Deck the Walls

Deck the Walls is an annual group exhibition of vintage and contemporary pieces that allows John Cleary Gallery to showcase a variety of artists, prices ranges, styles, and photographic mediums.  Deck the Walls will feature gallery favorites such as Elliott Erwitt, Maggie Taylor, Jeffrey Becom, Mitch Dobrowner, Takeshi Shikama, along with several others.  There will be something here for everyone’s budget and taste.

Takeshi Shikama: Silent Respiration of Forests



Takeshi Shikama, Toyosawa Lake 1, 2009, platinum and palladium print on gampi

 Please join us Saturday, October 23, from 6 – 8 p.m. for the opening of Takeshi Shikama: Silent Respiration of Forests. The exhibition will run through November 27, 2010. The artist will be in attendance for the opening reception, and the book, Silent Respiration of the Forests, by Takeshi Shikama will be available for purchase.  A booksigning and preview of the exhibition will take place on Friday, October 22, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.



Takeshi Shikama, Landscape 30, 2010, platinum and palladium print on gampi

 Takeshi Shikama was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1948. After attending Aoyama Gakuin University, he pursued a career in the field of design. Shikama began photographing, and in 2002 he began to explore the forests of Japan as the subject of his photography. The product of his exploration resulted in beautifully hand-crafted platinum prints on gampi, which capture the darkly printed tones and highlights on the delicate Japanese paper.



Takeshi Shikama, Mt. Chyokai 23, 2004, platinum and palladium print on gampi

 Shikama’s attraction to the forest began when he was building a cabin in the woods with his own hands. As he was clearing the land and chopping down the trees, sap accumulated on his ax and Shikama saw the sap as the blood of the tree. As a result Shikama began to see the forest as a living organism. He began traveling to different forests in Japan to capture the images the forest allowed him to take. He is drawn to these wooded locations because of the power Shikama feels the forests exude.



Takeshi Shikama, Mt. Takamaru 5, 2010, platinum and palladium print on gampi

Takeshi Shikama’s work has been shown in various countries in numerous solo and group exhibitions and is held in public and private collections around the world.  This will be Takeshi Shikama's first solo exhibition at John Cleary Gallery.  Come by the gallery to experience these works for yourself!

Isa Leshko at Houston Arts Alliance

John Cleary Gallery’s own Isa Leshko will have her first solo exhibition in Houston at the Houston Arts Alliance, in conjunction with Houston Center for Photography, entitled Thrills and Chills. The opening reception for Thrills and Chills will be held at the Alliance Gallery, Houston Arts Alliance, 3201 Allen Parkway, Houston, TX on Thursday, October 14, from 6 – 8 p.m. The exhibition will run through December 31, 2010 and will be accompanied by a limited edition catalogue, available for purchase at the opening reception.




Isa Leshko, Point Pleasant, NJ 1, from the series Thrills and Chills
2006, gelatin silver print

 Leshko’s Thrills and Chills series consists of darkly printed black and white gelatin silver photographs. The images are scenes from amusement parks, county fairs, and along boardwalks, taken with a Holga, often considered a toy camera. Leshko uses her camera to examine her own fears and emotions, all the while depicting the range of emotions other people experience while visiting amusement parks in search of adrenaline pumping rides.



Isa Leshko, Disenchantment from the series Thrills and Chills
2010, gelatin silver print

Isa Leshko’s prints from Thrills and Chills will be available to purchase through the John Cleary Gallery.  Images from the Thrills and Chills series begin at $600.  Please call, e-mail, or come by the John Cleary Gallery to view more of Isa’s work.

John Cleary Gallery at Affordable Art Fair in New York City

We at John Cleary Gallery are thrilled to announce that we will be exhibiting at The Affordable Art Fair (AAF) in New York City September 30th through October 3rd.  The fair will be held at 7 West 34th Street near 5th Avenue (across from the Empire State Building), with a private preview party Wednesday September 29, from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

This is the first time we have exhibited at this innovative contemporary art fair, in which no piece can be over $10,000, and 75% of work must be under $5,000.  With all the wonderful artists we have, and the ability to have so much work in bins, we are sure to have something for everyone.

