Vignette: Caroline Waite

A photograph of Caroline Waite in her studio.

"One Small Planet" by Caroline Waite, 10x11x2.5in, tin, paper mache, gouache paintings, model trees, globe, chain. $950 | BUY NOW

Objects are memory in Caroline Waite’s work. Trained as a Printmaker and with experience in Textiles, it should come as no surprise that, when she found herself developing three-dimensional work, the constructions would include repetition. Patterns can be discovered in the recurrence of the objects themselves, culled from her ever-expanding collection (artists were recycling long before it was fashionable or essential), or an even more fundamental echoing of motifs or design elements within the structure of a piece.

 “Things are displayed in my studio, either pinned to the wall or arranged on a surface and eventually a dialogue begins. Once I recognize the potential relationship between these objects, a narrative develops and I get to work.

I love the element of mystery surrounding old objects – the questions as to their meaning, their origin and age – in other words, their “secret lives”.”

In England, Waite taught at Northbrook College, Sussex North East Wales University Telford College, Shropshire. Since moving to the U.S. in 2001, she has lived in Texas and New Mexico but prefers her current home of Louisville, even if two house moves in two years has meant little time for involvement in exhibitions:

"Beauty Beckons" by Caroline Waite, 24x12x2in, forged steel, vintage drafting tools, Nymphenburg German porcelain hand, hand painted panel and various mixed media, $1700 | BUY NOW

“However, new work has been in production with exciting developments including a collaboration with a metal fabricator on forged, steel pieces, allowing me to pursue an interest in wall sculptures.” In an interview on PUBLIC, Waite talked about how the intimacy of her work seems in contrast to the American taste for scale. Perhaps this burgeoning interest in developing larger work is a sign that time in the States is exerting some influence on her.

Waite is currently exhibiting with Tom Pfannerstill at Galerie Hertz in Louisville, Kentucky through December 31, 2016, and she will be participating in Strange Worlds: The Vision of Angela Carter, a major invitational exhibit at the Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, England, that opens on December 9, 2016.

Hometown: Cookham Dean, England
Age: 57
Education: BA, Honors in Fine Art, Cheltenham College of Art; Art Teaching Degree, Brighton Polytechnic
Gallery Representation: Galerie Hertz (Louisville)
Website: http://carolinewaite.com

"'Sphinx' (detail)" by Caroline Waite, 14x12x2.5in, antique doll, paper collage, wire in antique repurposed frame, $600 | BUY NOW

"Scene Unseen" by Caroline Waite, 24x12x2.5in, forged steel, carved ivory panels, painted panels, vintage drafting tools and other mixed media, $1600 | BUY NOW

"'Miraculous Discoveries" by Caroline Waite, 38x27x3in, large display case of hand constructed and collaged insects (sourced from detailed photographs of preserved insects), dolls eyes, card stock, wire, and magazine paper, $5500 | BUY NOW

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Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Jonny Gilroy

“Embody” by Jonny Gilroy, steel, twine, root, acrylic, $420  | BUY NOW

Jonny Gilroy is an artist working in a variety of disciplines. He spent a few years in Raleigh, NC as a graphic designer for trade show displays. In his last year he was working in design/production of marketing materials for breweries throughout the southeast. He creates graphics using Wide-Format Inkjet Printing, ICC Color Profiling, Dye-Sublimation Fabric Graphics, Graphic Design, and Photography.

In abstract paintings of vivid colors, Gilroy creates compositions of fluid energy suggestive of human biology. The lines and striations mimic electrocardiograms as well as the organic structure within our bodies, connecting a visual pulse with our own biorhythms. Although grounded in Abstract Expressionism, a movement known for intellectual rigor, Gilroy’s work has a an accessible, almost kitschy quality that makes them paintings with a palpable sense of fun.  

Gilroy also works in three-dimensions, and his sculptures often render line and kinetic energy in a similar fashion, but there is also a representational side to Gilroy’s work involving birds and the forest, and that also finds it way into sculptural work that draws parallels with the abstract pieces.

