The Critique- September 9th.

The Critique
Wednesday September 9th
6:00-9:30 PM

Here at Otis Street Arts Project, we’re interested in elevating our conversations about art. We feel that group studios and areas of artist density provide fertile ground for growth and development. While this is an important part of our daily interaction as artists, we also feel that Curators, Critics, Art Writers, and other Arts Professionals bring an amazing amount of insight for an Artist. With this in mind, we are announcing our series The Critique. 

(photo source)

We will show the work of 4 artists and have an invited arts professional guide us through talking about the work. Our aim is to intelligently discuss the work, pointing out strengths and flaws in the pieces, and providing a suggested guidance for the future.

Each session will be led by a different professional and will accordingly be slightly different.

Our first session will be led by F. Lennox Campello.

An award winning artist, a published regional art critic, art exhibitions curator, author and book reviewer, and gallerist are some of the adjectives used to describe F. Lennox Campello. You may have read his widely popular blog DC Art News, or see his book 100 Washington, DC Artists, or viewed his wonderful and innovative artwork. Certainly most DC area artists have heard of or know Lenny Campello. We’re proud to have Mr. Campello as our special Art Critic for the evening.

Our first round of artists to have their work talked about are
Nate Lewis
Zofie Lang
Christian Tribastone
Ceci Cole McInturff

Everyone that is interested in hearing this conversation about specific works of art is invited sit in on The Critique. The conversation is meant to be critical, and constructive. We aim to discuss what works, what doesn’t work, and to lead the artist toward possible resolutions or developments.

6:00 - 7:00 Meet and Greet with refreshments, and to see the Otis Street Arts Project space.

The Critique will begin at 7:00. Some works we will discuss will be jpgs, some will be actual pieces. Each artists work will be discussed for roughly 30 minutes.


RSVP on our Facebook Event Page
(not required for attendance)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1649240928664730/

Artist Profile: Scott G. Brooks

Otis Street Arts Project Artist

Scott G Brooks

Website: www.scottgbrooks.com
Contact Info: scott@scottgbrooks.com
Social Media Things:

http://twitter.com/scottgbrooks

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scott-G-Brooks/374098574084

https://instagram.com/scottgbrooksart/

 Scott G Brooks lives and works in Washington, DC. His paintings are primarily figurative, and range from simple portraiture to intricate narratives. Often using humor, he depicts scenes using social, psychological, and political issues. Anatomical distortions separate the figures from the photographic ideal, which gives him the freedom to create his own distorted reality. His work is described as twisted and offbeat, sentimental, and disturbing.

How do you work in the narrative aspect of your work. 

It all depends on the painting. As I create the context for the figures I am constantly re-evaluating what it is saying, or what it needs to get some sense of place or motivation. I grew up reading comic books and watching lots of cartoons, so I think I developed a way to communicate using imagery. The symbolism works both ways and I can sometimes use it to cloud my intentions, since I don’t want to give everything away. People see symbols very differently, and the range of interpretations fascinate me.

What do you think is the most important influence on your art?

There’s so many, but I’ve always loved Norman Rockwell, and glad he’s finally getting the respect he deserves. Further back was Caravaggio. Lately I’ve really loved the Pre-Raphaelites. I’m lucky to be friends with some amazing artists, Troy Brooks, Dave Cooper, and Erik Thor Sandberg just to name a few. Music is also an inspiration, singers and songwriters can pack so much in a song, and I try and do that in my work as well. Lastly, I love watching anything by Pixar or Dreamworks, and think it’s really pushing the way I work today.

How has your work evolved in the past few years. Yea, there has always been this “thing” in the arts community between illustration and fine arts, and I had a real hangup about that.  My illustration work has always been “tighter” and my paintings a little looser, I think people are calling that “deskilling” these days.  I’ve always been inspired by great illustration, both what’s been done in the past and what I’m seeing now. My illustration work is 100% digital now so the brush handling and detail I love is now incorporated into my fine arts.      

How do you incorporate your life into your work?

