Gallery
PHANTOMS OF DELIGHT
ARTIST LIZA CORBETT | SOLO EXHIBIT, Center Stage
SHOW RUNS DECEMBER 3RD 2010 THROUGH JANUARY 28TH 2011
OPENING RECEPTION DECEMBER 3RD 2010 7-11pm
AT AMBERELLA GALLERY
Artist’s Statement | Liza Corbett’s drawings and paintings describe a world inhabited by enigmatic women, feral animals, and curious vegetation, all coexisting according to some unseen order. In the series “Phantoms of Delight,” their heads, bodies, limbs, and roots are precariously mixed and conjoined, creating fragile hybrids. Like the woman in Wordsworth’s poem, these impossible and ephemeral creatures are “traveller(s) between life and death.” Each work also draws on influences from fairy and folk tales, mythology, art history, and fashion and costume design.
Artist’s Biography | Liza works as an artist and illustrator in New York. She studied illustration at Syracuse University and painting at Studio Arts Center International in Florence. Liza’s artwork has appeared in exhibitions across the United States, Canada and Europe, and she has created illustrations for books, magazines, newspapers, websites and apparel. Her soft sculptures were recently included in a French book about art toys.
SPECIAL THANKS TO JL SCHNABEL FOR CURATING LIZA CORBETT’S EXHIBIT
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“Love is a Special Way of Feeling”
ARTIST KATHERINE ALLAN | A SOLO EXHIBIT
Show Runs Saturday October 9th 2010 through November 10th 2010
Katherine Allan | Artist Statement
To experience love is to ramble between pleasure and pain, devotion and obsession, euphoria and hysteria. It is when we find ourselves existing within these gray areas, that I render in my work.
I illustrate women crying out for love, falling in love and being undone by it. I draw, stitch, and assemble. I take fragments of lives and patch them together in order to feel, and therefore, understand them.
Stitching is repetitive. Often monotonous, it requires time and dedication. One must sit quietly with it.
I am drawn to an abundance of decoration, wounded figures, and dreamy representations of romance.
While ideal couples are separated and stitched apart, layers of fabric, lace, buttons, and thread attempt to quiet the longings that remain.
Katherine Allan | Artist Biography
Katherine Allan has long thought that she was born in the wrong era. And her art often reflects that notion. She spent several years painting portraits and (even more) self-portraits in an attempt at becoming the next John Singer Sargent.
After graduating from Parsons with an MFA, Katherine settled in Philadelphia in 2006. Thanks to an article in her beloved Martha Stewart Living, Katherine began learning how to embroider and collage with fabrics. Stitching became that much more appealing by the notion that she was indeed just like a character in a Jane Austin novel.
Aside from listening endlessly to love songs from the 50’s and shamelessly stealing the lyrics for her art, Katherine (aka, Allan Wench) plays roller derby with South Jersey Derby Girls and student teaches at a High School in suburban PA. This will be her first solo exhibition.
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THE NEW BLACK, a Journey into the Pink
ARTIST DAVE FOX | SOLO EXHIBIT
SHOW RUNS SEPTEMBER 11TH THROUGH OCTOBER 6TH 2010
“THE NEW BLACK, a Journey into the Pink” is the latest collection of works by Philadelphia artist, Dave Fox. On his most recent adventure in the visual arts, Fox pushes the limits of optical stimulation through the exploitation of colors and characters, of which most would never dare imagine. He takes us on a trip around the world, through time and space, from the bottom to the top, and back again, relentlessly breaking new bounds with old cliches. Through the latest technological advances in the use of flourescence discovered by Fox, he is able to bring new enlightenment to a dark world by taking the viewer out of the black and into the PINK…
Artist Bio | DAVE FOX
Somewhere around 1994-’95 after spending four years earning a bachelor of arts degree at one of any faceless universities, and then realizing that what he was seeking couldn’t be achieved through an institute of higher learning, Dave Fox took it upon himself to pursue the craft of tattooing. Already a quite un-accomplished painter, Fox realized he had to work relentlessly sketching, drawing, painting, and studying this permanently life-changing art form to achieve true reward in his newly chosen vocation. And years later, after losing lots of hair and going completely grey, someone seemed to care…
Drawing from the influences of heavy metal album artwork and very, very funny cartoons, Dave Fox creates an eclectic, contently-confused mix of scary monsters, pretty girls, twisted flowers, and disturbed animals that have been known to send the viewer home laughing or leaving cross-eyed with a feeling of pure meaninglessness. His artwork takes you on a journey through the depths of your psyche, bringing out the good times and the bad, the peaceful times and the horrid, and, most of all, the dumbest things you’ve ever done. But it’s all in good fun.