“Reinvent” by Jonny Gilroy, steel, twine, acrylic, shipping tube, stick, tape, $550 | BUY NOW

 "Inspiration comes from recognizing the sense of feeling and acting upon the energy it creates. I like to describe that energy in the form of art that emits from a feeling. I feel colors, lines and shapes. These forms arise from different life experiences. I put them together into art to make sense of that experience."

Gilroy has exhibited extensively in the northeast, and has recently relocated to Lexington, Kentucky

Age: 30
Hometown: Olean, New York
Education: BA, State University of New York at Genseo
Website: 

“Unravel” by Jonny Gilroy, black walnut, steel, acrylic, $350 | BUY NOW

“Refraction” by Jonny Gilroy, black walnut, acrylic, dowels, $520 | BUY NOW

“Resonate” by Jonny Gilroy, black walnut, tape, wire, steel, acrylic, $280 | BUY NOW

 “Attach” by Jonny Gilroy, birch board, driftwood, twine, acrylic, burlap, $380 | BUY NOW

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Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Q&A: Artist David Iacovazzi-Pau

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"People need to be educated about the value of art." — David Iacovazzi-Pau

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David Iacovazzi-Pau: Photo by Michael Brohm

David Iacovazzi-Pau’s work focuses on the human figure and is a visual diary of the people he encounters. His series reveal different aspects of the sitters and the link between their physical appearance and personality. “My aim is to portray idiosyncrasies and evoke the mood of the subject in order for the portrait to have an accurate likeness and affect. The work reflects what I sense about a person and is a documentation of my community.” 

Born 1978 in Luxembourg, Iacovazzi-Pau began his education in fine arts from the age of 15 in Belgium. He later attended the Centre Académique des Arts in Luxembourg and immigrated to the United States in 1997, studying at Indiana University Southeast. He currently lives and works in Louisville, Kentucky.

When did you first think you would be an artist?

I don’t recall a specific time or moment. Over the years I gradually felt I was one. It was obvious early on that I was not going to be a mathematician …

If you could do anything else but make art, what would it be?

Probably something related to art history. Then again running a vineyard could be fun too.

"Little Miss Flint" ("Conversation with Teddy Abrams" Series) by David Iacovazzi-Pau, 12x8.5in, Ink drawing and inkjet on paper (2016)—5999 ink lines representing the amount of children that were affected by lead in Flint's tap water.

What frightens you the most?

Crowd manipulation, albeit interesting, is frightening. I also have a phobia of reptiles, especially snakes. 

What is your favorite music to listen to when making art?

That varies, a lot of jazz and classical. Sometimes I turn on the French news for a while. And sometimes silence seems to be my preference.

Favorite movie?

A Pure Formality by Giuseppe Tornatore, starring Roman Polanski and Gérard Depardieu.

What are you reading right now?

“Portraits by Ingres: Image of an Epoch", and the Philip Guston Retrospective (2003) catalogue.

"Self Portrait with Maya (in the studio)" by David Iacovazzi-Pau, 30x24in, oil on paper (2016)

If you were given a $100,000 what would do with it?

I'll let you know when I get the $100,000.

What advice would you give a young artist just out of college?

I would encourage them to see as much artwork as they can whether it's in museums, galleries, or studios. Contemporary art as well as historical are fabulous sources of inspiration. Also, don't worry about fitting in, paint for yourself and make artwork that excites you. 

What does art mean to you?

Art means different things to me. I was lucky to be encouraged to draw and paint from a young age, so it has become a way of life. As an artist I’m working within my own means and in the process there's self-doubt, frustrations and disappointment but in spite of it all, I enjoy working things out in a painting. It gives me a sense of freedom and purpose when I'm engaged with it.

"Teddy #2" ("Conversation with Teddy Abrams" Series) by David Iacovazzi-Pau, 24x18in, graphite on paper (2016)

If you could have a talent that you currently don't already have what would it be and why?

