Poems inspired by "Dark Matter"

Local extemporaneous poet BRASH visited the gallery during the closing celebration for our recent show, "Dark Matter," and created two poems inspired by Ellyn Weiss's work.

Alchemistry
To Ellyn Weiss’ Lost Continent


The luminous bowl
That is the skull
Scoops the elixir of thought
From the synaptic clot
Of emotion,
Transmutes its graygold matter
Of alchemic fits and starts
Into the wordless patter
Of the heart’s Impatient motion.

© October 17/21, 2009, BRASH


Dreams
To Ellyn Weiss’ Cladocera


At night the brain
Uncouples itself from its mooring
Follows its own bright train
Through the wilderness, seeking, touring,
A restless conductor’s scoring.

At night the brain derails
From crisply ordered thought
To follow the wisp of trails
Unbound, unbordered, hot
With organic combustion wrought.

At night the brain cracks
Free of relentless time’s elapse,
Leaves the faintest spoor of tracks
On the crackled surface that maps
The sharpest etchings of synapse.

Oh to leave behind the shoddy
Hovel of durance mater, — why but for a night? —
To ever escape this grim and earthen body
For the burn of passages deep and bright
Dark and pure as anthracite.

© October 17/21, 2009, BRASH

Artists ask the public to participate in communal art project

Local artists Sondra N. Arkin and Judy Byron have teamed up to create a collaborative work of art and they need your help to complete it. The work is to be included as the artists’ contribution to our upcoming group exhibition entitled What’s Important Now?, which is set to run from November 19 through December 12.

Arkin and Byron are asking the public to answer the question “what’s important to you?” (in 10 words or less) by logging onto www.important2you.com. People can answer as many times as they want, subject only to the 10-word limit per response. Follow the project on Facebook and on Twitter @important2you. The final product will be revealed at the opening reception for the exhibition, which will take place at the gallery on November 19 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. More info about the show to come soon.

TONIGHT: Support a good cause, leave with some art

"True Beauty - D.C.": Group Exhibition & Fundraiser
The Fridge From Thursday, 15 October 2009 - 7:00pm To Friday, 16 October 2009 - 1:00am
A one-evening group exhibition of photographic artworks from the "True Beauty - Young Womanhood in D.C." photobook by Sardar Zaib, Jim Tretick, and Richard Chu. Signed limited-edition print of the artworks will be available for sale and a raffle will be held for portfolio-quality photo sessions with the photographers All proceeds from this event go toward the funding of a medical vehicle that goes to underprivileged communities to provide free breast cancer screening. Exhibited alongside the photos will be tribute artworks from the photobook by DECOY, Anna U. Davis, Randall Holloway, and Graham Jackson. Info on the True Beauty project and sample photography and verses from the photobook are on our website: http://www.TrueBeautyDC.org ++++++++ There will be a after-party from 10PM to 1AM DJ'd by the inimitable Cheryl DJ Breeze spinning her groove thangs and dance music from the 80 's and 90 's - David Bowie, Blondie, Devo, B-52 's and such. Also featuring naked sushi, a rousing catwalk modeling/burlesque show, and a live auction of donated paintings (artist Eve Hennessa will create a full-lenght portrait on the spot), antique/vintage items, and high-end designer clothing & accessories. For more info, visit the Facebook event page.

Quick Reminders

• Closing Reception for "Dark Matter": Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 3-6pm

Stop by the gallery for your last chance to take a look at the innovative works created by local artist Ellyn Weiss using tar as medium. The artist will be in attendance to partake in the celebration.

You can RSVP on Facebook.

• Joan Belmar's new show

The Chilean Embassy presents: Migrations, Selected Works from 1995 to 2009. The exhibit opens today and runs through November 27.

• Express' Best of 2009!
  

Voting ends this Friday, so if you haven't done so already please vote for Nevin Kelly Gallery as the best gallery in DC. You can find it under the Arts and Entertainment category.

Recent works by John Adams on exhibit next week

Recent Works: John M. Adams, Elaine Florimonte, Kim Basinger, Debbie Glakas, and Rory Marcaccio-Schaffer

October 16th, 4-10pm
October 17th, 11am-3pm

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum
11200 Fairfax Station Road
Fairfax Station, Virginia

Featuring recent drawings, paintings, prints, photographs, jewelry and sculpture by these five artists.

John M. Adams will be exhibiting paintings from the artist residency this summer. Visit www.thefullempty.com for more info or call 202-557-9495








Element 1 -John M. Adams
oil, acrylic and graphite on birch
6"x6" - 2009

Talk with Ellyn Weiss

Saturday afternoon Ellyn Weiss stopped by to share with a curious audience the story behind her new collection of works, "Dark Matter."


The talk became an interactive show-and-tell session when those in attendance sat in a makeshift circle passing around old and recent prints, while Weiss explained the progression of her overall oeuvre.

After a short introduction explaining the motivations behind her new work, a dialogue emerged between the artist and her audience. One of the attendants mentioned that these new paintings seem more expressive than her previous work, richer somehow, even though the color palette has been reduced to brown hues and an almost all-encompassing black. The play on texture developed through technique, the application/removal of tar on canvas, gives way to unique paintings; images that appear to be "living things, swimming up from the primeval darkness."

"Dark Matter" will be on exhibit until October 17. A closing reception will be held that Saturday from 3-6pm.