66 Chevy - Oil on linen - 70" x 144" 2005
Anderson Art Collective Opens Benjamin Anderson Show ‘Just Add Water’
Santa Barbara, CA – Anderson Art Collective will soon be awash with Benjamin Anderson’s vibrant, large-scale contemporary oil paintings depicting a universe where water immerses and transforms the world we know. The solo show, Just Add Water, opens on Saturday, February 27 with an artist reception from 6-9pm and will continue through May 9. The reception is free and open to the public.
In a series of 14 paintings that blend themes of beauty, war and materialism, Anderson uses water as his visual vehicle. Diluting and distorting the lines of perception and beauty, the artist utilizes both realism and abstraction in his vision to relegate the importance of the material world to simple forms and shapes. Finding beauty in the ugly and ugly in the beautiful, the concept of Just Add Water takes on a new meaning in this show of thought provoking paintings.
"water gun (version one)" - Oil on canvas - 19"x52" 2006
According to a review by art critic Josef Woodard in the Santa Barbara News Press, “Objects and people submerged in rippling pool water, from a group of girls to an underwater spitfire airplane, serve as irony-soaked subjects in the pleasantly disorienting paintings of Benjamin Anderson.”
Trained in Florence, Italy and the SF Academy of Art University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Benjamin’s work was first presented in the De Young Museum of Fine Arts “Emerging Artists Exhibition” of 2001. He has been creating monumental oil paintings since 2002 and has been recognized for his portraiture by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. He was selected by Converse for a national ad campaign as their All Star artist and his work was the subject of a presentation on London’s Channel 4 TV. He has shown work in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Italy and most recently in Santa Barbara, California. In addition to his collaboration on the M-E-Y-K Art Kits, he is also a co-owner and co-curator of Anderson ART Collective.
The Anderson ART Collective shows on the 2010 Santa Barbara Art Calendar will each contribute a percentage of sales to non-profit organizations. In 2009, the gallery donated to Unity Shoppe Santa Barbara, United Way, Surfrider Foundation, Talhado Childrens Home of South Africa and the Rio Beni Health Foundation of Bolivia.
"7 girls" - oil on linen 78" x 114" 2008
The next show is Rogue Wave II which will open on May 29, 2010 presenting surf related contemporary artwork by local, national and international artists.
Anderson ART Collective is located at 410 Palm Avenue, A2, in Carpinteria, CA in the historic Henry Fish Seed Company building at the entrance to Carpinteria State Beach and is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon until 5pm or by appointment. The gallery features contemporary artwork by local and international artists and is a platform to promote the arts, to protect the environment and to support human rights. For more information go to www.andersonARTcollective.com or call 805.684.8783.
Gov’t Issue asks Benjamin Anderson what he’s been listening to lately:
Music…hmm: Death from above 1979, Mylo, Cut Copy, Chromeo, Hot Chip, Planet Funk, Rhibosome, DJ Kicks, Solesides (greatest bumps-track 11). We use most of these for our art walls we put on for the public. We play it loud & people start dancing and making art.
Awesome.
Website:
http://www.benjaminanderson.com/
Fine New American Cuisine
http://www.noblecookery.com
Seasoned veteran Executive chef Brinn Sinnott has recently taken the helm at Noble American Cookery, after having graced the kitchens of Lacroix, Supper, Amada, and Pumpkin. Noble is located on the charming little block of Sansom Street between 20th and 21st, which is a veritable treasure trove of shopping, eating, and entertainment. On this block sits a little Roxy Theatre, comedy clubs, Italian BYOBs, music and gift shops galore.
The ambiance of Noble is set with the first tug of the heavy door, made from reclaimed wood as is most of the furniture in the classy yet rustic establishment. The bar is made from 400-year-old naturally-fallen bubinga wood. Candlelit tables create an intimate setting.
Starting off with the appetizer of the Seared Scallops will awaken the palette with harmonious flavors of tender scallop, earthy truffle and cauliflower puree, and bright grapefruit. The small burst of citrus blends so divinely with the other textures and the components complement each other so well.
The Gnocchi Parisienne appetizer has a slight crispy shell surrounding a creamy delight inside. It is paired with sliced leeks, juicy trumpet royale mushrooms, and sunchoke puree. I had to reread the menu to figure out what that blissful white cloud that lay beneath the gnocchi, my first sunchokes ever and what a success. Beautifully composed and artfully done.