Having the skills to be an eloquent orator would be my first choice. It makes things a lot easier if you are able to articulate your thoughts well. 

How do you feel about the local art scene in Louisville? Would you change anything about it?

The amount of local artists is increasing and they are good. The problem is that there are just not enough buyers to sustain it. Galleries will close and artists will continue to struggle (nothing new here) but also move away as long as we don't see any changes. People need to be educated about the value of art. They will then in turn invest in the local visual art scene. 

A photo from David's studio (2016)

Has your style changed or evolved over the years? If so what do you think influenced this?

Yes, it did. Probably because of being exposed to different styles and new artists. Also, making mistakes can take you to uncharted territories; you can learn and grow from it. I like to think that I did. But I think progress and change mainly comes from working. Chuck Close has a great quote, "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work."

What do you feel is your greatest flaw? 

I tend to obsess over things and I can be stubborn, that's the Breton in me.

Name: David Iacovazzi-Pau
Hometown: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Age: 37
Education: Centre Académique des Arts in Luxembourg and Indiana University Southeast
Website: http://www.davidiacovazzipau.com/
Gallery Representative: Swanson Contemporary Gallery

"Teddy #3" ("Conversation with Teddy Abrams" Series) by David Iacovazzi-Pau, 24x18in, oil on paper (2016)

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Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Tom Pfannerstill

"Ali Center and River West" by Tom Pfannerstill, 30x45in, acrylic on canvas (2016)

Artists are sometimes magicians, creating illusions of space and time. Tom Pfannerstill’s “From the Street” series appear to be trash, candy boxes, fast food cups, oilcans, violently pressed flat by the heavy tread of delivery trucks. The artist finds these items in the street and alleyways, but this is not what you see on the gallery wall. Pfannerstill recreates each cast-off container as carved wood sculptures painted with acrylics.

It is a highly successful trompe l’oeil effect. The notion of picking any of these up by hand in the alley might be distasteful, but the seductive desire to touch the sculptural replication is difficult to control, even if only to verify that they are indeed not the flattened and filthy ‘real thing’. Pfannerstill applies the same approach to recreating objects from around his studio “They have been altered, bent, folded and scarred,” explains the artist, “ …in a word individualized. They touch on issues of commercialism and consumerism, but are mostly intended to be subtle reminders of the temporality of all things.”

"Spring Street Tavern" by Tom Pfannerstill, 19.25x24in, acrylic on canvas (2016)

Pfannerstill is most renowned for the painted sculptures, but actually is identified through several different styles and medium. “The work changes often, but I find myself returning again and again to several major areas of investigation; three-dimensional still life, found object works, a series of the human head (in this case, mine), quilts and quilt patterns using un-quiltlike materials, blue paintings, and of late black paintings.”

Now, inspired by flying out of NYC at night, Pfannerstill hs been immersed in a series of paintings of cities at night; darkness punctuated by points of light. The work is not like anything people are familiar from this artist, which is why he is particularly excited about them. 

Pfannerstill currently has a show in Nashville Tennessee at the Cumberland Gallery. He will also be exhibiting with Caroline Waite at Galerie Hertz in Louisville, Kentucky November 13 through December 31, 2016.

Hometown: Louisville
Age: 64
Education: BFA, Western Kentucky University, 1975; School of Hard Knocks, 1975-present
Gallery Representation: Galerie Hertz, Louisville; Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN; Jonathan Novak Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA; Ellis-Walker Gallery, Bowling Green, KY; Sager-Braudis Gallery, Columbia, MO
Website: http://www.tpfannerstill.com

"On the Road #2" by Tom Pfannerstill, 24x34in, acrylic on canvas (2016)

"On the Road #3" by Tom Pfannerstill, 20x30in, acrylic on canvas (2016)

"Brillo" by Tom Pfannerstill, acrylic and/or enamel on carved basswood (2016)

"Eggo" by Tom Pfannerstill, acrylic and/or enamel on carved basswood (2016)

"Ultimate Lemons" by Tom Pfannerstill, acrylic and/or enamel on carved basswood (2016)

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Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Rachel Singel

“Lily Leaves” by Rachel Singel, 12x18in, intaglio on mulberry paper (2016)

A photograph of Singel at work in her studio.

