OCTOBER 4, 2019 THROUGH JANUARY 5, 2020

PHILADELPHIA – Wynorrific Times is a two-person show featuring new work by Roberto Lugo and Mat Tomezsko. Starting on October 4th, the Wexler Gallery will play host to the visual exploration of the social conditions and historical through-lines that make our contemporary world both terrible and beautiful.

Lugo and Tomezsko were both raised in Philadelphia, and have been greatly influenced by the graffiti, street art and the environment of the city. Lugo’s works are about combining cultures, European and Asian porcelain forms turned into artistic representations for the cultures that were excluded from the wealth and luxury that goes with owning them. His work balances the perceptions associated with porcelain and hip hop, creating a new tradition out of two that were previously unlinked. Tomezsko similarly uses medium in a metaphorical way, incorporating found materials such as weekly coupons and asphalt into formal abstract compositions. The works appear like post-war and minimalist paintings, but thanks to his use of imagery and layers, break the traditional bounds of the medium creating a unique visual experience and story.

Despite maintaining strong ties to their roots, both artists have brought new ideas and expressions to the forefront of their work. Lugo and Tomezsko first exhibited together and began their collaborative partnership in 2013.

Roberto Lugo is an artist, ceramicist, activist, spoken-word poet, and educator. Lugo uses porcelain, a traditionally precious material, as his medium of choice, illuminating its aristocratic surface with imagery of poverty, inequality, and social and racial injustice. The hand-painted surfaces feature classic decorative patterns and motifs combined with elements of modern urban graffiti and portraits of individuals whose faces are historically underrepresented in the context of art history – people like Sojourner Truth, Dr. Cornel West, and The Notorious BIG, as well as Lugo’s family members and, very often, himself.

Mat Tomezsko is an artist, writer, and curator. He creates abstract paintings, public art installations, and community art projects based around people, language, and process. His work is informed by mid-century formalism and conceptualism, incorporates everyday materials, and makes connections between various creative disciplines. Community participation and public engagement are important aspects of his practice. His project, 14 Movements: A Symphony In Color And Words, a mile-long temporary mural installed in downtown Philadelphia during the 2016 Democratic National Convention, was recognized by the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network Year in Review for outstanding public art. 

Lugo was named 2018 Ceramic Artist of the Year by the Ceramic Arts Network. Lugo holds a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from Penn State. His work is part of the permanent collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, High Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, and more.

Tomezsko’s artwork has been exhibited at Thomas Hunter Projects in New York, NY; Woodmere Art Museum, in Philadelphia; Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago, IL; and the Delaware Contemporary in Wilmington, DE. Tomezsko has created many public art projects including 14 Movements: A Symphony in Color and Words; and Flowering Axes, a mural under the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia. His work is featured in a number of private and public collections including The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and Capital One in Wilmington, DE.

by Mary Anna Rodabaugh

Paintings are usually classified by the artist’s style. The human mind strives for order by placing visual elements into a certain categorical box; labeling the object at hand. The end result is a painting or work of art that can be put into a Surrealism box, a Realism box, an Impressionism box, a Photorealism box, or an Abstract box, just to name a few.

Yet some artists, like Brian Keeler, do not fit into one particular box. Instead, these artists adopt features from a variety of styles, thus creating hybrid-styled works of art. Featured at the Rodger LaPelle Galleries at 122 North 3rd Street, Keeler displays a wide range of subjects and styles, in his 64-piece exhibit entitled, Luminous Nature.

United by the common theme of light, Keeler’s paintings include landscapes, allegory, portraits, cityscapes and figurative works. Several of his landscapes were inspired by the idyllic mountainous areas in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

“The subject matter in this show is obviously important to me, as I paint the land that I know intimately and connect with in a meaningful way,” Keeler wrote in his artist statement.

Several of his works, such as Nudes in Autumn, tastefully place one or more nude subjects in the middle of a captivating landscape. This type of composition collectively illuminates the natural beauty of both the human body and the earth.

Natural elements such as meadows, bodies of water, mountains and clouds, appear to have hints of a soft Impressionistic brush style. Structural elements such as houses, fences, roads and street signs have a sharp and more realistic brush style.

Like French painter, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Keeler prefers to paint his landscapes “en plein aire,” which is French for “in open air.”

“When I am about to paint, I look at the light quality first. I tend to paint early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Sometimes I’ll paint outside at sunset and watch the transition into evening,” Keeler said.

The results are magnificent.