We are happy to be able to offer (free) Preview Party tickets, (free) Day Pass tickets, and discounted Day Pass Tickets electronically to our friends and clients.  The free tickets are limited, so be sure to get them while you can, and please pass the links on to fellow collectors who would like to visit the show.

Day Pass

Code is valid for 100 entries (2 tickets each time); expires 4pm on Sunday, October 3

Direct Link: http://aaf2010.eventbrite.com/?discount=CLEARTX

Website: http://aaf2010.eventbrite.com/

Code: CLEARTX

Private Preview Invitation

Code is valid for 50 entries (2 tickets per entry); expires 8pm on Wednesday, September 29

Direct Link: http://aaf2010.eventbrite.com/?discount=CLEARTXPP

Website: http://aaf2010.eventbrite.com/

Code: CLEARTXPP

$5 off General Admission

Code is valid for 150 entries; expires 4pm on Sunday, October 3

Direct Link: http://aaf2010.eventbrite.com/?discount=CLEARTX5

Website: http://aaf2010.eventbrite.com/

Code: CLEARTX5

If you will not be in the New York area for AAF please come visit us at the gallery and be sure to check out our website at http://www.johnclearygallery.com/ to join our email list.  We hope to see you soon!

Sincerely,

Catherine Couturier

Owner and Director

John Cleary Gallery

Mirage: Images from India, New Work by Jeffrey Becom

Please join us Saturday, September 11, from 6 – 8 p.m. for the opening of Mirage: Images from India, New Work by Jeffrey Becom. The exhibition will run through October 16, 2010. The artist will be in attendance for the opening reception.

Jeffrey Becom
Red Pillars, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India, 2008
archival pigment ink print

Jeffrey Becom comes to his art as a photographer and painter with formal training as an architect. For him these three pursuits ignite one passion: painted walls. The traditional painted façades of vernacular architecture around the globe offer this inveterate traveler subject and palette from which to derive his own artwork while he, in turn, documents their history, mystery and power. Paint then—and specifically color—is Becom’s life’s calling, whether he photographs, paints, or write books about painted color customs, myths and meanings.

Jeffrey Becom
Pink Pillar, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India, 2008
archival pigment ink print

A dozen years pursuing painted color in the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea were followed by a decade’s search in the lesser-known corners of Mexico and Central America to unravel the Maya’s enduring color cosmology. Then in 2002 Becom unfolded his map of South America. His search began in Peru, and so far he has wandered no further through South America. In between trips to the Andean Highlands, he has returned to Mexico and Guatemala again and again.

Jeffrey Becom
Red Bundle, Bundi, Rajasthan, India, 2008
archival pigment ink print

In the winter of 2009, Becom released a new series of film-based images from Northern India and Kashmir as pigment ink prints on German etching paper. Our upcoming exhibition will highlight his newest series of work done in India. Becom’s latest work is more figurative than previous work, but the focus on color and architecture remains.

Jeffrey Becom
Taj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2008
archival pigment ink print

Becom is also a writer, designer and visual anthropologist. With his partner, Sally Aberg, he has authored two award-winning books, Mediterranean Color and Maya Color: The Painted Villages of Mesoamerica (both from Abbeville Press, New York, 1990 and 1997), for which they won the annual Lowell Thomas Gold Award from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation for “Best Travel Book.” Becom is the subject of an hour-long PBS / BBC documentary entitled For the Colors, A Journey Through Italy (soon available for purchase on DVD). His work is held in public and private collections worldwide and represented by ten fine art photography galleries across the country. He was featured in the inaugural issue of COLOR Magazine in April 2009.

Jeffrey Becom
Ganesh Wall, Balotra, Rajasthan, India, 2008
archival pigment ink print

Stop by the gallery to experience these works and more for yourself!

Vote for Click2Houston's Best Art Gallery

John Cleary Gallery has recently been honored with a nomination for KPRC's Click2Houston's Best Art Gallery in the Houston area.  The KPRC Click2Houston's Best is an interactive city guide featuring promotional contests hosted by KPRC and powered by CityVoter.  The Click2Houston's Best profiles local businesses and allows consumers to vote for and recommend their favorites. 