Aside from making art, Dave Fox likes to play guitar. If you lived next door to him, you might find yourself being woken up at 1am, two or three nights a week, to the sound of pointless, going-nowhere, self-indulgent 80’s metal style guitar solos. Feel lucky you don’t. He also enjoys snowboarding and bike riding, but doesn’t get RAD like he did when he was a kid. If he’s not amidst one of the aforementioned life changing events, chances are he’s hanging out with his cats, friends, and family.
Visit Dave’s website at www.evilballs.com and let the good times roll.
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PLANCHETTE
J.L. Schnabel & Danielle Vogel : Divinatory Paintings and Writings
August 14th through September 8th 2010
Show’s Statement:
‘Planchette’ is a collective of paintings, writings, and miniature altars based around the on-going discourse between J.L. Schnabel & Danielle Vogel.
Most commonly used with a Ouija board, the planchette is the tool used to divine spirits into communicating with the living. Practitioners perch their fingers on the heart-shaped plank as it glides over the board to reveal messages from the other side. In Victorian times, the planchette was used as an automatic writing tool; it had wheels and a pencil attached. A practitioner would place their hands on the planchette and write messages via their unconscious.
Early in their friendship, J.L. and Danielle found that divinatory rituals, such as divining messages through a planchette, played a large part in their personal lives as well as their art. For both J.L. and Danielle, the space of painting and writing is a liminal space — it is the hallucinatory sill between the physical and nonphysical selves. In J.L.’s paintings and jewelry the image of the planchette is a recurring one; it embodies a way of communing with one’s dead or past as well as the unconscious self. For Danielle, the planchette is a widowed tongue and a third writing-hand. It is an instrument that helps her reach through what has been forgotten. Writing the narrative or painting the image that needs to be created is similar to the ritual of hands ghosting over the Ouija board — you need to trust that your hands will bring you there.
When Danielle moved across the country to begin her PhD, she and J.L. chose to bridge the distance between them through written correspondence. The image of the planchette guided them through their first year on opposite sides of the country. ‘Planchette’ at Amberella Gallery is a showing of the conjoined — yet separate — dreaming spaces of J.L. and Danielle. It is the space in which one can commune with J.L.’s paintings, Danielle’s writings, and the transfusions between. For the exhibition, to compliment the writings excerpted from Danielle’s novel-in-progress, The Memory of a Color, J.L. has created an eerily beautiful cast of female characters painted in her signature style of elongated anatomy and phantom-pale skin. Danielle’s The Memory of a Color is a nonlinear narrative that explores the limits of desire, language, memory, and a female body as it learns to hate itself because of what and how it loves. Excerpts from Danielle’s narrative have been created into a series of hand-made scrolls to compliment J.L.’s paintings. Those who visit the gallery are invited to act as the planchette and divine the spaces between paintings, writings, and altars.
J.L. Schnabel is a native of the strange fish-shaped island just east of NYC & moved to Philadelphia 11 years ago to pursue an education in literature. She received her MFA in creative writing from The New School University in 2007 and continues to write fictions based around the supernatural and strange. Her paintings reflect the feminine experience via the unusual and the macabre. She is also the creator and designer of BloodMilk jewelry as well as a contributing writer for Hi-Fructose magazine.
