Alan Ilagan

Every once in a while the Romaine Brooks Gallery gets to host an amazing artist who is also a friend. This Friday I’ll have the joy and honor of being there for the latest solo exhibition of Kevin Bruce, who is one of Albany’s finest – on just about every level. Not only does Kevin create wonderful paintings, he’s also one of the most genuinely kind and good-hearted people I have the privilege of calling a friend.

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Artist Profile: Kevin Bruce

If you don’t know artist Kevin Bruce (though chances are you do), you certainly know his laugh: big, bright, and barreling over every space he graces. It’s gloriously infectious, this laugh, and it instantly sets those around him at ease. It is the sound of joy and celebration. No matter how many great things he accomplishes in his life, and no matter how much gorgeous artwork he leaves behind, it may be his laugh for which I am most thankful.

That sort of spirit imbues his latest solo exhibition at the Romaine Brooks Gallery, “Thoughts”. “For me it’s all about color,” Bruce explains. “Different combinations of colors and how they work next to or on top of each other to create moods and shapes really gets me going.”

To call him colorful is an understatement, and those who have encountered his alter-ego Whiskey Sour can confirm that Bruce is an unforgettable character – a bit of a jester and a bit of a Harlequin himself. The latter archetype finds its way into his current show, both as the watched and the watcher – a symbolic representation that mirrors the role of art and artist.
“All of my artwork says something about my life, but this show in particular is all about how important the arts are in my life and, I hope, in the life of others.”

The Harlequin plays several roles in this show – he is there to entertain, to cajole, to interpret, and to wreak mischief. Bruce also relies on symbolism, giving his pieces multi-levels of meaning. “In this show I am using symbols to communicate how I feel about life as an artist,” he says. “Some of the pictures have balls in them, for example, the balls represent playfulness.”

Inspiration is to be found in the more playful arts as well, and Bruce has been inspired by a patchwork of interesting characters and scenarios: “Theater. Drag Queens, Go-go boys, Halloween themes and now Harlequins. I probably should have gotten involved in sets and stage production for a living. Creating my work involves acting, costume design and lighting concerns. All on a 2-d surface.”

The work involved is important to Bruce not only for personal creative fulfillment, but for those who take the time and make the effort to view his creations. For him, an audience plays an integral part in his artwork.

“I feel that it’s important to communicate. The viewer should be able to take something away from the show. A feeling. Maybe an idea or a mood. I’ve never understood artists who don’t care about the people viewing their art. Art snobs hurt the whole experience.”

I’ve been told by some that Kevin has a dark side. We all do, though I’ve never come close to seeing Kevin’s. He’s gone quiet on occasion, and when the laugh is not in full evidence there’s a definite change in the atmosphere, but any serious difference in personality, any telling tribulations or pain, must be harbored deep within, saved for the privacy of locked doors and empty rooms. He offers but one tantalizingly-telling sound-bite on the topic: “My art exists to take away the pain I and others feel.”

It also exists to help others, and over the years he has given back to the people and places he has considered home. As a beloved fixture of Albany’s arts community, Bruce enjoys a well-earned notoriety. “I’m lucky, very lucky, to have a little fame locally. I have been featured in a book about Capital Region Artists. I have been in a film documentary. I like that people recognize my work when they see it. I would say that I am most proud of all the money my art has raised for Art for AIDS Sake over the years.”

It’s always uplifting to see an artist use their artwork and their platform to accomplish work as a citizen of the local community. As such, Bruce has said this show will also be a benefit for Our Brother’s Keeper Foundation. “I hope that that will further underline the role I play as an artist locally.”

Kevin Bruce will be presenting his solo exhibition, “Thoughts”, at the Romaine Brooks Gallery on Friday, February 3, 2012 from 5 to 9 PM as part of Albany’s 1st Friday Events. The Romaine Brooks Gallery is located on the third floor of the Capital Region Pride Center at 332 Hudson Avenue, Albany, NY 12210.