The winner of Click2Houston's Best contest is determined by popular vote and every vote counts.  Voting ends on August 13, 2010 at 11:59 pm.  Click here to support and vote for John Cleary Gallery as the best art gallery in Houston.

                                

Gift of Gift of 2010 Vote Night and Party

New to the Houston photography scene this year is Gift of Gift of, an innovative idea from Curatorial Assistant in Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Natalie Zelt.  Aimed at young photography patrons who would like to help expand the collection at the MFAH but do not have the means to make a major donation individually, GOGO is a collective which raises money through ticket sales for a One Night Only event.  During the event, each attendee votes for his or her favorite piece on display, and the winning pieces are purchased with the pooled ticket funds and then offered as a gift of "Gift of Gift of" to the fantastic collection at the museum.

This year's Vote Night Party will feature delicious frozen treats from The Fruit Palette, tantalizing bites from POParazzi's POPcorn and you will be able to sip a signature GOGO beverage courtesy of Nouveau Antique Art Bar or frosty brew from St. Arnold Brewing Company while dancing to Grrrl Parts in the back yard.  It promises to be a fun time that benefits a worthy institution.


To purchase tickets or for more information on this exciting event, please visit the website at http://www.giftofgiftof.com/.  We hope to see you there!


- Catherine Pasho Couturier

John D'Agostino

John D'Agostino

The Arms of Undertow

archival pigment ink on canvas, 2008

According to John D’Agostino the shards of rescued Tiffany he photographs are used not as objects in a still life but as “negatives”. The combination of good lighting and Tiffany’s favrile glass create unique and beautiful biomorphic forms printed on sheets of archival canvas.

John D'Agostino

The Signature of All Things

archival pigment ink on canvas, 2009

John D’Agostino’s work is a continuation of his ancestor’s heritage and passion for the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany. John D’Agostino’s grandfather, Vito D’Agostino, was such an admirer of Tiffany’s work that during his fall from public adoration and liquidation of Tiffany’s studios, Vito saved and salvaged dozens of boxes of Tiffany pieces from destruction. In the boxes collected were scrapbooks, original designs and favrile glass, the raw material intended for Tiffany’s stained glass. What Vito D’Agostino could not salvage was thrown into the East River. His grandfather’s passion for a fading art form is to thank for John D’Agostino’s modern day photographs.

John D'Agostino

Anasazi

archival pigment ink on canvas, 2009

Recently, John D’Agostino’s work and the history behind it have received a number of great reviews and publicity. Hunting Grounds, 2008 was featured on the cover of Glass #119, Summer ’10 with a nicely written article about D’Agostino and his work gracing the pages of the publication. In a lecture titled The 10 Most Exciting Photographers I Learned About in the Last Year given by Rebecca Senf at the Phoenix Art Museum, John D’Agostino is mentioned along with other photographers using photography in a way that presents the world in a manner such as the world has never seen. Also this summer, ARTFORUM's Art&Education published John D'Agostino's paper The Strength to Dream: How Remnants of the Past Illustrate a Legacy of The Representation of Vision. A special edition monograph, Empire of Glass, done with the Griffin Museum of Photography was recently released in 2009. Empire of Glass is a limited edition of 25 copies of 72 pages with 32 full color plates.

John D'Agostino

The Strength to Dream

archival pigment ink on canvas, 2009

To view John D’Agostino’s work or monograph in person, or if you have any questions about him or one of our other artists, please call or come by the gallery!


-Leah Hebert Fourmy

Found

Tom Hawkins

Obelisk and Meeting House:  Bonaire

platinum and palladium print 2000/2010

Found is an exhibition that brings recently discovered and emerging artists to the public eye and gives them a chance to display their work in a professional setting. This is the second Found exhibition the John Cleary Gallery has hosted. The artists selected to be in this show were hand picked by Catherine Couturier, the owner of the John Cleary Gallery, for their uniqueness, quality, and craftsmanship. The artists in Found were discovered in Houston’s FotoFest and New Orlean’s PhotoNOLA.