Danielle Vogel is interested in the knitting of bodies (text, time, and derma). Her writing envelops what it means to inhabit a body and a space that is damaged, where and how memory is stored and recovered within this body, and how to translate this into language. When Danielle writes, she reaches through the gauziness of remembering; she reaches through all that is retracted and opened, and then inverts the encounters into words. She dreams of the narrative that, in its syntactical flickerings, is able to collect and reimagine the damaged body of a girl. She is the author of lit, and her writing has appeared most recently in Trickhouse, The Collagist, Sidebrow, and Horse Less Review. Danielle received her MFA in Writing & Poetics from Naropa University and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Denver where she is investigating divinatory poetics, hypnosis, trauma therapies, queerness, and madness. She first met JL Schnabel as a teenager — JL was wearing fuchsia orchids on her wrist and a skirt adorned with an albino peacock; Danielle was dressed as Cleopatra in turquoise gossamer with white early summer flowers in her hair. Danielle grew up on the Long Island Sound and currently lives in Denver with her partner, designer and writer, HR Hegnauer.
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I’m Such A Character
D. Miller Weeks : Solo Exhibit
July 10th through August 11th 2010
David Miller Weeks : Artist Bio and Statement
Born in 1985, David Miller Weeks received education from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, P.A, where he currently lives and works. His diverse influences include 1950’s & 1960’s animation and graffiti. His work, created in both mixed media paintings and 3-d sculpture, focuses on characters that embody the flaws of personal experience and society at large. The work, while focusing on serious and personal themes, retains an element of sarcasm and humor, while reflecting images and feelings from childhood. His new work will be featured in a solo show opening July 10 2010 at Amberella Gallery.
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Beach Tragedies and Home’s Haven
Melissa Blue Sweeney : Solo Encaustic Exhibit
Opening Reception June 12th 2010 7-11pm
Show runs June 12th through July 7th 2010
Melissa Blue Sweeney : Artist Statement
Beach Tragedies and Home’s Haven represents the life of my family in so many ways. It is meant to show the beauty in death and the desperation in change. The beauty of the landscapes and emptiness of the home show how “moving on” can be the biggest obstacle in ones life. The encaustic technique is used to exhibit the cloud we place over our own eyes to help us wake each morning, breathe each day, and lay our heads to rest each night. Beach Tragedies was shot in the near by areas where my brother Jason passed away. Through this project I have been able to explore finding beauty in the most terrifying places. Home’s Haven was shot in the home that I grew up in with my brother after our family had all finally moved out. In many ways I needed to find solace in finally seeing the house empty and through that the extension of Beach Tragedies came to be.
Melissa Blue Sweeney : Artist Bio
Melissa Blue Sweeney is a mixed media photographer who, beginning with her pink Barbie camera at age 6, grew up taking pictures of everything. She slowly developed her love of fine art film photography in high school and was able to refine it (thanks to a couple of amazing teachers) in college. She became interested in mixed media collage and encaustic photography over the last two years. Although her furniture has suffered the consequences, her love of trying new things has grown light years. Her family is her biggest influence as they are all artists as well. It is through them she draws her inspiration.
10% of all proceeds from this show goes to Family of Murder Victims a division of the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia.
Family of Murder Victims : Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia FMV is committed to helping co-victims of homicide–family and friends who have lost a loved one to murder–by providing them a wide array of services, including criminal justice information, emotional support and trial accompaniment. It is a sad and widely held misconception that the crime of murder leaves behind no victims; some of the most devastated victims of crime are homicide co-victims. FMV staff attend preliminary hearings, trials, and sentencing to offer victims’ families support. Family members are welcome to call the FMV office to obtain service referrals and information, case updates or other criminal justice information, even if an arrest has not been made in the case.
Contact and Contribution Information :
Julie Rausch MSS MLSP
AVP Executive Director
2000 Hamilton Street Ste. 304
Philadelphia, PA 19130
PHONE 215-567-6776
FAX 215-567-6775
Forever Two Wheels
Mark M. McQuilling II : A Solo Exhibit
May 8th 2010 through June 9th 2010
Mark M. McQuilling II : Artist’s Statement
Forever Two Wheels | The exhibit presents multiple facets of motorcycling through a variety of media and techniques. Highlighted are the Hand painted, limited edition, lithographs that explore two wheeling locomotion, space, and diffusion. Also included is a small series of utilitarian objects that are glorified and preserved in acrylic paintings. And for good measure… the artist threw in some skulls.
