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Showing posts with label painting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label painting. Show all posts

Thursday, April 10, 2025

The aht [EP]: Mark Phelan meets Dinosaur Jr

 A little about the inspiration behind the aht [EP]: 

While preparing for artist interviews I'll often hear a song, now where I don't necessarily consider myself a synesthete, my brain goes there from time to time while looking at the art of others. The aht [EP] is where you'll find musical comparisons to the work of a previous interview guest. So please keep an ear out for the occasional appearance of these musical posts on this blog.

Here is the third installment of the series: Mark Phelan meets Dinosaur Jr.

For this post I chose two paintings from previous guest, Mark Phelan. On the surface, Mark's work may seem a little edgy or obscured in appearance and meaning. But in my interview conversation with him something subtle started to occur to me. Not unlike the music of Dinosaur Jr. Both have a tender and generous undertone. This comparison is a little hard to describe, but the eyes and ears will no doubt do their job of picking up where my words have left off. 

So, listen, and look, for tales of social connection, familial bonding, and even solitude as vulnerable themes that reoccur here. Plus, 'the' journey and reaching out also come to mind for me. 

I invite you to listen and take a look below for this apropos pairing of these two artists doing what they do. And the similarities, out of the cosmos, along the way.


Two paintings by Mark Phelan:











The Wagon by Dinosaur Jr.:






For more of Mark's work, check out his website: Mark Phelan


The previously released podcast interview with Mark can be found here: Mark Phelan interview




Dinosaur Jr's website: DJ




Thanks for looking and listening!




............





Monday, March 31, 2025

Artist Interview: Mark Phelan

Words of the day: landscape. grief. color. curiosity. and music. Welcome to the Mark Phelan interview.

Mark Phelan has a solo show up at the Co-Creative Center in New Bedford, Massachusetts...

The exhibition runs from April 1st through May 31st, 2025. With an opening reception on Saturday April 5th from 6-9pm.

And additional receptions on Aha! night in both April and May. The Co-Creative Center is located at 137 Union Street in New Bedford, MA. Don't miss it!

A little about the interview,... I caught word about this show and thought it was a great time to dust off the ole podcast and talk with Mark about his work. I've been to his studio in the past and saw his last solo show back in 2022, which was titled Thresholding... so I'm really looking forward to this new show of paintings.

In this interview Mark and I open the conversation talking music in the studio, in depth about the exhibition title, so look out for that... ...places where certain sentiments and expressions land or don't land. Family also becomes part of the conversation. And Mark shares 2 great nature-based poems by esteemed poets you're sure to recognize...

Listen in for more via the audio player below on this post...thanks!




Studio view




















Studio view



Audio interview with the artist:

(this player collects cookies for Soundcloud, just a heads up!)




The artist's website: Mark Phelan
Instagram: @generalgow and @_markmaking_



Artists mentioned in the interview: 
Tori Mulhern
Kim Barry
Tony Miraglia
Becky Yazdan (previous Ahtcast guest who submitted an interview question for Mark. Thanks Becky!)

Poets mentioned in this interview:
Mary Oliver
Wendell Berry

Bands mentioned in the interview:
Dirty Three
Dinosaur Jr
Explosions in the Sky
Saxon Shore
Godspeed You Black Emperor
Fontaines DC
Idles
Wolf Alice
and last but not least:
The Cure
The Smiths


Congratulations on your show, Mark! And thanks for the conversation.



And thanks to our listeners out there!




(Original intro song by David T Miller and Phillip J. Mellen)



.......





Thursday, August 10, 2023

Artist Interview: Lisa Kellner

Words of the day: color. contemplative. minimal. awkward. woven.

Welcome Lisa Kellner to the program! She joins us from Deer Isle, Maine from her local library, how cool! 

In the conversation we dive into the 3 to 5 words to describe the paintings question, of course, as well as their influences and ideas, a little bit about titles. Also part of the interview is a tip on how to stay out of trouble while painting, writing in 3 different books as part of her studio practice, and so much more…listen below!

 


The Ride

Oil on canvas

60 x 60 inches

Land and Sea Series

 

 

 


 Warrior

48 x 32 inches

2023

Deconstructed Paintings Series





At Dusk Everything Glows

Acrylic and oil on canvas

48 x 30 inches

2022





Winnicott 

49 x 42 inches

2023

Deconstructed Paintings Series





All Roads Lead II

Acrylic polymer on canvas

24 x 24 inches

2022



Audio interview with the artist:


(the above audio player collects cookies for soundcloud, just a heads up!)