Michael Donnor
Elizabeth
waxed gelatin silver print

FotoFest’s portfolio reviews at the Meeting Place occur biennially and PhotoNOLA’s portfolio reviews take place annually. Both events offer the opportunity for artists to get their work exposure and for the reviewers to see the latest and most contemporary work not yet on the market. These mutually beneficial experiences were the catalyst behind Found.

John Chervinsky

All Watched Over

archival pigment ink, 2005

Found features artists who hail from as far away as Switzerland to as close by as Houston. Artists selected to be in the exhibition are Darryl Baird, Edward Eakins, EJ Major, Elaine Ling, Ferit Kuyas, Gerald Pisarzowski, Isa Leshko, Jessica Somers, John Chervinsky, John D’Agostino, Michael Donnor, Niniane Kelley, Robert Covington, Renate Aller, Tom Hawkins, and Trudy Cohen. Found will be each artist’s first exhibition at the John Cleary Gallery.

John D'Agostino

The Arms of Undertow

archival pigment ink on canvas, 2008

Come by the gallery and see what we Found!

Congratulations to Mitch Dobrowner

Mitch Dobrowner

Storm Cell

Mitch Dobrowner has been selected as the first place winner in this year’s “Prix de la Photographie, Paris” (Px3) competition in the Nature and Nature-Sky categories for his Storm series. Dobrowner’s Storm series takes his landscapes to a different level by incorporating the turbulent elements of ominous and striking skies into the landscape, placing more emphasis on what is going on above the horizon line. As a result of Dobrowner’s first place status in the Nature category, his work will appear in the full-color Px3 Annual Book.

Mitch Dobrowner

Farm

Px3 strives to promote the appreciation of photography, to discover emerging talent, and to introduce photographers from around the world to the artistic community of Paris. Juried by leading editors, publishers, curators, gallery owners, consultants, creative directors, and art directors, Px3 brings the best of photography from across the globe to Paris. Artists have the option of submitting work in seven categories, which are advertising, photojournalism, book, book proposals, fine art, nature and portraiture.

Mitch Dobrowner

Cone

Also, there is a Public Choice Award and 39,481 votes were tallied in the first annual Prix de la Photographie Paris. So be sure to vote for Mitch here.

Mitch Dobrowner

Clouds

Submit your work to Px3 for next year’s competition:

Simply fill out the entry form and send it with your work to Px3. You can submit as many photographs in as many categories as you want.

Mitch Dobrowner

Volcano with Cloud

- Leah

Niniane Kelley & Jessica Somers

Niniane Kelley

Parallel Pear

gum bichromate print

Niniane Kelley and Jessica Somers, both of whom will be in our upcoming Found exhibition on July 10, 2010, have exciting blog-worthy news.

Niniane Kelley

Parallel Snapdragon

gum bichromate print

Niniane Kelley will be presenting her work and discussing the historical photographic process of gum bichromate printing, which she uses in her own photography. Niniane, along with Brian Taylor, Hedwig Heerschop, and Rob Shaffer, will be giving an overview of gum bichromate printing and its current use by contemporary artists. If you live in or are planning to be in the San Francisco Bay Area tomorrow evening, this will be a fun, free, and informative event, open to everyone.

This event is at Gallery 291, on Friday, June 11, 2010, beginning at 6:30 pm.

Jessica Somers

Each New Chapter with Wonder

from Day 5 - May 26th, 2010, One Hundred Days 2010

Our other featured artist, Jessica Somers is working on an interesting and exciting project called One Hundred Days, in which she takes a photograph every day for one hundred days and posts it on her blog. The blog will create a narrative one photograph at a time. One Hundred Days is a summer collaborative project put into motion by artist volunteers. Jessica participated in the collaboration last summer and explored the tintype process.

Jessica Somers

Mundane Bliss Rushes In

from Day 19 - June 9th 2010, One Hundred Days 2010

Jessica will not be developing the work with her usual alternative processes, such as Ziatypes, or the traditional gelatin silver prints, but digital photography in color; however, despite Somers’ change of photographic medium, the images in the project so far are still resonating with her elegant and poetic style of photography.

Coming soon:  More information about Found and the artists that will be featured in the exhibition.

