Karin Olah - News from my Studio

Elsewhere...In Blog-land

2008-11-13T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here is one of my favorite art blogs - www.DailyServing.com. When I'm feeling trapped in a small southern art town (every day!), I go to this blog to see what is happening in contemporary art elsewhere in the world. Just one juicy tid-bit a day.

Imagine my surprise on Nov 13.......................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's what Daily Serving wrote about my work ----

Currently on view at the Dobbs Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama are new fabric collages by Karin Olah. The Dobbs Gallery is a new space in Birmingham, devoted to showing work of established and emerging contemporary artists. The exhibition, titled Arrivals, cleverly marks the artist first solo exhibition with the gallery as well as a new body of work. Olah has gained a reputation in the SouthEast for her fabric collages which attempt to mimic elements of the natural world through the formal vocabulary of line, form, color and space. Olah's work responds to the history of textiles and quilt making by using fabric to mimic the line and texture of paint.

Olah is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, in Baltimore with a major in Fiber Arts and currently lives and works in Charleston, South Carolina. She was recently included in the publications American Contemporary Art and Art Business News. Recent exhibitions have included works in the South Carolina State Museum, Redux Contemporary Art Center and Eva Carter Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina, as well as the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Posted by Seth Curcio at November 13, 2008 12:00 AM

http://www.dailyserving.com/2008/11/karin_olah_1.php
(that's the link to the page.)

Pictured up above: Rambling Blue, 36 x 36 inches, fabric, gouache, acrylic, graphite on linen.
[It's one of the first pieces created in the Arrivals series. I worked on this piece in May and June (2008) when the deep blue of the Charleston sky was knocking me over. On weekends, I head to the beach first thing, then wait until the afternoon to lock myself into the studio to conjure the colors and shapes that were dazzling me that day.]

Opening at Dobbs Gallery

2008-11-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

"Arrivals" opens at Dobbs Gallery

Inside the Gallery

My newest collection of paintings are now on display at Dobbs Gallery on 2nd Ave N in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. This is my first solo show at Dobbs Gallery, who has represented my work since June this year. Very randomly and fortunately, the owners - Greg and Brooks Wingo - found my work online and liked what they saw. I'm glad they did; now I have an excuse to go to Birmingham, which is a fun town to visit... and I'm lucky to have new friends and collectors there.

This series was inspired by the wind, by air currents, weather, clouds, air travel - the feeling of flying and floating, and breath. I wondered what the wind might look like if it was full of color and not invisable. The palette ranges from my trusty nuetral tones to a new crush on the color blue, as well as my favorite red fabrics (which carry emotions of excitement, enlightenment, happiness, and love). The shapes I cut, collaged and painted are whimsical and willowy, round, bouyant, organic, dangling, rolling, wiggling, rising, and generally having fun. These 24 pieces were made during the summer - some were painted in my old studio in West Ashley, while others were finished in my new studio in Wagner Terrace. Some of you may have seen work-in-progress at Eva Carter Gallery, where I find time to invent the small works on paper. Stop in next time you are in downtown Charleston and I'll show you the different steps, the layers, the process that goes into my collages. I work on several at a time, making sure there are siblings... buddies...for the paintings to have a dialogue with.

"Arrivals - The Collage Paintings of Karin Olah" opened on Friday , Nov 7, with a lively opening on a clear Birmingham night of many openings. Throughout the evening , a steady stream of art enthusiasts made their way to Dobbs Gallery and I enjoyed meeting as many Birmingham-ites as I could. Everyone had such thoughtful questions! And fabulous eye-wear! The opening was a great success - many pieces found new homes, I received great feedback, and I got to meet a few other artists in the Dobbs Gallery fold (John Westmark!!). I want to extend thanks to Cafe Dupoint for the amazing hors devours - so delicious, I went there for dinner the following night. Also special thanks to Team Dobbs Gallery - Greg and Brooks Wingo - for your hospitality.

Brooks Wingo, artist John Westmark, me, and Greg Wingo

And to my collectors who came all the way from Pennsylvania -
you can expect some art in the mail!

Vandal with a Heart of Gold

2008-05-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

Recently,
I invited a pair of favorite collectors on a tour of the Contemporary Carolina Collection at the new MUSC hospital - Ashley River Towers (A.R.T. for short!).