Mark M. McQuilling II : Artist’s Bio
Mark M. McQuilling II is a printmaker, high school art teacher, and recovered scenester. He attended Tyler school of art where he attained a BFA in printmaking, teaching certification and a wardrobe of dark tight clothing. Upon graduation he was employed by an area high school where he confiscates cell phones and enforces the school uniform policy. When Mark is not at work he can be found riding an iron horse, painting/drawing, lifting weights, and checking out his pecs in the mirror.
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“Fluid Beauty : Reflections and Expressions”
Steve Cleff | A Solo Exhibition
April 10th through May 6th
Steve Cleff | Artist’s Statement
My work is about the fluid beauty of the balance between chaos and order, of the transition from thought to reality, of seeing things in a new light.
The show is comprised of two series of paintings and a collection of various pieces…
Reflections |this series is inspired by the album Lateralus, by the band Tool, as well as the influences on that album of alchemy, philosophy, and personal evolution. It’s about looking inward to connect with oneself – to be able to connect to the outer world.
Expressions |this series is a response to reading John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” in art school. Berger states that the “ideal” spectator is always assumed to be male and the image of the woman is designed to flatter him. I never liked that idea. This is my attempt at making paintings about who women are. These images are meant not to be literal portraits of the models, but elemental ideas representing the ethereal inner beauty of confident, feminine women. The work exists to create an experience where the women who view my art recognize their own innate strength and beauty in what they see.
Steve Cleff | Artist’s Bio
Steve Cleff was born in Philly and loves it so much he moved back after he and his wife Tricia lived in paradise (aka Hawaii). Steve has a BFA from Syracuse and synesthesia which means he sees color when he hears sounds. He co-directs the Philly branch of Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-art School with Tricia and Steve looks forward to teaching their young son Patrick how to draw outside the lines.
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“My Humps” | A solo exhibit by artist Heather Jo Wingate
OPENING RECEPTION SATURDAY MARCH 13th 2010
7-11pm | Show runs through April 8th 2010
Artist Statement | Heather Jo Wingate
I’ve always been interested in seduction. It isn’t just the straight-forward sexual or physical seduction, but the kind of seduction that makes you question what you want and why you do things. I like the way a picture can seduce a viewer, the way water seduces the paint and the way I’m seduced by color.
In these paintings, I’ve clearly been seduced by flesh. I like the color of flesh. I love to paint flesh. It’s a challenge to try to interpret the softness of the skin or the plasticity of the forms with a medium like watercolor. The water wants to do its own thing and I like that. I don’t fight with the watercolor and try to control it too much. I respect its rebellious nature.
I never question my instincts until after a painting is started. So what if I want to paint barbie legs or a hot pink bra or a man’s bulge or a naked woman? I don’t care. I paint what I’m attracted to. I paint what I’m obsessed with. If I’m honest in my painting, then the work will always be a reflection of myself. The work will have continuity.
Heather Jo Wingate | Biography
Born in 1981 in suburban Philadelphia, Heather Jo Wingate studied painting at The University of the Arts after suffering through a very stifling experience at a local Catholic High School. At the University of the Arts, Heather Jo was awarded the Larry Day Memorial award and the Philadelphia Watercolor Society award to a promising young artist. She has a BFA in Drawing and an MA in some other shit. Heather Jo has been exhibiting her work since 2001 at local galleries, boutiques and cafes like the Padlock Gallery, The Blackfloor Gallery, Chapterhouse Cafe and now Amberella. Heather Jo works in Arts Administration and she designs jewelry and underwear. In her free time, Heather Jo likes to plant things, travel, and watch jeopardy. She has a really old cat, a really hot husband, and an awesome family- all of which have been a great inspiration to her.
