 |
|
|
 Vallarta Living | Art Talk | January 2007 
Galeria Dante Welcomes 20 Artists
 PVNN
| | You are invited to "Meet the Artists" at Galleria Dante this Wednesday, from 6 to 10 pm. For more information, call 222-2477. To see some of the art work on display at Galeria Dante, visit GalleriaDante.com. |
This week's "Meet the Artists" night at Galleria Dante, scheduled to take place on Wednesday, January 24th from 6-10 pm, promises to be very exciting! Owners Claire and Joe Guarniere are expecting 20 of their best out-of-town artists to attend, including:
Guillermo Gomez - Master sculptor, whose works grace many parks throughout Mexico, and is collected with passion by many North American collectors.
Israel Zzepda - Whose surreal paintings in oil and acrylic, could well compete with masters like Salvador Dali.
Both Guillermo and Israel are accomplished beyond their years. When people admire their works, we are often asked if they are still alive. No one expects Guillermo to be only in his mid-40's, or Israel to be in his mid-30's. It will be a real treat for collectors, as well as other artists, who have waited years to meet both of these artists. Other notable artists expected to attend include:
Azucena Mendez - Who sculpts in bronze and silver, creating works close to her soul.
Luis Espiridion - Recognized in Mexico as well as Europe for his whimsical bronze sculptures.
Jonas Gutierrez - The sculptor, who this past October, donated the monument "Don Come Piedras" on Vallarta's Malecσn.
Guillermo Gomez - Recently returned from La Paz, where he was commissioned to do a monument of three whimsical, musical figures. We will be receiving new works for this show, as well as other new sculptures throughout the month of February. Guillermo always keeps (even us) in suspense, so we are just as eager as you to see his new works. He has also done works for the Vatican and for the White House, he did a bust of FDR. His mind is continuously active with ideas that he hopes to find time to sculpt.
Israel Zzepda - One often asks, how can he be so productive? His paintings are so detailed, filled with meaning and symbolism. As Israel begins to explain his canvases, the crowds around him grow, until the room is full of people eager to hear more. He is soft spoken, humble, but "oh-so" disciplined. We will have an English translator on hand to translate for Israel. His paintings are a must to see - and to hear in his own words makes you appreciate his talent.
Azucena Mendez - Her bronze figures are based on women, as is her unique jewelry. She is a single mom, who has raised her son to be open-minded and very secure in who he is. She is proud, spiritual and earthy and she translates all this positive energy into her sculpture. Her works are often a reflection of her self. She is a poet, singer, performer, artist. She is not afraid of new challenges, which will be re-created in an artistic form.
Oscar Capeche - His lovely wife became ill, so they decided to leave early, and unfortunately will not be attending this show. We do still have some lovely works, so please come by and ask to see his new works. He is a master who paints the masters with confidence, but subtlety. He works in acrylic on canvas - this series including "Interiores Mexicanas", his tongue-in-cheek interpretation of Matisse, Rembrandt, Carvaggio, Van Gogh and many of the Masters. Oscar loves to paint and loves the subjects he paints. His style is unique - but it is the person with the trained eye, the museum curator, the art professor who understand how talented he truly is.
Luis Espiridion - Thin, whimsical figures are his unique signature. Often the sculptures contain graffitti, a way of marking the pieces as his, as an animal would mark his territory. Luis placed a monumental "Vaca Loca" at the new Peninsula mall in November to celebrate the opening of Thierry Blouet's new steak house. Luis is charming. Often seen about town with his Mexican hairless dog, Chona.
Jonas Gutierrez - Has exhibited at Galleria Dante for almost 10 years. He has often worked in mixed media, for which he always received much acclaim, so when the idea came to gift a sculpture to the city, he wanted it to be something from the heart. Jonas started by collecting beach stones to use in his sculptures; he would spend days looking for the right stone to fit the idea in his head, and has now graduated to obsidian.
Dana O'Donnell - Anxiously returns from several snow storms in Colorado. She works in stone, marble and alabaster, her works have an inner light. She also experiments with metals, both bronze & iron. Dana has worked in studios in Mexico, Colorado, Pietrasanta and Volterra. She has an enthusiasm for sculpture that attracted us to her work, as we are passionate about sculpture.
Peter Spataro - New to the gallery this year. He often asked: "Why do the locals not paint this beautiful city?" So that is just what he did. This week we received light filled beach and river scenes, mostly of the Conchas Chinas and Rio Cuale areas. There is a water color quality to his paintings, even though he paints in acrylic and oil.
Bill Megrail - His landscapes are an extension of where he lives, as Bill paints plein air. We currently exhibit banana plantations, cactus fields, floral gardens with a view of the ocean and garden scenes of San Miguel. His commitment to detail shows in his finished works which you feel you can walk into. He has spent the last 6 months painting as well as building a new studio, so is anxious to dedicate 100% to his art again.
