Archive for the ‘Abstract Art’ Category

Artist Reception and New Art

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Modern Life
Modern Life

I’ll be leaving in a couple of hours to attend an artists’ reception at Advocate Good Shepard Hospital in Barrington. The reception is for myself and fellow artist Eric Hill. It is being sponsored by the Northwest Cultural Council. Eric and I are both artists in the Northwest Cultural Council’s Corporate Art Gallery program and currently have art on display at the hospital.

So here is a chance for you to have some free wine and cheese, talk with Eric and myself about whatever strikes your fancy, look at some art, and have a good time. The reception begins at 5:30pm and runs until 7:30pm. For complete details on the reception, see
Artist Reception at Advocate Good Shepard Hospital, Barrington

The Illustration

To illustrate this post I used a piece of art that I just added to my Technology Gallery. Titled Modern Life it is based on a digital photograph I took a year ago. For more about the piece and to view a wallpaper sized version of the same, see
Modern Life.

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To Be Anonymous Added to Computer Art Gallery

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

To Be Anonymous
To Be Anonymous digital art.

To Be Anonymous is the newest addition to my Computer Art Gallery. Looking at this piece you may find it ambiguous and you’d be right. The subject is anonymity. To the outside observer, everyone in this crowd is anonymous. However, inside this digital painting there is one who, while a part of the group, is separate from it. What you the observer need to work out is this: is that individual turned away from us while the crowd face us, or is it the crowd that has their backs to us and the individual who stares out at us anonymously.

Back tomorrow with another new digital painting.

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Atmospheric Disturbance Added to Computer Art Gallery

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Atmospheric Disturbance computer art
Atmospheric Disturbance computer art

I just finished adding another work of art to my web site. Atmospheric Disturbance is a piece I created earlier this month and which I’ve added to my Computer Art Gallery.

The piece came about as a consequence of considering the invisible turbulence that a particle, ball, or planet creates when moving through some intangible medium. Actually it all started with thinking about that old idea that there was an invisible ether that permeated all space and which would affect the speed of photons as they moved through that medium.

I added Atmospheric Disturbance to my Computer Art Gallery because of the tools and workflow used to create this piece. This piece was created using a combination of my own personal computer graphics software and Adobe Photoshop.

I must confess that one of the reasons that I make use of my own software dates back to a number of years ago when I would be walking through the art shows at science fiction conventions. At that time the range of graphics software used by digital artists was less diverse than today and I prided myself on being able to correctly identify the software the artist used in the creation of their artwork. Especially easy to identify were those pictures created using either Bryce or Poser.

To escape being typecast it seemed best to avoid using mainstream software - Adobe Photoshop being the principal exception. It also seemed like a good idea to diversify and to not become too dependent on any one software package - once again with Adobe Photoshop being the exception.

In the early days I would write using the C programming language. Once Java came along I began using that language. In fact I’m proud to say that I used Java to create the first (as far as I know) web accessible database of Martian feature names which included cross references to Viking images. Java has changed substantially since then. Some recent and useful books on graphics programming with Java are:

In addition to Java, I also make use of a great extension to Java called Processing. While the Java programming language can be pretty intimidating, that is not the case with Processing and I highly recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in doing their own graphics programming. To learn more visit the Processing web site.

I seem to be getting off topic here so to conclude, for a better view of Atmospheric Disturbance, you should visit the Atmospheric Disturbance web page which has a link to a wallpaper sized version of the image.

Look for another new art addition tomorrow

Jim.

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Life Pulse - New Digital Abstract Art

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Life Pulse abstract art
Life Pulse abstract art

I must confess. I’ve not been very good at adding art, either old or new, to my web site. In fact I have a rather large backlog for each of the genres of art that I create. To make amends I plan to focus on adding my newest works of art over the coming weeks. The bulk of this art will be added to my Computer Art Gallery.

The first piece I am adding is Life Pulse. This work is currently on display at the Advocate Good Shepard Hospital in Barrington IL as a part of an exhibit of a selection of my digital art. For more, see Art Exhibit at Advocate Good Shepard Hospital in Barrington IL

Additional information about this digital painting and a wallpaper sized version are at Life Pulse abstract art page. Given that the original is 20 inches wide by 15 tall, not much detail is apparent in the wallpaper sized version. It does however provide a good representation of what the full size artwork looks like.

Check back in a day’s time to see what gets added next. And no, I haven’t yet decided what to add next.

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Art Exhibit at Advocate Good Shepard Hospital in Barrington IL

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Life Pulse digital abstract art
Life Pulse digital abstract art by Jim Plaxco

Monday 01/11/2010 saw me setting up an exhibit of my digital art at the Advocate Good Shepard Hospital in Barrington IL. The art exhibit will run through April 4, 2010 and is sponsored by the Northwest Cultural Council’s Corporate Gallery Art Program.

