First off, I would like to apologize to those of you who subscribe to the blog via email. I recently updated my wordpress software and my last post was re-sent, which means some of you got it twice and it was for an event that was days ago. Sorry about that.

Shibuya Vending Machines by Joseph O. Holmes

Anyway, I’d like to take a moment to focus on two very different photography related topics.

First off, for those of you who (like me) are fans of photography, make sure you visit the new show at Wall Space Gallery. We began the last Art Crawl at Wall Space, but the show has changed since then. As the ONLY gallery in town to focus exclusively on photography, this is the place to see the best local and national photographers. The current show focuses on the later. Thanks largely to the Brooks Institute, this town is full of great photographers, so those that stand out in this crowd are really something special. Announcement below.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Secondly, for all those great photographers I just mentioned, an inquiry for submission just landed in my inbox. So, I thought I would pass it along. Submission details are below. Good luck!

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

A while back I was introduced to a local Brooks MFA graduate named Sol Hill. Photography is definitely not my specialty, but it is something I have a bit of passion for.  Sol took me through a great deal of his portfolio and the photos he showed me were like nothing I had seen before. Unlike almost every other photographer on the planet, Sol makes use of the digital noise produced by a variety of different cameras to produce images that subvert the straightforward denotation that we usually associate with photography. The resulting images give a very distinct suggestion of specific subjects or locations, but make any attempts to decipher their reality futile. For me, the visual effect of the photos is a wonderful combination of science fiction and the sublime. And it is the kind of thing that rewards multiple viewings.

Check these photos out at Sol’s Open Studio Sale this Saturday afternoon. Details Below.

SOL HILL:
Open Studio Art Sale
Saturday Dec. 10 2:30-6:30PM
3013 Paseo Tranquillo • Santa Barbara • CA • 93105
Contact information: Sol Hill • 805-453-4375 • sol@solhill.com • www.solhill.com

Local artist Sol Hill will be holding his first open studio here in Santa Barbara. Hill works with artifacts produced in digital photography to create highly textured lyrical images that hover between abstraction and recognition. While Hill’s medium is photography, his work is interdisciplinary in spirit. His interest lies in removing the expected details in a photograph and replacing them with textured visual details that stimulate the senses but evade easy definition.

Hill uses photography less to record surface appearances than as a tool to investigate how the interior dimensions of the subject can be perceived. Hill hopes to glimpse something beautifully unexpected out of his interaction with the subject and the variables that affect the photographic process. He seeks to use the camera, a device built to fix a perception, in order to deliver a certain freedom from fixed perceptions. To inaugurate his new studio space, Hill is offering discounts up to 50% off all limited edition prints during the event only. It is a great opportunity to find an exceptional gift for someone special or to treat yourself this to something special this holiday season.

Wine and hors d’oeuvre will be served.

Sol Hill Open Studio

Here comes the next big show at MichaelKate Interiors. Over the past 6 month’s or so, these shows (curated by artist Brad Nack) have gained a reputation for being some of the best shows in town. The previous show, “Born in the 20s”, was one of the best shows of abstract art that I have ever seen in Santa Barbara. As a very knowledgeable acquaintance put it, “it was a museum quality show.”

With this many contemporary artists in the upcoming show, you can be that this will be a well populated reception, made all the more festive with the addition of live music. If you haven’t been to one of the shows at MichaelKate Interiors, make the extra effort on Friday to see what is moving and shaking in the Funk Zone.

I need to get out the door and start heading for the Art Crawl, but I can’t go without getting the word out about tomorrow’s big show at Roy. I recently had the chance to meet Brad Nack, and you really couldn’t find a nicer guy. He has a very unique style that has brought him a large group of dedicated fans. I’ll admit that I’ve never been to one of these shows, but every year I regret it. People just can’t stop talking about it after the fact… so tomorrow I’m gonna make the extra effort to be there.

If you don’t believe me,  read what Seasons Magazine had to say about the show:

“The holidays are almost here and so are the reindeer. Come celebrate at Roy Restaurant, as Santa Barbara artist Brad Nack returns this year with a presentation of oil paintings of reindeers. This year’s batch of painting continues to explore the concept of multi-year series based art through small elegantly framed abstracted oil paintings.

Brad Nack’s Annual 100% Reindeer Art show has become a small phenomenon that now has collectors throughout the world. “I am trying to make each painting look as if it was fast and easy to create” says Nack, “however, sometimes that is a lot of work and can be nearly impossible.”

The event will be held at Roy Restaurant, on West Carillo St., on Friday, December 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information contact Brad Nack at 805/845-5389.”

See you there…

After a hiatus from the Downtown Organizations’s 1st Thursday last month, I’m back for the last Art Crawl of the year and this is going to be an extra special event. First of all, I am going to focus on many of the venues that have previously been neglected for one reason or another. We will start on the southern-most part of the festivities and will work our way up to a last stop at one of my favorite local artist’s studio near the Arlington theater. This means that we’ll be doing a bit more walking than usual, so make sure to eat before you come and wear comfortable shoes. It also mean that we will stop at fewer places than usual so we have time to take in these new places.

Joining us for at least part of the evening will be a group of revelers from Repeal Day Santa Barbara. Monday December 5th is the anniversary of the day that prohibition was repealed. They have some big festivities planned for the entire weekend and they start the whole shebang off with the Art Crawl.

I’ve posted a map of the tentative itinerary below. Click on the map to see an enlarged version. If you want to join us, make sure to be at Wall Space Gallery before 6pm. We will leave there promptly to make sure we have time to get everywhere.

Finally, the Art Crawl has a new site on Meetup.com. Check it out. I wasn’t familiar with it until recently, but it ends up being a pretty great online site for organizing in person events.

I hope to see you on Thursday!