It was all Kosher- no seriously everything was kosher. From energy drinks to cheese pies, the entire menu was kosher. Benson is a devout Orthodox Jew who is highly creative and talented in various forms of art. With that said, Benson incorporated both aspects in his painting by of course painting and having all his work blessed. I found this to be quite interesting. I am not Jewish and have been raised Catholic, so I found the blessing of an painting to be unusual but completely spiritual. I guess I could relate this to Catholicism- but lets not dive into religion because it's rude.
Enough about the artists, Benson's paintings are like music- or at least like the music I listen to. Chaotic, structured, and playful.The application of paint is rough to where each stroke appears spontaneous. Most of Benson's paintings are vibrant in color- with the exception of a certain few. Bensons other paintings are moodier due to his use of warn and rusty reds and grimy greens. Overall I favor his use of pink and soft blue- which I categorize under vibrant, or happy. I am not really a pink girl, (although my college portrait begs to differ) but I enjoyed seeing the feminine color all over a male's canvas. Raw! I am talking about a LOT of pink. Love it! And you should too.
Speaking of pink...
Ann Mccoy- Feb. 15th- Bliecher Caporale Gallery
The exhibition was amazing so her goes my jargon!
Ann McCoy in her solo exhibition The Alchemist of Pfaueninsel takes viewers on a journey through a tale inspired visiting Pfaueninsel(Peacock Island). On the island McCoy was brought to a ballroom once belonging to a 16th century alchemist who was known for making rare ruby glass. During her visit, McCoy was mesmerized by shards of red glass found lying on the floors of the island. The glass had been left behind after the alchemist’s glass work was burned down. The history of the island and mystery of the alchemist fascinated her. As a result, she wrote a folkloric fairytale about an alchemist, a king, and a moor. Through her fairytale McCoy is able to unravel the underpinnings of early chemistry and investigate psychological transformation in a time prior to psychoanalysis.
Through the use of watercolor, pencil, and paper, McCoy captures the various hues of red found in the ruby glass of Pfaueninsel. Each painting and sketch is left with a pale gray or white background bringing further emphasis to red and other jewel-like colors. McCoy refers to her red as ‘rubelo’, one of the basic stages alchemic transformations. Rubelo, according to McCoy, is used throughout her exhibition to resemble, “Eros, passion, and pneuma (spirit).”
McCoy applies elements of her fairytale story when creating a catalog archetype of the glass found on the island. Complimenting every ruby glass is a bird, a known symbol for the alchemic transformation of substances. The bird signifies the change which occurs between the king and the moor that in her fairytale. While at the mercy of the alchemist, the king and moor are transformed into one being. Both conflicting characters are forced to live the same life which consequently causes them to a new rule.
By combining the rule of two tyrants, McCoy is further implementing the change and restructure which occurs in a person after psychoanalysis. Due to the morphing of both rulers, McCoy incorporates the rebirth of Pfaueninsel by introducing life through an image of Venus and a rose.
The incarnation of Pfaueninsel is hopeful. The exhibitions last piece is of fetus/embryos shown being graced by the presence of a ruby red rose. By factoring in a new life form, McCoy is reminding viewers of circulatio, the circular process of alchemy. According to McCoy, alchemists acknowledge and embrace the highs and the lows that occur during a chemical transformation. McCoy’s exhibition follows the alchemist’s process and incorporates it into a person’s psychological development in that human being must acknowledge depression and struggle in order for there to be a positive change.
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