It was a dreary rainy Monday and the idea of spending an hour walking around a hospital wasn't exactly thrilling. Yet, once we got a cup a tea and made our way through the lobby, it felt welcoming enough.

We started the tour at the 5th floor waiting room where 7 of my paintings reside. Since my last visit in January, the furniture had been haphazardly pushed to the sides and a public use computer was added on the right. It didn't look like the room saw much action.

Something caught my eye on "Moon Creek," the 2nd painting from the right.

There, clearly and deliberately, a tiny heart was drawn in pencil on the bottom of the painting. How curious. It's on the fabric - and can be fixed fairly easily (erased), but for the moment - I'm slightly flattered by the gesture and will leave it be.

What a sweet little vandal.... Destroying art by means of leaving a love note. You have to admit, it's pretty cute. Of course, if someone draws a unicorn or Care Bear on my art, I'll be upset.
Is it vandalism? It's not collaborative art - but it starts a dialogue.

Many of you have heard of Rindy Sam who was arrested for kissing a Cy Twombly painting. She told the court that it was an act of love and not a crime. As a fellow fanatic for monochromatic and minimalist art, I can understand the emotions of falling in love with an unlovable painting. It was an ALL-WHITE painting! How delicious and leering - what a tease! The painting was valued at $2.8 million. And while, Ms. Sam ruined it and devalued it, she also made it a famous painting. She either ruined her own art career or made it into the art history books. In addition to the $6,000 in fines, she had to pay $1.50 to Cy Twombly for symbolic damages.

So, to my vandal with a heart of gold, if you're reading this, I demand $1.33 in symbolic damages.
Thank you.

Contemporary Carolina Collection

2008-02-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

The Contemporary Carolina Collection at Ashley River Tower is worth a trip to the hospital.

About a year ago, Ray Greenberg, President of the Medical University of South Carolina, teamed up with Mark Sloan, Senior Curator of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, to collaborate on one of the most ambitious art collections that this state has seen in a long time. The result - The new Ashley River Tower is now home to the largest collection of original, contemporary South Carolina art on permanent display.

How massive is this collection? Well, it might be more art than you would see on display at the Gibbe's Art Museum. With 885 original paintings, sculpture, photography, fiber art, and installation artwork, this 7-floor architectural glass-and-steel modern building feels more like a art museum than a hospital. Of course, with the luxury of original fine art around every corner, you might forget you're in a hospital at all. Ashley River Tower has disguised its waiting rooms as comfortable lounges and the reception area/front entrance looks straight up like a 4 star hotel lobby. Not that going to the hospital is anything like going on vacation, but staying here, surrounded by the healing power of art, a patient may have a happier recovery.

Sloan, who hand-picked 53 artists out of hundreds and hundreds of applicants, choose a collection that represents a diversity in South Carolina's population & its artists. Here's the best part - 7 of my paintings were chosen for the 5th floor waiting room. So, that's why I'm so excited about this collection.

The public is invited to tour the building. Admission is free.

Or, if you'd rather stay home, you can see and read all about the art here!
There's even a few great videos!

And lots and lots of press about the new hospital, MUSC, and the art collection!

I just read that the CCC@ART project was featured on the PR Newswire JumboTron screens in Times Square. I wonder if they played either of the short videos? If so, my artwork enjoyed a half second of fame in Times Square. Ha ha. Which means I have 14 1/2 seconds of fame still coming my way?

2007 in Review

2008-01-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

2007 was a great year for making art & showing art
(And finding some new homes for my work).

Here are a few highlights:

March 07: I participated in a group show at Robert Lange Studios on East Bay St in Charleston - their annual "Small Works" exhibition. I think there were about twenty artists invited to show tiny paintings (14 x 11 inches or smaller)... it was a great ensemble of styles - realism, abstraction, figurative, collage, painting. Every single piece was a little gem. If you missed the show, you can see highlights from the very crowded opening night at http://robertlangestudios.com/

One of my favorites pieces that I had in show was: Balustrade 5, 2007, fabric, gouache, and graphite on paper, 9.5 x 7.5 inches

April 07: Charleston Farmers Market opened for the season (Saturdays at Marion Square Park). This year, they used my design for all their promotional gear - posters, t shirts, bags, and aprons. The city also used "Farmer's Quilt" for new street banners that surround the park. These might hang for a few years. Look up next time you are downtown.
Want to buy a signed poster?
16" w x 20"h with Charleston Farmers Market logo on bottom.
$20 per poster includes shipping. Email me to order!