Tomorrow marks the 1st Friday of the New Year, and I’ll be hosting the evening’s festivities at the Romaine Brooks Gallery of the Capital Pride Center. Do join us for the posthumous exhibition of artist John Bosko, as presented by the Albany Damien Center. The gallery will be open from 5 to 9 PM at the Capital Pride Center. Hope to see you there.

There’s an old adage that ‘Blood is thicker than water.’ For Meredith Best, blood also seems to be thicker than paint, though the latter brings together the former in her family-themed exhibition “Defining Family”. On display for the month of December, “Defining Family” incorporates Best’s multi-layered works into a show built around the bonds of family, and perfectly timed for the holiday season.

“My family is what my life, and therefore my art, revolves around,” Best proclaims. “Of course I am interested in other issues – theoretical, aesthetic, material, political etc., but my family and job are spaces that I live in every day. They are whose questions I answer – they are what occupies my mind. I have brief moments to contemplate my own work. These moments are often when I am doing chores – when I can read or think more about cultural theory – or see a movie – these moments are precious and few.”

She makes the most of those moments, finding challenges and a way to push against the rules through her artwork.

“My art has, I hope, helped me grow as an individual. I am able to take risks with paint and imagery and text that I can’t do in life,” she explains. “We can’t break the rules while driving our cars or doing our daily chores or – I suppose we could – maybe that is what art is about – or at least a part of it.”

Best toys with the rules using a multi-layered approach and execution to her work. Text, paint, and photography collide in her pieces, and the overall effect is one of density and complexity, as themes and images swirl into one another. The result is an abstract treatise of sorts on the tools and materials used in art. Best puts it this way: “In this group of paintings and prints – I have been thinking about paint as paint itself – the substance of the dripping stuff – and I want to show that in the paintings – many of these paintings are about the thick drippy liquid we call paint. Also the layering of information: words, images, drippy paint – this is another theme.”

Despite, or perhaps because of, her extensive education (Best has earned Masters’ Degrees in painting and video art), her artwork retains a child-like carefree exuberance – colors colliding, forms interacting, media melding – yet there are deeper layers of meaning at work, both literally and figuratively.

“Recently I have been taking photos, then printing on them, then taking a photo of the painting then finally bringing them into photoshop and adding text to them and layering the photo/paintings with text. I like this process: the dripping paint gives the images a freedom and movement and gesture that I love. The layering of the text gives a complexity that seems almost necessary today – like the city walls in NY after many layers of information have been pasted there.”

In the end, it all comes back to family, and the way it unites us. Much like the paint that binds her pieces together as it clings tightly to words and images, Best holds onto the idea of family as the over-arching theme of “Defining Family”, attesting that “this title has to do with our family and how we embrace, accept, confirm each other every day. And how these acts are necessary in a family to create bonds and unity.”

Meredith Best will be presenting her solo exhibition, “Defining Family”, at the Romaine Brooks Gallery on Friday, December 2, 2011 from 5 to 9 PM as part of Albany’s 1st Friday Events. The Romaine Brooks Gallery is located on the third floor of the Capital Region Pride Center at 332 Hudson Avenue, Albany, NY 12210.

Growing from just a few galleries to an extensive list of local hot-spots, 1st Friday Albany celebrates its fifth anniversary this September. The Romaine Brooks Gallery has been a cornerstone of this monthly celebration of the arts, and this month will be featuring the impressive photography of Susan L. Shafer in her first solo exhibition, “Beauty Within”.

Seeing things that others might miss is the knack of a decent photographer. Revealing the hidden moment and finding the beauty within the most seemingly simple scenes are traits of a decent artist. Ms. Shafer straddles those skills simultaneously with her photography– illuminating a way of looking at the world through a lens that sees more than the average eye.

It started out simply enough, with ample access to the natural world – an inspiration that continues to this day. “I grew up on a family farm,” Shafer begins, “where we had goats, chickens, rabbits, pigs and so on, as well as a dog and barn cats. Our family had a large garden, [and an] apple/pear orchard among other fruit trees. We rescued a few animals and returned them to the wild~ I grew up surrounded by all kinds of nature, which had a huge influence on the way I see things and try to portray nature in my photographs.”