Keeler is a master at portraying light, shadow, and reflection. In, Keuka Lake, a swirl of nighttime Cirrus clouds wisp above the dark New York finger lake, as the twinkling town lights of Hammondsport are reflected off of the water.

In Luminous Nocturne, a small group of people are gathered around a large illuminated paper lantern. Eight additional lanterns float in the sky. Keeler creates a gradual fade from dark to dusk in the background.

“These subjects suggest a salubrious event where light is being released into the darkness by a group of revelers. The settings were altered to come up with a theatrical-like setting to suggest a summer evening soiree with a pleasant, if not spiritual, overtone,” Keeler wrote in his artist statement.

For those craving a taste of Philadelphian beauty, Keeler has several works dedicated to that too. One such work, Corner Light with Elvis, depicts the corner of 2nd and Race Streets. In this painting, the famous Mr. Bar Stool furniture store stands in the foreground as the iconic Ben Franklin Bridge can be seen in the background. From the green traffic light to the neighboring building’s shadow cascading down the storefront, Keeler’s attention to detail is impeccable.

Keeler’s sense of individuality is prevalent throughout all of his works. Luminous Nature simply does not need to be categorized, labeled or put into a style box. That is the beauty of this radiant exhibit.

Photography courtesy of Brian Keeler

by Gina Lee

“The courage that it takes for you to undress yourself as an artist means that you stand in front of the whole crowd naked, whether you’re a designer, a musician, a visual artist, painter, photographer. It’s a very humbling process. And only at that moment do you actually get to articulate your talent into a place where it can be seen, loved, and heard.”

Frederick Calalang – Director, RAW Philadelphia

I usually end up somewhere in between Manhattan’s busy streets and overcrowded subways on a mission to find good drinks, new music, cool art, amazing people, and fashion that I’ll never find at my local Macy’s. However, on December 5^th I had to look no further than the 5^th Annual Philadelphia RAWards held at LiT Ultrabar. After browsing the open room, a room overwhelmed with an enigmatic aura of underground artistry, the commonality gluing this event together was obvious. These local artists, musicians, photographers, filmmakers, and stylists were all there to deliver ingenious art expression to the city of Philadelphia. I had a revelation: The fact that I’ve never attended a RAW event in Philadelphia could only mean that I needed to spend less time hopping trains to the Big Apple and more time walking the cobblestone streets in the City of Brotherly Love.

RAW: natural born artists is an independent arts organization that provides young, indie creatives with the necessary tools and resources to take their creativity to a higher level and expose their talents to the city. Among the RAW artists showcased at the Philadelphia venue were nine artists deemed, “RAW Artists of the Year”. This year’s RAWard winners included Kory Zuccarelli (Photographer of the Year), John & Brittany (Musician of the Year), Anastasia Alexandrin (Visual Artist of the Year), Emaline Designs (Accessories Designer of the Year), Amanda Danziger (Filmmaker of the Year), Necro FX (Makeup Artist of the Year), Clifford Scott (Hair Stylist of the Year), Singing Circus Woman (Performing Artist of the Year), and Project Runway Season 12 Designer Dom Streater (Fashion Designer of the Year).

After slipping past a painting by RAW artist Jacqui Powell that read, “Fuck Society”, I circled back for more. Through the small crowd gathered around her, I could see the bottom of another painting. It read, “Rape me”. At that moment, I wasn’t sure if she was undressing herself as an artist, or stripping her audience down to uncomfortable levels of vulnerability. How I felt at that moment was exactly how she wanted me and everyone else in the room to feel. She revealed that she wanted people to feel uncomfortable when they looked at her work to bring social issues to light. Then, as a group, we openly discussed the issues of rape and domestic violence. Well done, Jacqui.

I couldn’t help but succumb to the raw emotions of artist Toni Michele. All of her work, including the stunning portrait of Lady Gaga, was full of life. When I asked what inspired her work, she first admitted that she was a bit of a manic, and then shared with me her personal book full of notes, thoughts, and letters. “My inspiration comes from painting things for people I love. It helps me deal with depression,” she said. She flipped to a page in her book, handed me a marker, and asked what I would attempt to do if I could not fail. I see. It was my turn to undress.

As my eyes perused the crowd and my ears soaked up the sound of Michele Karmin, I was just about convinced that this was truly an event only for the “Secret Society of Fantastical-Artsy-Individuals”. Then, I noticed former Governor Ed Rendell standing on the upper platform looking down to the main stage enjoying the sights. Something about that made my night.

And so it seems, to call yourself an artist is to commit to your art, undress for your audience, and reveal the raw emotion attached to your work, just as the RAW artists of Philadelphia have done.