Lisa Kellner in her studio
 
 
 
The artist's website: Lisa Kellner
 instagram: @lisakellnerstudio
 
 
Mentioned in the interview:
Giorgio Morandi
Donald Woods Winnicott
 
 
Lisa Kellner's upcoming shows:
 
Reductive
Three person exhibition
Featuring the work of Jean Jack, Lisa Kellner, and Adam Umbach
Opening August 17th
Running August 17th through September 17th 2023
Carver Hill Gallery
Camden, ME
 
 
Everything Already Then
Solo exhibition
Opening September 8th
Runs September 7th through the 13th 2023
Granite Gallery
Tenants Harbor, ME

Congrats, Lisa. And thanks for the conversation! 


Thanks for listening, listeners! 


(original intro song by David T Miller and Phillip J. Mellen)
 
 .......

Sunday, November 21, 2021

Artist Interview: Astrid Dick

 Words of the Day: faith. patience. sensuousness. rigor. energy.

Paris based painter Astrid Dick joins the program for a conversation. We talk about painting as spending the best hours of every day, words and their relationship to taking painting in personally and in conversation with others, how faith in painting triggers more faith and more.

Also, previous guest Lauren G. Levine sent in a question and some thoughts for Astrid which I share in the interview, thanks Lauren!

Welcome, Astrid Dick to conversation...listen below...

 


 





Audio interview with the artist:


 

Mentioned in the conversation:

Vincent van Gogh

El Greco

J. M. W. Turner 

Jimi Hendrix

Howard Hodgkin

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

Art Spiel article written by Astrid here: Art Spiel 

The artist's website: Astrid Dick

 instagram: @chastrida

 

Thank you Astrid for the conversation and for sharing, and to Lauren for her interview question!

 

Thanks, listeners! 

 .

 (Original intro song by David T Miller and Phillip J. Mellen)

.........

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Artist Interview: Douglas Witmer

Words of the day: elemental. aspire. ambient. place. context.

Philadelphia based painter Douglas Witmer joins me for a conversation on this episode. The interview starts of with Douglas sharing some of his early experiences with art and what feeds his work most. Then the conversation focuses on his ambient album FORTY, FOR YOU, a forty track album where each track is paired up with a painting. We talk about the relationship between the music and the paintings and what Douglas' process was like changing up the format a bit within his studio practice. The paintings, as well as the music, are an invitation for contemplation... Listen below for more! 


FORTY, FOR YOU

Day 9

10 inches square 

acrylic on paper


FORTY, FOR YOU

Day 23

10 inches square 

acrylic on paper

 

 

FORTY, FOR YOU 

installation view of entire set of paintings




Douglas Witmer in his Philadelphia studio





More work by Douglas:
 
 

 Conqueror 
35 x 28 inches
Acrylic on canvas
2020




Audio interview with the artist:



Mentioned in the interview:

 Agnes Martin

Franz Kline

Matisse

Rothko Chapel

Morton Feldman

Tantra paintings

Tibetan prayer flags

Jane Rohrer 

Warren Rohrer

 

 Link to the digital album FORTY, FOR YOU on bandcamp: FORTY, FOR YOU

 Douglas Witmer's website: Douglas Witmer

Instagram: @dgelless

Current virtual show at: Gallerie Biesenbach

 .

Submitted questions for this interview by previous ahtcast guest Cat Balco.

Thank you Cat!

Below is a work from the series School Papers by Douglas that Cat Balco asks about directly

 

 

School Papers

Dimensions variable. approx 9 x 6 inches

Mixed media on found paper

2010
 

 

 

 

Thank you for listening! 

 

 

(Original intro song by David T Miller and Phillip J. Mellen)

 

 

Monday, February 22, 2021

Artist Interview: Ron Fortier

Words of the day: gesture. narrative. emotion. abstraction. lineage.

This episode's guest is Fairhaven, Massachusetts based painter Ron Fortier. In my chat with Ron you’ll find detailed accounts of his past, present, and even what the future will hold for his paintings,... along with a healthy list of artist from the lineage that is his rich continuing story. 

Also in the episode...lots of materials shop talk as well as the challenges inherent to abstraction, and narrative work, as he works in both concentrations. 