-Leah

Maria Levitsky: Interior

Above:  Maria Levitsky, Dijon Art School Corridor, 2004/2010, platinum and palladium print

Please join us Saturday, June 5, from 6 – 8 p.m. for the opening of Maria Levitsky: Interior. The show will run through July 2, 2010. The artist will be in attendance for her first John Cleary Gallery exhibition.

Above:  Maria Levitsky, Roosevelt Stairs, Double Platinum, 2003/2009, platinum and palladium print

New York based photographer Maria Levitsky has been working for over a decade in analogue printing techniques including alternative processes which employ copper, silver, platinum, and gold. Interior will feature her platinum-palladium prints which examine the relationship between architectural space and perception of light and how these facets influence each other in the making of a photograph. The rich palette of platinum-palladium allows the small shifts of light and shadow to be revealed. The subtlety of light coming through in the photograph is especially important in Levitsky’s photographs because she employs only available light conditions.

Above:  Maria Levitsky, Dijon Warehouse 1, 2004, platinum and palladium print

Levitsky’s work has been shown in galleries in New York, Boston and San Francisco and in several publications including the Crime issue of the Paris Review. Levitsky has been supported by residencies at the Macdowell Colony, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and by a fellowship from The Camargo Foundation. Maria is a former dancer and performance artist whose resume includes a stint as the Coney Island Freakshow snake dancer/electric lady, as well as a music DJ with an occasional radio show. She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

Come experience the work of Maria Levitsky first hand at John Cleary Gallery.

Jefferson Hayman: Provincetown Film Festival

Pax Camera

toned gelatin silver print

edition of 25

A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR SUPPORTERS OF THE PROVINCETOWN FILM FESTIVAL

The Schoolhouse Gallery is pleased to announce a special portfolio of photographs by renowned photographer Jefferson Hayman, who is represented by the John Cleary Gallery, assembled and presented by the Schoolhouse Gallery in honor of the Provincetown International Film Festival and in support of the Festival's effort to acquire the Whaler's Wharf Cinema as a home for films on the edge.

Creamer, Cafe Amelie

toned gelatin silver print

edition of 25

The limited edition portfolio will be on exhibit at the Schoolhouse Gallery from June 4 – 23, 2010 as part of the gallery’s special Festival programming. The boxed set of twelve prints plus an introductory image is being offered to festival supporters at a special pre-exhibition price resulting in a reduction from its of more than 60% if the works were to be purchased individually —and 20% of the purchase price will be donated to the festival campaign.

My Wingtips

toned gelatin silver print

edition of 25 

Jefferson Hayman’s Provincetown Portfolio consists of twelve carefully selected Archival Pigment Prints and one introductory image, all on archival 100 lb. matte surface paper presented in a boxed set with titled overlays. The photographs have been selected by the photographer as a note to Provincetown and consist of nine images taken of the town and surrounding seashore during the last three years and four images from the photographer’s studio. The suite of images specifically addresses aspects of the Cape’s landscape such as time, nostalgia, light, memory, journeying, and art history. The portfolio is being produced as an edition of twenty-five boxed sets.

Egg

toned gelatin silver print

edition of 25

The Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) is dedicated to showcasing new achievements in independent film and honoring the work of acclaimed and emerging directors, producers and actors. PIFF is equally devoted to expanding the audience for independent film and to serving our Provincetown community by filling the void for year-round film programming and reflecting the community's rich diversity in our selected films and honorees. An integral part of PIFF's mission is to contribute to the economic and creative vitality of America's oldest art colony.

Verso 2

toned gelatin silver print

edition of 25

Jefferson Hayman's black and white still lives, cityscapes and portraiture are a nostalgic journey to an obscure and imperceptible time period. His work suggests solitude and the tranquility of a contented slumber. Hayman uses negative space, filtered light and grainy tones to build an aesthetic of mystery, shadows and time suspended. His subject matter is familiar – personal objects, moments, situations and places that seem to be evidence of an imagined history, one where memories are dreamed, felt and shared but not owned. Hayman works with themes of nostalgia, common symbols & memory to make photographic images that seem historically timeless. His nude figures, silent typewriters, lonely suitcases & forgotten skulls are captured with a delicacy of tonality that brings to mind the highest traditions of graphic art and early photography. His work is in many notable collections, among them the Museum of Modern Art, Library of Congress, NY Public Library, President Clinton, Cornell University, Whoopi Goldberg, Banana Republic, Inc., Rudolph Kicken, Robert DeNiro & David Mamet.

