April 1- 7, 2004
first friday focus
 Melina Hammer, Ammonite Armlet (2000), fine silver twined around copper armature.  |
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Wexler Gallery
Fine silver wire winds over and over into a wide spiral form that wraps snugly on the crook of the arm. This Ammonite Armlet, by metal artist Melina Hammer, was inspired by an extinct crustacean, much like the nautilus, that lived 265 million years ago. So goes much of Hammer's strangely beautiful work, which she bases on "classic forms" found in Etruscan and Roman-Greco art but with a futuristic twist. Hammer doesn't simply make necklaces, she makes "neckforms" of gorgeously contoured and forged silver that sit on the neck like a work of art. Some of the work is quite medieval looking (chain-mail halters), some look like the garb of a Greek goddess (bronze etched arm cuffs), while still others seem like they'd be right at home on a dominatrix (Atomic Bombshell Breastplate, anyone?). It might seem constrictive (see her copper and leather "arm corset"), but Hammer's work is really about strength and power -- worn by women from ancient times to the not-too-distant future. Her new show at Wexler this month, "Goddesswear for Superheroes, Eccentrics, Celebrities," kicks off First Friday with a reception featuring models wearing her work, catwalking to the sounds of DJ Deep C. This isn't a first for Hammer, either: Her dramatic cuffs and spiky rings were worn by models showing Heike Jarick's spring 2004 collection during Fashion Week last year.
Reception Fri., April 2, 6-8 p.m. Exhibition runs through April 30, Wexler Gallery, 201 N. Third St., 215-923-7030.
222 Gallery
There's something timelessly cool and bad-ass about the old West. Stetsons slung low on the forehead, giant glittery belt buckles and, of course, cowboy boots ready for everything from a friendly cattle roundup to a showdown at high noon. Oh, right, but there's more than just the fashion. There's also, like, this amazing landscape and culture. Arizona transplants Roy Miranda and Michelle Povilaitis invited a group of Arizona and California artists to 222 Gallery this month to show us city slickers a Wild West just a bit deeper than Madonna's "Don't Stop" video. "Broken Western: The Taming of the Desert," a show curated by Miranda and Povilaitis, is inspired by the simplicity of the desert landscape and the cultures that are often overlooked. Amy Novelli Pesqueira registers her protest of recent bison slaughterings at Yellowstone with her naturalistic, iconic paintings. In his mixed media and stencil work, Victor Gastelum explores everyday life, from cars to malls to churches. Other work includes photos by Ian Arizona and Cody Clouds, film from Dana Armstrong and Bevin McNamara, and paintings by Miranda himself. Miranda says there are plans to turn 222 into a Western wild land for the opening, so snap on your spurs and git on down there.
Receptions Fri., April 2, and Fri., May 7, 6-10 p.m. Exhibition runs through May 27, 222 Gallery, 222 Vine St., 215-873-0750.
Painted Bride
Curator-gallery owner Shelley Spector lends her fresh, discerning eye to a show at the Painted Bride this month called "USED: New Work from Old Things." Recycling junk into art is nothing new, but that's not the only goal of these artists. They manage to infuse battered, discarded objects with new, often personal meaning. Richard Metz takes old men's suits and paints them with fantastical creatures; Alex Queral makes one person out of thousands by creating carved and painted heads from old telephone books; Teresa Jaynes uses textual materials and fabric to weave new stories of her own; Margo Mensing creates amazing postcard-like images of tourist sites like the Sydney Opera House and Mount Rushmore. Jerry Goodman, Laura Hutton and Brian Marshall also contribute work.
Receptions Fri., April 2, and Fri., May 7, 5-7 p.m. Exhibition runs through May 22, Painted Bride, 230 Vine St., 215-925-9914.
And Then There's é
Karen Krivit's "Bellyproject" still thrives, and the artist will show new, more intricately designed casts of round, pregnant bellies at La Colombe in Manayunk throughout the month. Krivit works with mothers-to-be on designing the casts, whether simple and monochromatic or elaborate and covered in delicate flowers. Krivit will also show two sculptures from a new series, "flying girl," made with her young daughter after reading the haunting bestseller The Lovely Bones. Reception Fri., April 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Exhibition through April 30, La Colombe, 4360 Main St., 215-483-4580. É Caroline Bailey, Marj Bond, Kristine Keheley and Charles MacQueen present work at Pringle Gallery this month in a show called "Color Rhapsody." Reception Fri., April 2, 5-8:30 p.m. Exhibition runs through May 4, 323 Arch St., 215-592-7746. … Manayunk Arts Center hosts an InLiquid-sponsored photography show with work by Mark James (night images of San Diego), Jay O'Brien (nature photography) and Rachel A. Zimmerman (interior studies). Reception Sun., April 4, noon-3 p.m. Exhibition runs through April 25, 419 Green Lane (rear), 215-482-3363.
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