The star of the evening was the Pan-Roasted Duck Breast. It had a thin layer of duck fat which caramelized and added that wisp of crispness. It was succulent and tender, served on a bed of fried chard and cranberry mole and accompanied with a sage and bacon stuffing. The cranberry mole had that perfect little sweetness and Latin kick that brought the dish to its full potential.
The rich, decadent dark chocolate oozes from the Chocolate-Pecan tart with a generous dollop of bourbon whipped cream seated on top. The Pumpkin Custard comes in an adorable little brown cauldron with ricotta cream and slightly-oversized black pepper-infused candied walnut. While the idea of the candied walnut seemed right, it was awkward in size and the black pepper flavor was a bit off-putting.
However, the eatery is in a transition period and foodies should be excited about things to come. Inside sources claim the pumpkin custard will be on its way out and fresh new desserts (and other menu items) are on the way. In the warmer months, outside seating is available and a rooftop garden will flourish.
Noble American Cookery
2025 Sansom St.
Philadelphia, PA
215.568.7000
Hours
Dinner
- Tues and Wed 5-10 pm
- Thurs thru Sat 5 -11 pm
- Sunday 5 – 9 pm
Brunch
- Sunday: 11 am – 3 pm
Closed Mondays
Eamo Donnelly (Pron. Ay-Mo not Emo) is an Australian based illustrator who is best known for his intricately hand inked, character driven illustrations, infused with an eclectically dynamic colour palette with a true blue Aussie cheekiness. Eamo has illustrated for PLAYBOY, VH1, CBS Interactive, Chow.com, Maxim, Nike, Mountain Dew, ESPN, Complex, GQ, Men’s Health, Runners World, Blender, King magazine, Redbull, Radar magazine, RipCurl, Monument, Jmag and Golden Plains.
As well as commercial commissions, his love affair for Australian eighties nostalgia prompted him to create personal works that reflected the beauty and uniqueness of the culture he grew up in. These works have been seen on Jeeps for Mountain Dew, wallets for Poketo in L.A, shoes for String Republic in France, t-shirts for Owl Movement, esky’s, stubby holders, clocks, bar walls and street posters and in exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney and in the U.S and the U.K. In 2009 he was short listed for best original illustration in the Australian Desktop Create Awards and in 2010 he will be a speaker at Melbourne’s Design Conference AGIdeas. He is also an occasional Australiana reviewer for Melbourne’s online sub cultural guide ThreeThousand.
He is represented in the United States by Gerald & Cullen Rapp in New York and in Australia by The Jacky Winter Group in Melbourne. His work has been featured in Desktop, Computer Arts, EMPTY, Semi-Permanent, the vine.com.au King magazine, Attitude, Acclaim and arts features in The Age.
EXHIBITED
Australia - Milkbars, Laundromats and Urban Beauty, Melbourne Fringe Festival – Wax Off, Greenwood Gallery – Contains 12 Pcs, Gorker Gallery – Lamington Drive Group Show, The Jacky Winter Group Show, Carlton Gallery – Poketo Australian Series Launch, Robio – No Comply, No Vacancy – Heaps Decent, Kings Cross – Extra Cheeese 1 & 2 – The Forty Thieves, Gorker Gallery – Semi-Permanent Kids Today, MTV Gallery – Annandale Hotel, Sydney – Because We Can, Somedays Gallery – 12 x 12, Ambush Gallery – The Wall, Surry Hills
U.S. - The Wurstminster Dog Show, Portland – Supertrash Film Festival, Portland
U.K. - It’s Nice That, Devon.
http://www.eamo.com.au/
http://twitter.com/Eamo_Milkbar
wild life rifle fire - Paul Siegell
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- wild life rifle fire – Paul Siegell
Paul Siegell is the author of jambandbootleg (A-Head Publishing, 2009), Poemergency Room (Otoliths Books, 2008) and the forthcoming wild life rifle fire (Otoliths Books, 2010). He is a staff editor at Painted Bride Quarterly, and has contributed to The American Poetry Review, Coconut, No Tell Motel, Rattle and other fine journals. Paul has also been featured in the Philadelphia City Paper, Paste Magazine, Relix Magazine and Bookslut. Kindly find more of Paul’s work at ReVeLeR @ eYeLeVeL.