My work is personal, and sharing it with the public isn’t necessarily my primary concern. I know it will most likely happen and I take that into consideration, but in the end it’s MY work. Some pieces are are  more therapeutic than others, and I can end up working out issues in my own life on the canvas. I want to create work that’s honest as well. Some elements get obscured in the process, and I also use lots of symbols and metaphors.

I  think of myself as a very private person, though in this day of social media that’s all relative. It’s a delicate balance trying to create work that’s honest to who I am, and then putting it out there, without making myself vulnerable. I have a partner and a family so I need to respect their privacy as well. Most  aspects of my life are public if people want to look, and I’m ok with that. Most of my life was also pre-internet, so while I use it when I can, I do remember what life was like before Facebook.

Where did the offbeat and "twisted" nature of your work come from?

Growing up in a small town influenced that. Most of the art I saw was either religious, wildlife art, or comics, all of which I admire greatly, so when I started creating my own work I knew it had to be a little “different” to stand out.  My family was mostly normal, other than an odd assortment of pets. It wasn’t very strict though, and I’ve always been drawn to the weirdness for some reason, monster movies, Mad magazine, The Addams Family. I’m mostly normal and lead a very boring life, it just comes out in my art.

Exhibition Series: Cory Oberndorfer and Jeff Huntington

In starting the Otis Street Arts Project, we knew that a component of our endeavor would be bringing in artists to show their work. We wanted to have a gallery. We are very pleased to have two fantastic artists to share with you for our Inaugural Exhibit.  

Cory Oberndorfer

Bio 

A lover of popular culture and Americana, Cory Oberndorfer’s work fixates on the simple pleasures in life. Oberndorfer received his MFA from American University in Washington, D.C. and BFA from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. His work has been exhibited at Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, CA, Redux Contemporary Art Center and Jericho Arts in Charleston, SC, Flashpoint Gallery, G Fine Art, and the Katzen Arts Center in Washington, D.C.

Jeff Huntington

Bio

Jeff Huntington received an MFA in 1997 from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA in 1995 from the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC. His work has been included in more than eighty exhibitions nationally and internationally over the past 25 years. His paintings are in private and public collections throughout the world, including The Rockford Art Museum in Rockford, Illinois and in U.S. embassies in the Philippines and Panama. Reviews of his work have been featured in numerous publications, including The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The New York Times, Juxtapos, The New Art Examiner, as well as a features on CNBC and NPR. Some awards received include The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Fellowship (Canada), The Jacob Kainen Award for Excellence in Figurative Painting, a Maryland State Arts Council grant and The Ethel Lorraine Bernstein Memorial Award for Excellence in Painting. Huntington is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Corcoran in Washington, DC. His paintings are represented by Porter Contemporary in New York City, Reyes+Davis in Washington, DC, Gallery 1301 in Baltimore, MD, and The Annapolis Collection Gallery in Annapolis, MD.

www.jeffhuntington.com

The exhibit will be up for the next few weeks.  
The works are available for purchase
For inquiries and viewing appointments please contact

Sean Hennessey
202.550.4634
or Email

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What is The Otis Street Arts Project

The Otis Street Arts Project is a collaboration between artists Sean Hennessey and David Mordini. It is a studio space, an exhibition space, a performance space, and an incubator for artistic creativity.

Located in Mount Rainier, MD, a hot bed of artistic activity, and with a large density of artists just outside of Washington, DC Otis Street Arts Project aims to further the bonds of the creative community in the area and create great art and art experiences in the process. Within our section of warehouses includes many other professional artists and institutions including The Washington Glass School, White Point Studios, Orange Door Studios, Blue Door Studios, and a slew of other individual artist spaces. 

Otis Street Arts Project will create a series of exhibits, group critic opportunities, studio visits, lectures, musical events, staged readings, cabarets, and workshops.  

Otis Street Arts Project has studio space for artists. 8 Spaces roughly 130 square feet, including shared flex space, utility sink, a small kitchen, loading docks, and tall ceilings. We are primarily a space for mixed media sculptors. There is 24 hour access to the space. At the time of this writing each space is $400/ month, including utilities.

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Otis Street Arts Project
3706 Otis Street
Mount Rainier, MD 20712
otisstreetartsproject@gmail.com