Vignette: Jason Bige Burnett

The Vocabulary of Vessels

"Two Cocks Kissing Bowls", Jason Bige Burnett, ceramic, 4.5x5.5in, 2017.

Jason Bige Burnett is fascinated with the vocabulary of vessels and how the narratives of our lives illustrate living spaces and reflect daily routines: “Coffee stained cups in the cupboards, hanging plates embellishing the walls, and teapots that remain untouched in glass cabinets, are all artifacts of our own existence. Stains, cracks, and pristine, luster-adorned objects are stories I believe to be worth telling.” As a result, he achieves to create thoughtfully unrefined vessels that celebrate vulnerability and beauty.

Burnett's investigations start with recollections from growing up in a “broken” family. During that time sanctuary was found in cartoons such as the Nickelodeon channel’s Ren and Stimpy, Rugrats and Ahhh! Real Monsters. Revisiting them as an adult enabled him to appreciate how they used bright colors and patterned wallpaper to excite the domestic interiors of their characters’ homes. Since then he has introduced similar elements in his pottery to promote “youthful discovery”.

"Salt and Pepper Shakers, Jason Bige Burnett, ceramic,3.75x2in each, 2017

The adult whimsy of Ren and Stimpy is particularly reflected in the double entendre of “Two Cocks Kissing” bowls, and “Kissed By Queens” cocktail cups. The bright colors and playful design are a cue to have fun with the work, the artist’s intentions being to create pottery and beautiful objects that reflect life’s escapades and serve as a bridge between the real and surreal.

Burnett has an upcoming show and six-week residency at Belger Arts Center in Kansas City Missouri. He just launched a new website and online store called Mr. Benny's Pot Shop.

Immediately following that is the first Southern Crossings Pottery Festival (SXPF), which he is coordinating with Amy Chase and Steven Cheek. SXPF will take place March 2 & 3, 2018 at Copper & Kings in the Butchertown neighborhood of Louisvile. The event will showcase potters in the Ohio River Region, including Lexington, Cincinnati, and more. The festival will also include the Empty Bowls Benefit Dinner @PLAY Louisville on March 3, 2018.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: BFA, Studio Art ceramics, printmaking and graphic design, Western Kentucky University; Penland School of Crafts (NC) for 2 years as a core fellowship student; 2012-2013 Artist-In-Residence at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (TN).
Website: mrbennyspotshop.com
Instagram: @mrbennyspotshop

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"Kissed by Queens cocktail cups" by Jason Bige Burnett, ceramic, 3.25x3.5in, 2017

"Fancy Feast set" by Jason Bige Burnett, ceramic, variety sizes available, 2017

"Doughnuts and Daddy plate" by Jason Bige Burnett, ceramic, 7x7x1in, 2017

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Alexandra Kenitzer

"Chocolate Delight" by Alexandra Kenitzer, Oil on Canvas, 20x20in, 2017 $400

"Piña Colada" by Alexandra Kenitzer,  Oil on wood, 38x38in, 2013, $500  

Visual art can be an incredibly powerful vehicle for tackling many serious issues of the times, calling attention to the horrors of war or bigotry, or gender and class discrepancies. As an incredibly powerful vehicle, it is also versatile, as capable of glorifying some of the most drool-worthy beauty of this world we all share. Emerging artist and painter Alexandra Kenitzer, self-described as “fixated on pretty and complex objects,” has been leaning towards the latter lately, creating a series inspired by a lovely-looking thing that some use to deal with some ugly things.

“I am intrigued by the craft of cocktails and the celebration that goes along with the consumption of the beverage. I see cocktails as a way of celebrating in any sort of occasion,” Kenitzer said. “I find that they are indulgent because they are so beautifully put together and have such a presence.”

The native of Owensboro sees creative possibilities in and out of her studio, whether inspiration arrives from fashion, pastries or her recent series. “I favor creative mixtures … they have a demure quality and we recognize them because they are timeless.”

A process-oriented artist, Kenitzer likes a large canvas, laboriously executing minute details that communicate the finer qualities of her images. She lovingly lavishes color on both her objects of desire and their backdrops, mixing oils to get the color combinations just right. She cites Kehinde Wiley as one to “obsess over,” specifically how he uses patterns in his coveted portraits.

