COLOUR

HELEN CARNAC

ANTONIO MARTINS

FRANCOISE NIELLY

MONDAY MORNING BLUES

DRU DE SANTIS - GROUND RULES

On June 1, 1stdibs At The New York Design Center presents Ground Rules, a debut exhibition of nine striking black-and-white photographs of Manhattan street surfaces by photographer Dru DeSantis.

The exhibition runs through July 31, at the New York Design Center, 200 Lexington Avenue in New York.

“My fascination with the almost painterly abstraction that can be achieved through the art of photography is reflected in these black-and-white pigment prints,” says Dru DeSantis, a co-principal of DeSantis Breindel, one of the country’s leading branding and marketing companies. “Uncropped, unretouched and on an exceptional scale, the images can yield great surprises − they take on a physicality that sometimes hints of danger.” “What intrigues me about life in New York is the evidence of human interaction on the hard asphalt surface,” she adds. “I want my photographs to reveal the continuous building up and wearing down of boundaries, the imposition and the tearing down of order, all of which is encapsulated in a few square feet of pavement.”

Says DeSantis: “Eye-level is the perspective from which most people view the world, but not for me. I spend a great deal of time walking and observing the pavement below my feet, looking closely. What I discover in the pavement echoes the wonderful chaos of New York, so I decided to start photographing this unobserved world beneath my feet. The process felt like a journey of discovery. There were so many poetic moments to capture. I wasn’t focused at all on the people or the traffic, but rather on the indications of the wear and tear they left on the ground, and on the evidence of the effort to repair and remedy that wear and tear.”

A branding and marketing expert for an array of Who’s Who of Fortune 500 companies, DeSantis brings the same serious and dedicated approach to her photography as she does to her work.

DeSantis studied with two paragons of Abstract Expressionist photography: Aaron Siskind and Harry Callahan, as a graphic-design student at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). The influence of these teachers, particularly Siskind, is evident in DeSantis’s photographs. “Siskind was influenced by his circle of friends, who included the great Abstract Expressionists Rothko, DeKooning and Motherwell, all of whom I greatly admire,” says DeSantis. “The greatest works by Siskind are pure abstractions, focusing on the details of a scene to yield an image completely different from the actual subject. She combines this approach with a Callahan-like dedication to directional light, which can add or detract from a surface’s dimension. The large photographs, measuring 30” x 42”, are printed on archival rag paper, in a limited edition of 10.

“After working in the business world for more than twenty-five years, I feel compelled to devote more time to artistic pursuits,” says DeSantis. “I am honored that my work will debut at 1stdibs At The New York Design Center.”

“1stdibs At The New York Design Center is delighted to present Ground Rules, the debut photography exhibition of Dru DeSantis,” said 1stdibs founder Michael Bruno. “She takes the essence of New York – its streets, and interprets them in a highly artistic and thought-provoking manner.”

Text from www.drudesantis.com

COLOUR

1STDIBS

ARTITSIC CORNER

ALLYSON REYNOLDS

QUOTE

IN ORDER TO

LEAD A

FACINATING

LIFE-ONE

BRIMMING WITH

ART, MUSIC

INTRIGUE AND

ROMANCE- YOU

MUST SURROUND

YOURSELF

WITH PRECISELY

THOSE THINGS

DONNA KARAN

Ever since stumbling across her home while looking for images of Francis Bacon, Donna Karan’s Manhattan apartment has always been a favourite of mine.


The use of large scale art and the simplicity of the furniture selected throughout the rooms have always drawn me towards this style icon’s way of decorating.

Her use of bold natural items such as wood stone & marble has not only given this home a casual elegant look, yet a sophisticated lived in feel.

My favourite item in the entire house though has to be the Francis Bacon painting that she bought for her husband.

KEVIN INMAN

North Park Festival of Arts

Sunday 20th May 10am - 6pm

San Diego

Purple House In Hillcrest

Boats On The Beach

Palms In Ocean Beach

"I paint the poetry of everyday things. I admire the bright landscapes of my home in California, and strive to feel them in oil.

I think a work of art should be a feast for the eyes, and that intellectual or theoretical qualities are secondary.
I think a painting should look good when you put it on the wall.

Using old master techniques, I try to work at the crossroads of the Barbizon school and British Postwar Realism. "

For more information please visit http://www.bengowing.com/ or http://www.designestablishment.com.au/

BEN GOWING ART

The long awaited upgrade is now under way, if you have any enquiries please feel free to contact me ! bengowing@bengowing.com

www.bengowing.com

JOE SCOPPA

Joe has been painting on and off for over 30 years, and has completed a Master of Studio Arts degree at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney.

Joe's interests are in appropriation, spirituality, and the use of language as image in art, hence his use of magazine and newspaper as a starting point in much of his work.

Essentially Joe's technique is to begin with a printed image as a starting point, and then let his imagination take over, so that the finished artwork rarely has any resemblance to what is beneath the painting, although more frequently theses days Joe will leave some of the original text or imagery to show through and become part of the finished work. While Joe prefers painting people, he also enjoy's still life and abstract.

Joe prefers thickly textured oil paint, but will also occasionally use other media. Joe's also interested in printing techniques, and has recently returned to drawing.

To view more works please visit http://www.bengowing.com/

RYAN KORBAN