It isn’t always necessary for a photographer to love their subjects, but it certainly helps. Shafer’s passion for bringing out the beauty of a certain scene began as a simple wish to still the moment and capture a memory.

“I was inspired to take photos when our family took a month long vacation across country,” she says. “I wanted to stop everywhere and take a picture to capture the images to hold onto forever. There was so much beauty everywhere and it made me start looking at everything, everywhere in a different way.”

That realization coincided with an insightful teacher who recognized where Shafer’s skills might reside. “The only real training I ever had was in my high school art class. My teacher noticed I struggled with drawing and painting, so he asked if I had an interest in photography, which I did very much after that family trip. I was hooked from then on. I was photographing with B&W film a project the teacher would give me, then processing my work in a darkroom. I would stay there so long the school janitors would have to knock on the door to tell me they needed to lock up for the evening.”

The passion and excitement for photography she discovered back then has traveled with her to the present moment. Shafer’s work has appeared extensively in the New York State Conservationist Magazine, resulting in some of her proudest moments.

“I am proud of having one of my images make a wrap-around cover photo for the NYS Conservationist, along with many cover stories, teaching workshops for groups of people wanting to learn to take better photographs, but most of all I really just enjoy taking photos for myself. I have a close attachment to my images.”

For Shafer, photography – and the act of carrying a camera around to capture moments – is its own form of therapy – a refuge from the daily drudgery. When one can find peace in their work, it lends a different perspective, as if some of that contentment and tranquility bleeds through to the viewer. As Shafer puts it, “My personal life is very hectic and going out taking a walk with my camera is a way for me to relax, refresh my mind and take in all the amazing ways nature shows me her beauty.”

Susan Shafer will be the featured artist at the Romaine Brooks Gallery for the month of September 2011. Her show, ‘Beauty Within’ premieres on Friday, September 2, 2011 from 5 to 9 PM as part of 1st Friday Albany. The Romaine Brooks Gallery is located on the 3rd floor of the Capital Pride Center at 332 Hudson Avenue, Albany, NY 12210.

The Romaine Brooks Gallery at the Capital Pride Center will be celebrating 1st Friday Albany tonight, August 5, 2011 from 5 to 9 PM. This month’s artist is an old friend of mine – René Capone. An upstate NY native, René currently lives in San Francisco, CA and will be unable to make it to his opening, but the work more than speaks for itself. Here’s the profile I wrote on him for Community:

Romaine Brooks Gallery Artist Profile: August 2011

It is a story steeped in unfathomable abuse, horrific depression, and the darkest of childhoods. It has local beginnings and universal resonance – and it has a protagonist who moves from Albany to New York City to San Francisco, California. It is, above all else, a story about the redemptive and healing power of art – as escape, as therapy, as a means of life-saving transformation. Now, René Capone is coming back to where it all began – to the area where he was born and raised – to the very Center where he attended Teen Support meetings as a gay teenager – only this time he is the featured artist at the Romaine Brooks Gallery for the month of August.

Coming back home is not always easy, especially when the memories aren’t all happy ones. “Growing up was very hard,” he admits. “I was an abused child to a degree that was frankly sort of terrifying and it took me a long time to have the courage or even the knowledge that I could be something more than that. However, it is a part of who I am. I think it does make me a little more likely to look for the light in things and in people rather than the dark. I would like to inspire any one abused to stand up for themselves and dare to be better than what the world gave them.”

For Capone, the way to the light would be found in his artistic expression, and art became both a method of survival, as well as a way of dealing with the pain. The purpose of his art was, “To make a mirror of the self and of the world around you for the viewer to see. A good artist is a mirror for any audience looking to find themselves, and the truth is we’re all trying to find ourselves.”