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“KONNICHI – WOW”
An Exhibition by Stephanie Kao & Travis Heck
February 13th through March 9th 2010
“KONNICHI – WOW” OPENING RECEPTION
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13th, 2010 7-11PM
Stephanie Kao | Artist Statement
Each of my drawings offers a suspended glimpse into a flamboyant and mildly disturbed playground that I have erected. Strange, enigmatic characters invite you to partake in their uncertain adventures of youth, indulgence, and oddity… ones that you may very well later regret. These characters are offshoots of me; they are the only grandchildren I am prepared to give to my expectant mother.
Travis Heck| Artist Statement
When I was young and bored with no license, I would amuse myself by concocting ways to distress my mother. This intuitive impulse to upset her with motorcycles, sophomoric late nights, and inappropriate girlfriends has extended into my work. This is to say, I enjoy exploring subject matter my peers have slowly and lovingly explained to me is crass.
My paintings are infused with irresponsible materiality, quasi-psychedelic color, and directional light. Fields of color and bulging vertical pyramids recur in each painting. They allude to a history or a story that exists not only in the making of each painting, but by understanding that each experience is unique and meaningful. My paintings are painted over, covered with collage, and reduced to a blank, unapologetic surface before I can make sense of each experience. I liberate myself from the hegemony of rules in painting by allowing a personal, spiritual, and witty take on the anonymity of geometrical forms.
Stephanie Kao | Artist Biography
Stephanie Kao is a Philadelphia native and self-taught illustrator. She received her BA in Advertising from Temple University and is now a second year fashion student at the Moore College of Art and Design. Stephanie freelances as a calligrapher, henna artist, and events photographer; she is also collaborating on a line of handmade decorative porcelain ware with ceramicist Robert Siegel. http://www.StephanieKao.com
Travis Heck | Artist Biography
Travis Heck received his BFA in Painting and Sculpture from Miami University in 2005 and his MFA in Painting from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008.
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Opening Hooplah:
Saturday January 9th. 2010
Delicacies Provided by Bar Ferdinand
Performance by Pluckin A’ Hooray
7-11pm
Amberella Gallery is pleased to present local knucklehead Bill Sands Solo Exhibition: “Simple. Sketchy. Shady.” The show, a study of simple discrepancies and new beginnings, is packed with paper cut outs…sketchy pen drawings… some paint… etching… and mixtures of all aforementioned. Bill likes to make a mess and guide the piece he’s working on with sketchy ideas discovered. Each piece has a distinct stumbling.! Sands enjoys putting on the lab coat and blowing stuff up. Accident? Not sure. Mess Maker Bill Sands has been a skateboarder in the city of Philadelphia for quite some time now and can be found working at local fine dining establishments such as Bar Ferdinand and Koo Zee Doo. His work is on exhibit at Amberella Gallery January 9th 2010 through January 31st 2010.
artist contact: flowingmess@aol.com
artist blog: compoundwarehaus.blogspot.com
Fabrication of Scripted Works by Morgan Martinson
Show Runs December 4, 2009 through December 29, 2009
Special Opening Reception Friday December 4th @ 7pm
Amberella Gallery is pleased to present the Laser Mo Show, a fabrication of scripted works by artist Morgan Martinson. Laser Mo Show is a study of contemporary processes and modes of fabrication as digital work is brought to a physical, sensual realm. Morgan Martinson works as an architect and artist, and this show represents a study in the discrepancies between drawing and object. She received her Master of Architecture from PennDesign in 2008 and is currently working in landscape architecture and planning. She is co-founder of via books and edited its first edition, via Occupation.
Morgan Martinson: http://morganmartinson.carbonmade.com
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“TAILPIPE DREAMS”
Solo Exhibition: Artist Elena Nestico
November 6, 2009 through November 29, 2009
Opening Reception:
Friday, November 13, 2009 7-10 pm
Amberella …sugary & sweet… Gallery & Boutique is pleased to present to you the works of Philadelphia artist Elena Nestico. The Solo Exhibition, “TAILPIPE DREAMS”, opens November 13, 2009 from 7-10 pm. The exhibit showcases the various ways in which Nestico captures the industrialized beauty that she is encompassed by. The artists, “TAILPIPE DREAMS”, are vivid looks into the palette of the artists mechanical mind.
