawngondog.org



The show could be thought of as your refrigerator's front door but larger. Interesting photos stuck to the front to be viewed until they get covered up by more recent interesting photos.
Going with that theme I would say many of the works could use some help being mounted as at least half of the ones I viewed were sagging in their frames. The show did allow for local artists to be displayed among other local artists to give onlookers a view into what interests Richmond's local photographers. Ranging in traditional black and white prints to digital photos the show had a vast array of techniques and subject matter. The unpolished work is somewhat inspirational in seeing raw works of pure interest and maybe not so much finished works of fine art.

Lewis Hyde

Lewis Hyde enjoys history.
Lewis Hyde enjoys talking about where artists fit into society.
Lewis Hyde enjoys contemplating property rights.

Lewis Hyde is foremost a difficult person to write about.
Many would probably say Lewis Hyde is a very insightful and entices his audience with questions. Questions find answers by being asked. Lewis is seemingly on an adventure with the art community to answer difficult questions regarding our place in society, who owns art, is it possible to teach one self, and where does creativity come from?

Lewis seeks to shed light on some of these questions by looking into the past at the U.S's founding father Benjamin Franklin. Lewis examines Ben's views on ownership of ideas and encourages the art community to think about how we are hindered by the current copyright process. Lewis brings into question the formalities of society and the fences we place between common thoughts and ideas. The effect of these "fences" might hinder our societies movement out of the digital age.

Lewis is a great person to listen to speak on topics that concern us all even if we never expand our mind to think of such things on our own.

Lewis Hyde can be found @ http://www.lewishyde.com/index.html

First Friday's Art Walk Feb 2009

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

I began my art walk heading east down broad from the VCU parking deck. I came across some people practicing martial arts. I thought that maybe this would be best art I would see all night. I don't really enjoy First Fridays.


Hate pompous artsy types? Well here's your chance to walk all over their precious art crap.

This enjoyable piece of work is hidden in the sidewalk for most to step on and never notice. This certainly meets the criteria for being art then.


Peeping Tom #1

I walked passed galleries and thought to myself "Ok Im gonna go in one of these and look at something and write about it and leave." I decided that taking pictures of "art" would be more like "art" itself. So I decided to take some photos of people looking into the black hole. I felt like I could replace the art with a television and no one would look out of place. Why do people stick there noses into art anyways? They don't stick their noses into a television to wonder about how a pixel is crafted. I moved on.


Richmond Camera

I was disapointed by a place that supplies artists materials not to have any sort of showing. I understand no one wants to work on a Friday night but they seem to have some nice big windows which at times displays art. How about turning on a light and sharing some?


Peeping Tom #2

No need to go into detail about this photo and the others below as I dispointedly walked about.


Peeping Tom #3


Peeping Tom #4


Rick Randy? What was your name again?

Ok so by this time I decided to step foot into art 6 upstairs. I enjoyed walking through what seemed to be an artist's space. It allowed me to see a history of strokes and mark making that occured to possibly make the art on display. I wondered if the space was an exhibit or if it was rather an actual studio. The artist seemed to be into repeating patterns. Somehow the repeating patterns broke the monotony repeating art gallery fronts. The artist still seemed to be finding there way as to what they were trying to discover about themselves or their statement to their audience but it was enjoyable again to have a glimps into the process. After leaving the studio space I ran into the guy pictured above. He seemed interested in what I was taking pictures of and insisted I take his photo in front of the "art" behind him ("art" behind him was done by same person who's studio I walked through.) He told me to feel free to do as I pleased with the photo and I believe he was curious to see if it ended up in a newspaper or maybe even a student blog. Maybe he's in on the big secret?


I see the light.

Religion as "art." Sure why not. It's possibly more effective, creative and engaging than some kite fabric sewn together.



Have I entered the red light district of amsterdam? No I'm standing in front of a closed gallery. It fit the theme of looking in and not being allowed to see the other pieces of work off in the distance. My favorite piece of work for making me agrivated that I wasn't allowed in even thought I would have never gone in anyways.


Disapointed Peeping Tom #1 of 1

So what is this place? Why do they waste electricity? So many questions.


Friday the 13th comes early.

This guy was great. He has a talent for playing a guitar with one hand while playing the drums with the other all while being unlawful of Richmond's code presenting it illegal to wear a mask in a public place. The other great thing is how crowded this guy's performance made the sidewalk. He disrupted people's normal path of travel. It was "art" seeing how people attempted to navigate past a crowded sidewalk. Some chose to step into the busy street while others walked in front of the performance. I decided to get in his face with a camera.





Ok so First Friday has some appeal if you like to peep into windows, spend money or get drunk. Lot's of drunk people gazing into works of "art" with the possible hope of being witnessed doing so. Maybe I'm being a little harsh. It's not all bad.