I first met René a number of years ago in San Francisco. I was writing a piece on his ‘Hedgehog Boy’ art project, and we met at his studio/apartment. There were paintings – some finished, some still in progress – all over the walls and the floors, anywhere there was space. There was artwork and the artist’s tools spilling from corners and closets –yet it was neither cluttered nor claustrophobic. We spoke of many things, but it was clear that he was most passionate about his work as he described a new line technique he was experimenting with or his preference for certain colors.

According to Capone, “My proudest accomplishment is doing what I was told could never be done – to be a working artist in the face of a corporate brain-washing that would tell us that art is nothing more than a luxury. Making anything beautiful is an accomplishment. Art is not a luxury, it is the only thing that connects us to the past and the future, it is also the only part of a civilization that is kept when we are gone.”

More than that, art was a way for Capone to have control over something – to a certain extent – after coming from a place where he had little to no control. The fact that he favors watercolor as a medium is also both telling and perplexing. “Watercolor I think is a force of nature, and it interesting to me to see if I can bend it to my will and where I simply cannot and have to let the water take over. It’s a very delicate balance that involves a lot of trust.”

Much of Capone’s work is whimsical, with a very dark edge. Here, humans can transform into animals – both vicious and kind – almost as if the artist is trying to discern which world has the most, and least, compassion. The idea of transformation informs the title and theme of the show as a whole. “It just seemed natural as these are the paintings and drawings I’ve been making after completing my graphic novel that’s all about rebirth and acceptance.”
As he returns to upstate New York for this exhibition, Capone does so with a hard-earned wisdom and philosophical grace. In many respects this is an artist coming full circle – artistically, emotionally, and physically. When recounting those early days on his website, Capone wrote a heartrending piece that gives but a small indication of his world:

“While living in NYC, someone whom I remember as being very special and magical said to me (in response to a heated relationship conversation), “It’s not your fault… You don’t know how to be loved.” Never will I forget that, and never do I want it to be true. He was right, but it’s not the way I’m going to end up.”

René Capone will be the featured artist at the Romaine Brooks Gallery for the month of August 2011. His show, ‘Transformations’ premieres on Friday, August 5, 2011 from 5 to 9 PM as part of 1st Friday Albany. Further information about the artist can be found on his website at www.renecapone.com. The Romaine Brooks Gallery is located on the 3rd floor of the Capital Pride Center at 332 Hudson Avenue, Albany, NY 12210.

This year’s Award Recipients from the Capital Pride Center were just announced, and I happily offer my congratulations to the recipients:

Judy Disco, recipient of our highest award given, the Harvey Milk Award

Bomber’s Burrito Bar, Business of the Year Award

Lily Langford, Nancy Burton Straight But Not Narrow Award

Alan Ilagan, Volunteer of the Year Award

Joshua Dunning Powell, Paul Postiglione Youth Services Award

Yes, rewind and check it out – I was actually named as Volunteer of the Year. It is the only reward I’ve ever received (aside from the Best Dressed Man of the Capital Region). I hold both close to my heart, and this one is especially an honor, as I am in the company of some amazing people (which merits the post title of ‘I’m Not Worthy’).

That’s not false humility – I don’t play that game. In fact, if anything, I am guilty of inflating my image beyond the too-often-dismal reality of my world. But my work at the Pride Center – at the Romaine Brooks Gallery – is not a labor at all – it’s a love, it’s a passion, it’s a fulfilling part of my life that has come to mean the world to me. To be recognized for that is a wonderful bonus for what I would do no matter what.

My heartfelt congratulations goes out to all the deserving recipients, as well as a genuine sentiment of thanks and appreciation to those at the Capital Pride Center who felt I was worthy of the Volunteer of the Year. That means more than I can put into words.

Now the only question is: what to wear to the dinner?

(If youre interested in attending the Awards Dinner, here is the info from the Pride Center: Tickets will be available to purchase for this amazing event starting September 1, 2011 via our website www.capitalpridecenter.org or by calling the Pride Center at 518-462-6138. Tickets are $95 each, or $75 for students/seniors.)

