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John Grande, Beyond Pop Art, Beyond Photorealism, At Scope Miami Beach 2017 Via Licht Feld (Basel)

12/4/2017

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by Patrick Ogle

John Grande is a New York City-based painter being show at this year's Scope Miami Beach by noted Swiss Gallery/art, Licht Feld. Grand is a painter whose background informs his work in a way that is fairly unique. His one-time day job making C-prints influenced and influences his work in interesting ways. Many painters who discuss influence from photos are talking about mimicking reality or distorting it. Grande's view is broader.

"I started working at Beth Schiffer's Fine Art Printing Lab right after I graduated from School Of Visual Arts in Manhattan. My experience working as a high end C printer was like going back to school again. When I say 'influenced me' I am talking about knowledge  in the art of creating a successful image," he says. "From Color theory to Composition--being able to work side by side with these highly successful photographers I was taking it all in and applying this knowledge to my work and adding it to my foundation of painting."

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See Mapanare.us first interview with Fredy Hadorn of Licht Feld HERE.

Grande is creating paintings that are not quite photo realistic but if is aim was that they be that? They assuredly would be.The complex images he creates might be labelled "pop art" by some but that would be lazy. These complex images are more than mischievous morphing of popular culture. There is a subtly different artistic dialog here.

"This would be my dialogue of how I see and interpret the world around me. I see my self as a sort of visual journalist. A filter," says Grande. "Instead of words I use the the picture to create the story/idea i want to tell in each different body of work."

And the way Grande chooses to bring pop culture into his work is unique and intwined with how he visually builds and structures his paintings.
 
"Once again adding to the vocabulary of art. How do i take this thing "POP ART" and make it mine in a market that has become saturated with 'POP.' I hope that at the end of the day i am successful." he says.
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On the Licht Feld website Grande's biography discuses the different ways he solves his conceptual problems. You see similar discussion from other artists. But each artist's contextual problems certainly vary.

"When I talk about the "contextual problems” I am referring to an idea and, how do I bringing the idea to conception with in the my photo representational style. Some one once told me 'Just because you can paint don’t paint for pomp and circumstance. Always find a way to add to the vocabulary of art'," he says. "This made me stop and really think about what I was painting and why. Every time I am starting a new This is what i mean by contextual problem. How do my ideas add to the vocabulary of art?"

Grande says the process in creating work is similar through his efforts, differing only in the deployment of that process.  

"I always find that there is something that i have done in previous work that i adopt and add it to my technique. My work has an even flow meaning that I through my process I discover new ways to create," says Grande. "I don’t believe in the Lightening bolt idea. I believe it is all about creating work."

The artists work hs been exhibited around the world. Exhibitions include shows in: The USA (New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Washington DC), Korea, Italy, India
and Canada). See his work during Miami Art Week 2017 at Scope Miami Beach.
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Southern Guild (Cape Town & Johannesburg) Showing Work Focused On Africa's Unique Voice At Design Miami 2017

12/2/2017

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PictureToco Toucan by Porky Hefer
by Patrick Ogle

Trevyn and Julian McGowan founded Southern Guild in 2008 in South Africa. Their focus then, and now, has been on locally produced, limited-edition pieces from artist/designers from South Africa. They choose artists based on a simple but not always common premise.

"Mostly that they can’t not make what they’re making – they’re called to it and are passionate about the work they do. Authenticity and heart plus talent and of course, superb production value and distinct voice." says Trevyn McGowan.

This year McGowan says there is an even more of a focus on an African aesthetic.

"This year’s collection has a clarity of focus that establishes Africa's unique voice, viewpoint and narrative. Collectible design is a comparatively new category in Africa, which means our designers are emotionally driven and more visceral than cerebral. What we see and enjoy every year at Miami is how the works elicit such an emotional response from the audience." says McGowan.

Southern Guild participates in numerous design and art fairs around the world but Miami is a unique opportunity for the group.

"Location, connection and inspiration. Miami attracts 33 of the leading design galleries in the world so it’s a fantastic space to learn in and to reestablish our confidence as our sales are always great. We also get to see our colleagues and

friends in the industry and to plan the coming year with our partner galleries," says McGowan. "The fantastic events surrounding the fair throughout the city provide enormous inspiration. Miami is incredibly fun and has such a fantastic vibe – the parties and that perfect sea work magic on all of us."

Design Miami occurs yearly in Miami Beach and Basel and features established and new designers/artists. They represent the cutting edge in design every year. The fair is truly where design meets fine art and no exhibitor demonstrates this more eloquently than Southern Guild.

Spitfire by Adam Birch & Tropism by Charles Haupt (photos by Ben Orkin)

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