The line as an element in art is often taken for granted. The common layperson’s observation that “I can’t even draw a straight line,” betrays a common misunderstanding about how an artist approaches line. When an artist wants to draw a straight line, they pick up a ruler, but a line has so much more potential. Printmaker Rachel Singel thoughtfully explores the linear in her work: “Lines are the building block of my world. The printmaking process allows for a technical consideration of how these lines are distributed throughout the work, with the weight of each line relating directly to how much time it etches. Their physical qualities carry weight; they do not descend into the paper but protrude from the surface.” 

If that explanation sounds academic, it fairly reflects the intellectual aspect of the printmaking process as well as Singel’s position as Assistant Professor at University of Louisville’s Hite Art Institute, but her lines also describe recognizable forms in nature, and in Venetian Vortex, there is a discovery of the hallucinatory character that can be found in the natural world, and line works in concert with scant patches of color to move into the realm of the abstract.

“Venetian Vortex” by Rachel Singel, 56x72in, intaglio on cotton paper (2013)

“Lines develop into curves, from curves to semi-circles, and from semi-circles to the full circle. This stylistic tendency comes from my interest in openings in nature—those places around which nature’s complex forms develop. Close studies of natural objects reveal holes in their surfaces. The space is a source of weight—a fulcrum point that seizes my attention by giving the illusion of an even deeper space, seeming to recede to infinity. The lines radiate out from these seeming voids—the starting points for infinite variation within the work.”

Singel was one of the organizers of the October 2016 Mid America Print Conference hosted by Indiana University Southeast and The University of Louisville. Her work was featured in an exhibit with Susan Moffett, Marilyn Whitesell, Mary Lou Hess, Susanna Crum, and Susan Harrison.

Singel was also selected to participate in the Mid-America Print Council Members Juried Exhibition at the Carnegie Center for Art and History, October 2016.

Singel currently is co-curating a group exhibition at Asheville Bookworks. She has exhibited internationally in Venice, China, Korea, Chile, Japan, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and the United Arab Emirates, and her work is included in 2016 Literary Innovation: A Juried National Exhibition Inspired by William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway at the Catapult Gallery in Cape Girardeau, MO, through November 27, 2016, and in Points of Departure: An Exhibition without Borders, at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center on Sheboygan, WI through January 15, 2017.

“Seed Pods” by Rachel Singel, 18x20in, intaglio on mulberry paper (2015)

In Louisville, you can next view Singel’s work in The Art and Architecture of the Jewish Ghetto in Venice, Italy, The Jewish Community Center, Louisville KY, January 15-February 21, 2017. 

Permanent Collections (selected)

Tipoteca Italiana Archives, Cornuda, IT
Jewish Museum of Venice, Venice, IT
Baylor University Libraries, Waco, TX
Avery Architecture and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, New York, NY
University of Denver Special Collections & Archives, Denver, CO
DePaul University Special Collections & Archives, Chicago, IL
Stanford University Special Collections & University Archives, Stanford, CA
Artist Books Collection, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
SGCI Archives, Pacific NW College of Art and Portland State University, OR
John C. Hodges Library Special Collections. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Guanlan International Print Biennial, Shenzhen, China
Permanent Collection Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, Christchurch, New Zealand
Proyecto´ace Print Collection, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Venice Printmaking Studio Print Collection, Venice, IT
Indiana University Print Collection, Bloomington, IN
University of New Mexico Print Collection, Albuquerque, NM
Pyramid Atlantic Art Center Print Collection, Silver Springs, MD

Age: 29
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: MFA, University of Iowa, 2013 BA, University of Virginia, 2009
Website: http://www.rachelsingel.com

“Exploding Flower” by Rachel Singel, 16x20in, intaglio on handmade cotton paper (2015)

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Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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