MICHAEL DONNOR

Black-and-White Photography for Young Photographers

July 11–17

This is Photo Camp for teens! Spend a memorable week in Santa Fe living on campus and making new friends while practicing and improving your camera skills. Throughout this fun week participants learn the principles of black-and-white photography under the guidance of an experienced instructor and a supportive staff.

Mornings are devoted to photographic field trips exploring New Mexican ranch life and small villages rooted in the Old West. Swimming, hiking, and sampling the local cuisine add relaxing interludes to daily critiques, demonstrations, and image presentations. Afternoons and evenings find us in the darkroom developing film and producing great black-and-white prints of our own photos. By the end of the week, participants acquire a full understanding of their cameras, the confidence to go out and make creative images, and the desire to make photography part of their everyday lives.

Michael creates a comfortable, challenging atmosphere that fosters friendships and constant support. Whether you are new to photography or want to push yourself in new directions, this hands on workshop is an opportunity to experience photography in a pure form as you learn and practice the entire process— from composing an image to making a print.

Michael Donnor is a fine‐art photographer whose work is in private collections across the U.S.; his gallery representation includes Soulcatcher Studio in Santa Fe, John Cleary Gallery in Houston, and Gallery 291 in San Francisco. After earning a BA in Fine Art Photography from the University at Buffalo, he became a teaching assistant at the Workshops, where he worked alongside David Alan Harvey, Keith Carter, Joe McNally, and Karen Kuehn, to name just a few. Michael has helped students across the country attain their next level of photographic possibilities.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:  Young photographers 13 to 17 years old

ACCOMODATIONS AVAILABLE:  On-campus housing available. Click here for pricing information and suggestions for off-campus housing.

SPECIAL NOTES:  This workshop focuses on film photography only.

TUITION:  Includes tuition, fees, most meals, and local transportation. PACKAGE PRICE:  $1,380.00

Isa Leshko at John Cleary Gallery

Disenchantment

One of our photographers, Isa Leshko, has been receiving a myriad of press, reviews, and praise. Her series “Thrills and Chills” is delighting the public and critics alike with her darkly printed silver gelatin images of scenes from amusement parks, which are taken with a Holga. In this series Leshko uses her camera to examine her own fears and depict the range of emotions people experience visiting amusements parks and seeking out adrenaline pumping rides.

Swing Ride at the Big E

Isa was featured in the March issue of Fraction Magazine and was reviewed by Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Feeney in the April 30, 2010 edition of the Boston Globe. In the blogging world, Isa and her work have been included on NPR, Lenscratch, and Center for Fine Art Photography’s Perspectives blogs.

Rooster, Age Unknown

Over the past several months Isa has been honored in various ways.  She has been accepted to the esteemed Review Santa Fe as well as Project 5 Portfolio Review.  Her work has been featured in RayKo Photo Center’s International Plastic Camera Show, accepted into Center for Fine Art Photography’s Portfolio Showcase Volume 4 online exhibition and book, nominated for the second year in a row for a Black and White Spider Award for Outstanding Achievement in Fine Art in the professional category, and she received honorable mention in the 2010 Houston Center for Photography Juried Fellowship Competition for her Elderly Animals project.

Moonie, Age 32

Recently Isa’s work was on exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA, from April 8 - May 9, 2010 and five of her prints are now in the collection of the Boston Public Library.  Isa’s work will be featured in our upcoming show Found, which will open July 10th this summer. 

Pirate Ship, Topsfield Fair, MA

Isa recently moved to Houston, and if you would like to come by the gallery to meet her and see her beautiful work (with prices starting at $600), just give us a call or shoot us an email. We'll make the arrangements. 

Sassy, Chinese Crested Dog with Heart Disease