May 07: The Annual Piccolo Spoleto Juried Art Exhibition was held at the CharlestonVisitors Center from May 25 - June 8. I took home an Honorable Mention for Moon Quilt, 2007, fabric, thread, gouache, acrylic, and graphite on canvas, 30 x 24 inches

Influenced by the colors I see at the beach and throughout the marshes of the Lowcountry, this painting was a first to use softer tones and blues.

June 07: A funky little diptych made its way to the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore for their annual 15 x 15 Alumni Exhibition. Each panel was 6"h x 6"w x 1.75"d - the group can either hang on the wall or stack on a ledge. The design continued around it's very deep edges. A portion of the sale from this painting went to scholarships at the college.

July 07: CFADA Palette & Palate Stroll was on the hottest night of the year. 16 galleries in the downtown arts district hosted art opening paired with the best chefs/restaurants in town. Craig Deihl of Cypress Restaurant worked his lowcountry-couture-foodie-mojo and prepared an amazing selection of bites for the opening at Corrigan Gallery. The show was called "Summertime Easy" and featured the 15 artists of the gallery. I presented a group of semi-realistic collages... the gates.

On the left: 47 Meeting, Fabric, Gouache, Acrylic, Graphite on Canvas, 36 x 60 inch diptych (can be shown with panels tightly together or open). I love the shapes that I see in the wrought iron work around downtown Charleston. Even though these are immensely popular, I'm taking a hiatus from this series for a little while.

September/October 07: I curated a show at Eva Carter Gallery, Sunset at Wadmalaw. It featured 20 artists who were all inspired by a sunset that was shared at a party at Eva's studio on on the Wadmalaw River. Yes, so, many many pretty pictures of sunsets- a first for Eva Carter Gallery -which primarily features Abstract Art. I included myself on the rooster of artsists - it was good company to keep (Mary Edna Fraser, Betty Anglin Smith, Mickey Williams, Kathleen Earthrowl, Shannon Smith, Eva Carter, and so many more).

I was part of another group show at Robert Lange Studios (RLS Upstairs). "The Other Side" was a collaborative art show with other modern art galleries in town - as a way to showcase some of the best emerging artists and forward-thinking gallerists in town. Once again, RLS had a great reception and even more fantastic after-party.

In October, Medical University of South Carolina purchased 7 of my paintings for their new hospital, Ashley River Tower. The work is part of the Contemporary Carolina Collection of MUSC - the largest body of original contemporary art by living South Carolina artists on permanent display. I'm dying to see it - with 885 original painting, photography, and sculpture, it sounds more like a museum than a hospital. Ashley River Tower will have a grand opening in February 2008.

November 07: My solo show at Corrigan Gallery opened on Nov 2nd during the CFADA Fine Art Annual weekend. "Incantations in Thread" was an entirely abstract show. It included much more blue than I usually use. Just about every collage/painting had a finishing line of thread encircling the main composition. It was a fun collection to make. There was a great article about it in Charleston City Paper. Thoughts about the show title/concept, Incantations in Thread: Historically, incantations are used to charm or cast a spell. The words may be mantras or made-up, confabulated sounds. Like the repetition of a verbal chant, my imagery is layered with recurring shades and shapes. In a way, I am trying to charm or cast a spell, visually, rather than by sounds or words. Working with textiles is something that, physically and metaphorically, I've always been wrapped up in, warmed by, and felt the weight of. My goal was to translate these thoughts in way that could take the same enchanting hold on the viewer.

But, of course, it's all very abstract - the thought, the execution, the imagery, the composition - which means than anyone can interpret it however they like. That's the beauty of abstract - personal significance, you like it or you don't, it resonates with you or it doesn't, the color makes you have a physical or emotional response, etc. The Left-brainers that I know try to look for objects and pictures in it - which is another way to enjoy the work. Of course I didn't secretly embed a composition with woodland creatures, but if someones sees that, I'm not going to stop them. More on that later.

December 07: I ended the year with a few group shows and auctions - The Contemporaries Artist of the Year at Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia SC. Also "View from the Water's Edge" at the Charleston City Gallery at Waterfront Park, Charleston SC. And, my annual favorite, the Redux Contemporary Art Center selected works Auction.