Elena Nestico
Elena Nestico’s fascinations with industrial imagery and machinery began from growing up in the ever encompassing urban landscapes of New York, Philadelphia, and most importantly Northern New Jersey. This fascination furthered as she attended the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and began painting and abstracting the images of these particular landscapes that she found herself constantly surrounded by. Her artwork reflects the disturbing, yet rhythmic beauty of the “human made” machine, and the way that our man made reality interacts and is juxtaposed against the natural world. Whether she is painting and printing train trestles, oil refineries, or abandoned vehicles and motorcycles, her goal is to capture each image in an idealized setting.
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Fun House Opening Reception
Saturday, October 10, 2009
6-11pm
Amberella Gallery
Fun House showcases three diverse artists/designers who actively manufacture product for the design trade. This is the first collaboration of Curio Wallcoverings artist wallpapers with Adam Wallacavage sculptural chandeliers and Wells Vissar Inc.’s Scagliola Architectural Cast Elements. Each shares the aestetic of old world ornamentation with a new twist, and therefore offers exposure to unconventional interiors. This installation showcases their product and aesthetic, bringing the interior design to life by allowing viewers and participants to actively experience the use of high ornamentation assimilated into the design, as well as with the materials used by the artists involved. This installation is created to explore ornament as design in an effort to look at interiors as live spaces or places in which the ornamentation is not a backdrop, but an intuativley partnered componant of the inhabited space. During the reception , all three designers will have a chance to address visitors through guided discussions on the creation of the interior.
Admission Free
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*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
Amberella Sugary & Sweet Gallery & Boutique
1050 North Hancock Street, The Piazza Suite 62
Philadelphia PA 19123
contact: amber lynn 610.283.5669
http://www.amberellagallery.wordpress.com
“SOUGHT”
Solo Exhibition : Jesse Beamesderfer
October 2, 2009 through October 31, 2009
Opening Reception
Friday, October 2, 2009 6-9pm
Amberella Gallery is pleased to present to you new work by Jesse Beamesderfer. A few months after a debut near sold-out show, Beamesderfer returns with “SOUGHT”, a show focusing on Obsession, Compulsion, and Collection. Focused this time on exploiting the warping of reality through extensive fascination with a singular ideal or subject, the series reflects a pop art graphicness without room for peripheral senses.
Jesse Beamesderfer
Jesse Beamesderfer’s heart and soul lies somewhere on the outskirts
of this reality and a few inches a plane away. It is from that space
that he can observe reality and safely make art without leaving a
footprint capable of interrupting the flow of natural existence. His
art, in return, reflects a reality that is usually only glimpsed for a
few seconds, made true in that moment, and then turned away from as
its original truth returns. Although reinventing work regularly, his
recent series depicts pieces of The Fashion Industry, a culture
Beamesderfer truly lives outside of, with a narrow but true sense of
its reality.
Previously, Beamesderfer has worked on pieces reflecting religion as
propaganda, strange noises as shamanism, and the feeling of complete
loss of hope as strength. His current projects include writing an
Artist’s Bio. Future plans include themes such as the internet as a
blueprint for the future, language as a form of communication, and the
state of Louisiana as a can of beets.
Beamesderfer grew up in south eastern Pennsylvania where he spent
most of the time watching 90’s television, walking on back roads until
getting lost and hitchhiking home, and constantly re-designing the
attic. He graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in
2005 with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts. In 2007 he moved to Philadelphia
where he resides today. You can find him selling high-end craft beer
in Northern Liberties or in his studio in Kensington trying to find
his pen.
The Outlook Beamesderfer has in the creative process perhaps is not
unique, rather a path to defining art or even perception in general.
On the other hand, it could quite possibly be a downfall as life may
become increasingly disconnected through this application. For this
reason, Beamesderfer is looking into Buddhism.