Yvan Genest - A recent trip to Los Angeles for a one man show opened new doors for him. Yvan's new "magico manos" series is very exciting. After years showing in Paris, he now divides his time between Montreal, Vallarta and Yelapa. He also produced a catalogue this summer to promote his works.
Jean-Gabriel Lambert - vibrant color best describes the paintings by this sensitive French artist. His paintings, a mesh of strong brush strokes and vibrant colors are forceful. You feel his passion and love of life in his use of colors. This year he will also work in acrylics, whereas for years all his paintings were oils. This energetic, young man warms the heart of all who meet him.
Laurie Chase - Paints the cities she has lived in: Santorini, Portofino, Martinique, and now Puerto Vallarta and its' surrounding area. Her beach scenes and boat scenes attract many collectors. She is a signature artist of the National Marine Society.
Pipo Brockman - Pipo's works in a loose style that is very refreshing: both his portraits of humans, as well as his portraits of Mexican hairless dogs. He is relaxed, his smile warm, his family and his dogs are his models and his support. We are happy to have him join our team this season.
Bill White - If you have seen Bill's portraits, you know how talented he is. After painting the famous Xuitla dancers, he decided he needed to paint other subjects. He is passionate about Mexico, so he decided to paint portraits of charras & charros. Recently seeing the Xuitla dancers perform again, he was inspired to paint another series of these beautiful young women.
Javier Lampreabe - Hails from Argentina. Javier used to paint large murals and worked in theatre. Most of his paintings have a dream-like quality. There are many hidden messages in his works, including spiritual elements. The paintings have a peacefulness, as does the artist. Today you will find him and Carolina building their house from scratch, which will include a new studio for Javier.
James Knowles - Hails from Kent, England, but has been living in Mexico more than 20 years. As every prolific artist, he is always experimenting. Currently exhibiting an on the edge line of sensual paintings, in addition to his floral paintings. Since the birth of his son almost 2 years ago, he has been more experimental with new ideas and subject matter, everything from beach scenes to markets.
John Anderson - Copper fountains, pelicans, herons and wildlife are John's forte. The sound of water falling has been a big draw to get people into the sculpture garden area of the gallery. The light dances off the copper and as the light hits them, it shines. John is always open to commission work and will soon deliver a large rain tree to the gallery.
David Leonard - Mosaic glass best describes his work: tables, beds, chairs, room dividers, serving bowls, flower vases, mirrors, even kitchen counters. If you have frequented the restaurant, Vite-A, you will have seen his tables and chairs. David just returned from several shows this summer in the US, including one at Lincoln Center in New York.
Richard Baker - Best known for his water colors, he is also gaining any collectors of his oils, which he started painting at age 80. Richard was recently asked to paint a Vallarta theme, he was inspired by the Viva girls, so immortalized them on his canvas. In the watercolors, his use of the white paper amazes professionals. His oils have a softness in his brush stroke and use of color, that resembles watercolor.
Rogelio Diaz - Has a unique style, but has definitely been influenced by Picasso and Basquiat. Rogelio believes that we all have something of a child within us. The older we grow, the closer we come to returning to the innocence of childhood. You either like or dislike his paintings, he leaves little room for middle ground. But collectors who would have never considered his works in years past have now become fond admirers of his work.
Edgar Martinez - Young and very talented are two words to describe Edgar. No one re-invents himself each year more than he. His latest creations of marble powder mixed with oil, painstakingly layered to create textures that leave the viewer wanting to see more. Edgar also draws from his Mexican culture to create the subjects in his paintings - often using Oaxacan women, in honor of his mother.
Cherie Sibley - When she is not selling real-estate and giving painting classes, she is traveling the world to photograph material for her own paintings. This year she traveled to Ecuador and Morocco, a series of portraits resulted from her travels. Cherie also made her mark on the local art scene by painting famous people's cats - everything from Andrew Lloyd Weber, Marilyn Munroe to Jack the Ripper's cat.
Lee Chapman - Aside from his fun Lencho style, he also paints more seriously under his given name, but still with a tongue in cheek humor. Lee has a great following of clients for his paintings, as well as his children's books. Come view his new Tango dancer and his Bather series. Often said to be Botero in style, they are not, but for many viewers portly figures are synonymous with Botero.
Open Mon-Fri from 10 am-5 pm, Galeria Dante is located at Basilio Badillo 269 in Puerto Vallarta's Romantic Zone. For more information, call 222-2477, or send an email to info@galleriadante.com. To see some of the art work on display at Galeria Dante, visit GalleriaDante.com. |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us