Usually I post the 1st Friday Albany info the day before a show, but this month the exhibition looks to be so good that I wanted to get the word out a little early. The Romaine Brooks Gallery will be featuring the works of Tim Schapker in his first solo exhibition, ‘Mere Mortals’. Here’s the artist profile I wrote:

Never regret thy fall,

O Icarus of the fearless flight

For the greatest tragedy of them all

Is never to feel the burning light.

~ Oscar Wilde

            Some of our greatest artists are those who are not afraid to crash and burn. To risk ruin, to flirt with failure, to burn so brightly that there is nothing left – this is the tricky terrain for those who dare to conjure beauty. It is a gamble that pays off in Tim Schapker’s solo exhibition, “Mere Mortals”, on display through the month of July at the Romaine Brooks Gallery.

The story of Icarus provides the main inspiration of this exhibit – a fitting subject for both  literal and metaphorical interpretations.

            “The very brief version of Icarus is that he and his father Daedalus were imprisoned in a Labyrinth,” Schapker explains. “In order to escape, Daedalus constructed wings for them from feathers and wax. Although his father warned Icarus not too fly too close to the sun, Icarus – giddy from the exhilaration of flying – rose higher and higher. His wings melted and he fell to his death. So I suppose the lesson is about failed ambition or an overestimation of one’s competence. The problem I have with that message is that we humans love to play it safe, so we usually stop far short of our actual potential. I think it’s a much better thing to shoot for Mars and only make it to the moon, than to shoot for Detroit and reach my goal. I prefer the approach of Samuel Beckett: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” I think we all know we could do really great things if we could just get rid of that voice that says we can’t do it. Icarus says, “all limits are self-imposed.” I know in the story that Icarus ended up dying, but he also flew… So half of the photos for “Mere Mortals” are very modern takes on Icarus – they’re beautiful nude portraits of men falling through the heavens. In the other half of the photos the people are slightly more – but not entirely – grounded. Classic nude men float just a few inches above the earth. They transcend the classification of mere mortals and fly, even if only a few inches of the ground.”

            A sense of classical beauty runs throughout Schapker’s work, along with a few whimsical flourishes and perfectly-rendered surroundings. That perfection is entirely intentional, and key to the message of this show.

According to Schapker, “This current body of work is certainly very idealized and deals with going beyond our human limitations. I suppose that transcending limitations is personally important to me right now while I’m trying to create a career in the art world. The cards are pretty much stacked against me making it, but I’m not going to let that stop me from trying. If I try to become a great artist, and I only become a decent artist, oh well. It’s better than not trying and being no artist at all.”

There will always be those who criticize artwork and artists, and across-the-board adoration is often suspect. Dealing with such opinions is the nature of the beast, and Schapker is prepared for whatever judgments may be cast.

“I really don’t like to analyze my own artwork too much past its form,” he claims. “I don’t like to deal too much with my own personal reasons for doing art. I think the important thing is what the audience thinks, what they take from it without my input. ‘Don’t complain, don’t explain’ is my approach. That said, I think the least useful purpose of art is as a framework for judging the value of creation. That kind of judgment, especially when done internally, impedes the creative process. Unfortunately I think art criticism that determines what is “good” or “bad” can stifle creativity and puts up barriers to prevent everyday people from creating art. I think people (including myself) should just stop listening to those voices, both internal and external that say, “You’re not a true artist, you don’t have the skill.” I think there’s much more value in me doing something, and doing it badly, than in me doing nothing, but doing it really well.”

Further information on Tim Schapker and his work can be found on his website, www.schapker.com.

Tim Schapker will be presenting his first solo exhibition, “Mere Mortals”, at the Romaine Brooks Gallery on Friday, July 1, 2011 from 5 to 9 PM as part of Albany’s 1^st Friday Events. The Romaine Brooks Gallery is located on the third floor of the Capital Region Pride Center at 332 Hudson Avenue, Albany, NY 12210.