Artist Contact: assaultwithbatteries@gmail.com Blog: jbeamesderfer.blogspot.com
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“EPIC BIRTHDAY”
Solo Exhibition: Photographer Ken Penn
K E N C R E D I B L E
August 15, 2009 through September 15, 2009
Opening Celebration:
Saturday, August 15, 2009 8-11pm
JOIN US FOR BIRTHDAY CAKE, MUSIC, PINK DRINKS, BALLOONS, $1 COTTON CANDY, & SURPRISES! (There is word of a birthday cake moon bounce… shhhh!)
AFTER PARTY @ PYT LOUNGE
Amberella …sugary & sweet… Gallery & Boutique is pleased to present to you the delicious work of photographer Ken Penn… otherwise known as KENCREDIBLE! The Solo Exhibition, “EPIC BIRTHDAY”, opens August 15th, 2009 from 8-11pm to celebrate, most appropriately, the photographers actual birthday and show opening! With fashion photography being a strong focus of his work, Penn has worked with a long list of independent designers and models around the United States, Canada and Europe, and is currently in the process of establishing a name for himself within the high fashion industry. He has developed an avant-garde flair in his work. Whether it is ironic conceptual contrasts to haunting dramatic light, Ken hopes to invoke thought or emotion with every image. The solo exhibition, “Epic Birthday”, showcases a collection of Penns photographs that are saturated with color and emotion. The smorgasbord of truly “EPIC” fashion driven photographs are sure to delight.
Established in May 2009, Amberella Sugary & Sweet Gallery and Boutique was born out of Amber Lynn’s desire to sprinkle fairy dust, cotton candy and glittering jewels through dramatic and ultra feminine monthly art shows. The gallery serves to expose local, upcoming artists as well as established and emerging artists from across the country. Committed to showing work that challenges and illuminates the notions of womanhood vs. girlhood and modern fairytales, the gallery serves as a space for exploration and delight. The owner can often be found singing songs from Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ as she hand rolls ghostly cotton candy that resembles the delicate pink wigs of old ladies. C.E.O. Miss Pinky Polka Dots, Amber’s cute as a button Boston Terrier is always underfoot with a silky bow tied around her neck. Always available are the newest jewelry lines by L.A. designer Tarina Tarantino and handmade jewelry by Tai Starr.
KEN PENN
Ken Penn’s photographic work began while attending high school in Richmond, VA — a city on the James River with a rich art scene and history. It was the late 80’s and Penn’s original subjects were the punk rock bands emerging in the Washington, D.C., Virginia Beach and Richmond area. After high school, Penn attended the Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) Art Foundation, which has repeatedly been ranked the #1 public university school of arts and design in the country by U.S. News & World Report. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and continued to cultivate his interest in photography during his time at VCU.
Penn’s experience ranges from well known non-profit organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (where he was adorned the nickname “Kencredible”) to multimillion dollar household brands such as Circuit City Stores, Inc. Always eager to try something new, Penn has never been afraid to take on any task, and in 2007 he photographed the Senior PGA Golf Tournament held on Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina. His subjects range from fashion to fine art to entertainment, with a strong emphasis on fashion.
With fashion photography being a strong focus of his work, Penn has worked with a long list of independent designers and models around the United States, Canada and Europe, and is currently in the process of establishing a name for himself within the high fashion industry.
Ken is considered an artist by those who know him. He has developed an avant-garde flair in his work. Whether it is ironic conceptual contrasts to haunting dramatic light, Ken hopes to invoke thought or emotion with every image.
Specializing in bringing you the “epic” shot you have been waiting for, Ken Penn is pushing boundaries.
Penn was born in Lynchburg, VA. in 1972 and currently resides in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, PA. He works out of his North East Philadelphia Studio, Studio 5 South, located at 3237 Amber Street.
Contact info: Kencredible.com
215.900.1443
July 9th, 2009 – August 9th, 2009
Featuring Works By:
Kime Buzzelli
Kris Chau
J.L. Schnabel
Derek Ihnat
“Ma Vie en Rose”
July 9, 2009 through August 9, 2009
Featuring Works By:
Kime Buzzelli
Kris Chau
J.L. Schnabel
Derek Ihnat
Three Day Opening Gala
Thursday July 9th: 7-11 pm …featuring Artist Kris Chau’s Birthday cupcake celebration
Live performance by harpist Mary O’Mallery & opera singer April Harkanson
Friday July 10th: 8-11pm DJ Gun$ Garica !!!