Her “Martini” has a multi-dimensional effect, eagerly jumping in front of the viewer to create a chaotic space where a cocktail and the wallpaper behind it fuse to suggest a zebra. Yet her “Bloody Mary” and “Pina Colada” use calmer, far more open spaces like a veteran jazz bassist to highlight their few, very important details. Meanwhile, her self-assured donuts stand out against contrasting backgrounds.

Kenitzer paints by hand in a consistent style, varying only when a certain piece requires more – or less – impact. She spends most of her time focused on backgrounds, noting, “Being as close to perfect or perfect is what the pattern painting is about. It becomes more about the complexity of how fine the lines are.”    

"Sprinkled Pink" by Alexandra Kenitzer, Oil on Canvas, 20x20in, 2017, $400

Hometown: Owensboro Kentucky
Education: BFA, Oil Painting, University of Louisville Hite Art Institute
Website: www.alexandrakenitzer.com
Instagram: @alexandrakenitzerart

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"Bloody Mary" by Alexandra Kenitzer, Oil on Wood Panel, 30x50in, 2013, $800

"Martini" by Alexandra Kenitzer, Oil on Wood Panel, 25x32in, 2013, $1200

"Lemon Lover" by Alexandra Kenitzer, Oil on canvas, 20x20in, 2017, $400

Written by Peter Berkowitz. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Celia Kelly

"Spencer County Farm Lane" by Celia Kelly, oil on canvas, 14x18in, 2017, $300

Celia Kelly is a landscape artist working primarily ‘en plein air’. Kelly enjoys the challenge of “navigating a variety of conditions” – discerning color, form, and space within the constantly changing natural light. Plein air might seem old-fashioned, but a better description might be ‘timeless’’, for many artists a nearly spiritual relationship with the mercurial personality of the environment. Temporality shows up on the list of media for many contemporary artists, yet it has always been a part of the plein air experience, a tradition for painters that dates back several hundred years.

"Springhill #3" by Celia Kelly, oil on panel, 11x9in, 2017, $100

“A few years ago, I switched my focus from painting urban scenes to rural landscapes,” Kelly tells us. “This has allowed me to leave the city, spend an entire day outside exploring vast open spaces. I have come to love the geometric compositions offered through open fields, hillsides, rows of trees, highways, and still waters. I also look at stagnant, standing structures (such as a barn) and see how it fits into this natural environment. One of my favorite subject matters are fields of grapevines, because of the symmetrical arrangement and cultivation is involved within the rows.” 

“I like to describe my painting style as one that straddles a divide between abstraction, representation and impressionism. There is a spiritual connection that occurs between landscape artist and the landscape. I attempt to capture this through the use of color, value, and expressive brushstroke. In other words, I don’t see the need to paint every leaf. When one travels, impressions are made, and I try to do justice to my own impressions of these landscapes through my work.”

Most recently, in August, Kelly participated in the notBIG group show at M.S. Rezny Gallery in Lexington, Kentucky.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: BA, Centre College; University of Louisville, post-baccalaureate studies, Painting
Website: celiakelly.blogspot.com

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"Tobacco Storage" by Celia Kelly, oil on panel, 8x10in, 2017, $125

"Yellow Field Stripes" by Celia Kelly, oil on canvas, 18x14in, 2017, $300

"Sunswept" Celia Kelly, oil on panel, 11x14in, 2017, NFS

"Harper's View" by Celia Kelly, oil on canvas, 12x9in, 2017, NFS

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Hallie Brunson

"Stormy Night" by Hallie Brunson, acrylic, 10x8in, 2013, $65

Painters have used more than brushes in the application of paint for generations now, and it became particularly noticeable in 20th century Modern Art with the move into abstraction and unorthodoxy. Hallie Brunson uses a palette knife to a significant degree, and there are times when the technique injects her images with a vigorous, almost kinetic energy resulting strictly from that rough and rustic application. The wind-blasted rocks surrounding the lighthouse of “Stormy Night” are reflected in the tempest of palette marks, and “The Green Door” suggests the movement of the sunlight across the surfaces. These are perhaps the strongest examples of this quality

Brunson began painting under the direction of Janice Miller at the Wood Shack in Garrard County. "The best advice given to me at the time was 'get in....get out' teaching me not to overwork my paintings," says Brunson. "Janice introduced me to painting with a palette knife and I was set free!”