Ron is also the host of The Southcoast Artists Index's In Focus podcast, he shares a bit about his podcast's goal as well. Listen below for more!

 

 


New Bedford Arctic Whaling Disaster of 1871: The Window - 2 

24" x 24" 

Acrylic on stretched canvas

 

 

 

 

  

America's Guernica: Greenwood - 5 

24" x 24" 

Acrylic on stretched canvas
 
 
 
 

 
 
PEB #4 - 2019
 
20" x 16"

Acrylic on stretched canvas
 
 
 
 

 
 
45 MNO 13 – 2018

24" x 24" 
 
Acrylic on stretched canvas
 
 
 
 
 
The artist's website: Ron Fortier
 
instagram: @ron.fortier
 
 
 
Audio interview with the artist:
 
 
 


 

 


Ron Fortier in his studio

 

Mentioned in the interview: 

 

Jane Ferris Richardson

Dante Vena

Peter London

Francisco Rapoza

Herbert Cummings

Ed Togneri

Bill Elliott

Frank McCoy

Kilburn Mill in New Bedford, MA

Luis Villanueva

Don Wilkinson

Mark Rothko

Joseph Mallord William Turner

Picasso

Rene Magritte

Ernst Gombrich

Julian Schnabel

Jean-Michel Basquiat

Vincent van Gogh

Frank Grace

Stephen Remick

 

 Ron Fortier is also the host of The Southcoast Artists Index's In Focus podcast, check it out here: The Artists Index

Do check that out and give a listen and follow!

 

 

  Thank you for listening! 

 

 

(Original intro song by David T Miller and Phillip J. Mellen)

 

 

 

...

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Marvin Hoffmann Interview

Words of the day: experimental. spontaneous. blots. calm. see. 

Essen, Germany based Marvin Hoffmann joins the show for an interview. We chat about the experimental nature of Hoffmann's work and how the imagery is intended to be seen without association. This is supported by his nuanced working methods incorporating limited palette choices, contrasts and dualities, and the often used process of decalcomania. Listen on the player below for more!

 

 

 Works below are 50 x 70 cm / 20 x 28 inches






 

 

For more of Hoffmann's work please visit his website: Marvin Hoffmann

instagram: @atelier_marvinhoffmann

 

 

Listen below:

 

 

Mentioned in the interview:

 Jenny Brosinski

Max Ernst

Karl Otto Gotz

Emil Schumancher

John Ruskin

 

...

 

Thanks for listening! 

 

.

 

(Original intro song by David T Miller and Phillip J. Mellen)

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Artist Interview: Susan Carr Revisited

Words of the day: material. zombies. directly. from. life. awareness.

Welcome! In this episode Cape Cod based artist Susan Carr returns to the ahtcast studio for a walk back into her work. Susan shares the personal stories behind her new visual work as well as her written pieces that can be found in her book "Tensions" published by Raw Meat Collective. 
Truly an important experience hearing Susan raise awareness on very real parts of life such as death, addiction, mental-illness, and how most importantly that all we have is today and right now...so make some art! Not to mention that Susan reads two of her written pieces for the episode!
Check out the work, and listen on the player below! 



The eyes traveled
enamel on rag 







Making friends with Zombies
oil on wood 






Big Momma
mixed with acrylic, plaster, and wood

.

More works by Susan:














Susan Carr on instagram: susancarr88




Audio interview:



Mentioned in the interview:

LABspace @labspace_art on instagram
Julie Torres
Ellen Letcher
LABspace will be hosting Susan's solo show "In My Room" late summer/early fall. Stay tuned to the gallery's instagram for updates!
*UPDATE: 
Susan Carr's solo show In MY Room opens at LABspace 
Sat. and Sun. September 12th and 13th 2020 1-5pm! 
LABspace  
2642 NY Route 23
Hillsdale, NY 12529
.
Brian Edmonds
Curating Contemporary
featuring:
Susan Carr
Melanie Parke
Valerie Brennan
Sabine Tress
Mandy Lyn Ford
Ellen Siebers
.
Susan Carr's book "Tensions"
published by Raw Meat Collective with an introduction by Kyle Quinn.
More info by clicking the word "Tensions" in the line above! 
.



Thanks for listening! 


and Big Thanks to Susan Carr for sharing!

......................



(Original intro song by David T Miller and Phillip J. Mellen)