After party at Tommy Up’s new spot PYT …sponsored by PINK Vodka
Saturday July 11th: 7-9pm Bubbles & Hand Rolled Cotton Candy
Amberella Sugary & Sweet Gallery & Boutique is pleased to announce ‘Ma Vie en Rose,’ a four- person exhibition focusing on feminine portraits showcasing three local talents; Derek Ihnat, J.L. Schnabel and Kris Chau, and featuring artist Kime Buzzelli from the buzzing L.A. art scene. French for “My Life in Pink”, the opening of the exhibition is the debutante ball of Amber Lynn Thompson’s new pink palace gallery ‘Amberella’, the crown jewel of the Piazza. The perfectly curated collection of narrative artwork bursts with an Easter egg color palette, yet has a sly, subversive edge. Skeleton babies, girls with flowers blooming from their legs and high fashion clad ladies tell fantastical stories as they dominate the white walls, perfectly reflecting the aesthetics of the gallery; overloaded with pink Victorian furniture and sparkling jewels.
Established in May 2009, Amberella Sugary & Sweet Gallery and Boutique was born out of Amber Lynn’s desire to sprinkle fairy dust, cotton candy and glittering jewels through dramatic and ultra feminine monthly art shows. The gallery serves to expose local, upcoming artists as well as established and emerging artists from across the country. Committed to showing work that challenges and illuminates the notions of womanhood vs. girlhood and modern fairytales, the gallery serves as a space for exploration and delight. The owner can often be found singing songs from Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ as she hand rolls ghostly cotton candy that resembles the delicate pink wigs of old ladies. C.E.O. Miss Pinky Polka Dots, Amber’s cute as a button Boston Terrier is always underfoot with a silky bow tied around her neck. Always available are the newest jewelry lines by L.A. designer Tarina Tarantino and handmade jewelry by Tai Starr.
Kime Buzzelli is a painter/designer currently working in Los Angeles CA. Inspired by music, ghost stories, overheard conversations, unusual teeth and girls with a plan. Her art and fashion have been featured in a number of magazines including LULA, Juxtapoz, Swindle, Nylon, Flaunt, Elle, W and books like Fashion Illustration Next and Vintage L.A. She has exhibited her work all around the world and has a blog documenting her inspirations, www.themoldydoily.typepad.com She has also been commissioned by clients like Microsoft, Urban Decay, Forever 21, OBEY, VANS and Monument snowboards.
Kris Chau was born and raised on the island of O’ahu. She moved to Philadelphia to see snow and hear the songs of ice cream trucks. She draws and dreams of girls all day long, and most times falls asleep at her desk.
Artist website: www.krischau.com
J.L. Schnabel is a local painter/writer who also creates the antique collage jewelry line ‘Blood Milk.’ Her visual work focuses on the haunted nature of the displaced female via portraits of women who are afflicted with supernatural powers and madness and often uses the recurring symbols of teeth, third eyes, masks and conjoined twins to convey the struggle between our inner and outer landscapes.
Artist Website: www.bloodmilkjewelry.blogpsot.com
From Philadelphia to San Francisco to Los Angeles and back to Philadelphia, Derek Ihnat has been making his mark and gathering inspiration all along the way. With the likes of his artist of the month, Derek has curated the best of the best in some of the most talked about and prestigious galleries, then eventually in his own Philadelphia based gallery. Curator turned sole artist, Derek now shows his own pieces coast to coast. Gathering inspiration from artist friends, avant-garde designers, and the romanticism movement, his pieces reflect more than a watercolor portrait. Gradient hues of black and gray add substance and depth to fashion inspired work. For More Info: info@derekihnat.com
Amberella Gallery 
i went to the piazza for the first time last night with a friend and the first thing i noticed was a shop that just sparkled with pink and lace. thats an absolute eye catcher for me. i was so impress by this place and i wish i could buy all the pictures, jewelery and stuff that was in there. i love this place!