"Bridge Over The Brook" by Hallie Brunson, acrylic, 8x10in, 2017, $65

The artist exults in the spontaneity of the approach: “I love the texture and boldness of painting with the knife, it is my favorite means of expression in my painting.  Although I love the palette knife and acrylics I also paint in oil and watercolor."

Brunson has won several awards for her artwork and has taught classes in palette knife painting. Her work is currently available direct from the artist or from the Gift Gallery in Lancaster KY.

Hometown: Lancaster, Kentucky
Website: garrardarts.com
Gallery Representation: The Gift Gallery (Richmond, Kentucky)

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"Stormy Night" by Hallie Brunson, acrylic, 10x8in, 2013, $65

"In The Meadow" by Hallie Brunson, acrylic, 11X14in, 2017, $125

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Dolly Miller-Brennan

“It is the journey, not the destination.” Dolly Miller-Brennan

"Christmas With Ava At Arabian Acres" by Dolly Miller-Brennan, photography, 20x24in, 2017, $600

Photographer Dolly Miller-Brennan embraces that well-used maxim without irony; it aptly fits her experience. Born in southern Illinois of Kentucky parentage and ancestry, she was raised in southern Indiana and western Kentucky.

“My love of photography began at age 3 sitting for what seemed like hours for my photographer/truck driver/horse trainer father”. Being allowed into the dark room with Daddy and seeing the awesome finished results made me want to be behind the camera and not in front of it.”

When Miller-Brennan photographs horses, she captures them in unique moments that stand apart from the abundance of other equine images that one encounters in Kentucky. That’s an accomplishment in The Bluegrass State, where photographs and paintings of thoroughbreds are ubiquitous. Perhaps that individual point-of-view emanates from the fact that some of these horses were photographed outside of Kentucky.

"Westward Ho" by Dolly Miller-Brennan, photography, 24x20in, 2016, $350

“Returning to my roots where I grew up on a truck, with horses and a camera re-created in me the desire to impart the feelings of the animals, the aura of the area and the spirit of the people involved, to those who view my images. This established an emotional and spiritual perspective to see the world around me as one spiritual all engulfing abstraction; becoming so involved when out in the field that I sometimes can not feel my surroundings but lost in the soul of what I am shooting. I want the viewer to be able to step into that picture and become part of it. I want to bring my world and my art to real people, that makes us feel integrated with each other. There should be no separation from art and the real world for the world is a glorious masterpiece of art, created by God for us to love and enjoy.”

That a camera captures a moment in time, arresting motion, goes without saying, but Miller-Brennan’s horses almost occupy the place of close friends, since her images communicate not only the beauty and power of the movement, but also a relationship to the viewer. “Eye in the Sand” is notable for the intimate, unorthodox take on a horse at play, an unguarded joy evident in the creature’s eye that easily engages us.

"Eye In The Sand" by Dolly Miller-Brennan, photography, 24x20in, 2015, $350

Miller-Brennan is a member of the El Paso Art Association, Southwestern Indiana Arts Council, (Evansville Indiana); The Tri State Art Guild, (Angel Mounds Indiana), including Southern Indiana, North Western Kentucky and South Eastern Illinois; the Richmond Area Arts Council, (Richmond, Kentucky); Louisville Visual Arts, (Louisville, Kentucky).

Hometown: Robinson, Southern Illinois
Education: BA’s in Political Science and Studies in Photography, University of Wisconsin
Website: http://www.brennanartography.com/
Gallery Representative: The Village Framery (Palestine, Illinois); The Red Lantern Gallery (Poseyville, Indiana)

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"Door To Knowledge" by Dolly Miller-Brennan, photography, 20x24in, 2017, $350

"Run With The Wind Kentucky" by Dolly Miller-Brennan, photography, 20x24in, 2015, $350

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Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more