For the sake of consistency I had to decide on what style of art to include in the show. My choices were either astronomical art, space art, or abstract art. I chose abstract art as that was most likely to have the broadest appeal. Note that some of the abstract art I create is done using a technique that I term algorithmic gesturalism. To elaborate, in algorithmic gesturalism I make use of an algorithmic based art program of my own creation which takes as input the "brush strokes" of my hand. Two examples of this technique are Geometer’s Dreamscape and Finding My Center of Gravity - neither of which appear on my web site.

Included in the art exhibit are four new works of art that I have not previously exhibited:

  • Life Pulse
  • Impression of Water Lily
  • Bionic Cnidaria
  • Microscopic Metropolis

The five other works of art in the exhibit are:

  • Geometer’s Dreamscape
  • Shades of Escher
  • Harmony of Spheres
  • Contemplating Infinity
  • Finding My Center of Gravity

Of the nine works of art, the only one listed on my web site is Contemplating Infinity. Unfortunately I just haven’t been able to find the time to post more of my art to my web site. I should make that a belated New Year’s resolution.

The Illustration: Life Pulse

I created Life Pulse, a 20 by 15 inch abstract, earlier this month. The idea for this painting came to me while sitting in a doctor’s office in Arizona last month and watching the ever changing pattern of lines on an EEG display. Wave like yet irregular, long periods of tranquility with brief bursts of storm like activity. That was the inspiration for the painting Life Pulse.

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How to Prepare Your Art for Galleries Seminar

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

A Mondrian Gone Bad
A Mondrian Gone Bad

Yesterday I attended the seminar How to Prepare Your Art for Galleries presented by Jason Peot. This was one of six seminars for artists sponsored by the Northwest Cultural Council and was held at the Barrington Library. Jason Peot teaches sculpture at Harper College and is curator of the Harper College Art Gallery. I didn’t know it but Jason too got his Masters Degree from Northern Illinois University. Go Huskies.

Jason’s presentation was not so much about how to prepare your art for galleries but how to get your art out on public display. According to Jason, art galleries are not currently looking for new artists. The economic downturn has been particularly hard on the art galleries and many have closed. Jason confessed that of the Chicago art galleries that have exhibited his work, all are now out of business.

Jason began by stressing that the first question an artist needs to answer is what do you want out of your art? What you want your art to do for you helps determine your path. Answering the question "Do you want your art to be seen or sold?" affects the path you take on getting your art in the public view. Mr. Peot was very big on building your resume by participating in juried competitions and shows. His suggested path was to begin by getting your art into juried shows. The next step is exhibiting in invitational and curated shows. Finally at the top are solo exhibitions.

As a part of his talk, Mr Poet gave a brief slide show of several of the exhibitions he has had over the years. Most impressive was his public commission for a permanent work installed at McCormick Place. Titled Intersect 102, it is a work of installation art that combines light and shadow to represent Illinois’ 102 counties.

Jason also shared that these days he is more interested in having his art acquired by museums and that he is actively pursuing that path. In response to my question about how does one go about getting a museum to acquire your art work, Jason said that it is primarily through collectors who have an association with an art museum. He pointed out that much of the work on display in museums has been donated to the museums by collectors as the museums themselves just don’t have the budget to be able to purchase art.

The next seminar in the Northwest Cultural Council series will be held January 9 2010 and is How to Write a Winning Resume, Bio and Artists Statement by Deborah Rosen who is a published poet and editor of RHINO, an award winning poetry journal.

The Illustration: A Mondrian Gone Bad

The illustration used for this post is A Mondrian Gone Bad. So how did this picture come about? A couple weeks ago I was in the process of creating 12 pictures in the Neo-Plasticism style of Piet Mondrian. These would serve as illustrations for my Faux Mondrian 2010 calendar for my just created account on Redbubble.com. I had completed 11 and was working on the final image. In fact I had completed the 12th image but then felt the urge to wreck this final image as a form of rejection of the strict formalism of Mondrian’s Neo-Plasticism.

An early example of this style is Composition with Red, Blue, Black, Yellow, and Gray which can be seen at the Museum of Modern Art web site - or this example from the Guggenheim:
Composition No. 1; Composition with Red, 1938–39.. While these are typical of Mondrian’s best known style of work, I much prefer his earlier output. For example, Church in Domberg painted in 1911.

For more information about Mondrian’s Neo-Plasticism, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has a nice interactive web feature that explores Mondrian’s Composition with Red, Yellow, and Blue.

For a better look at my bad Mondrian, visit my
A Mondrian Gone Bad print on redbubble.com.

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Corporate Gallery Artist’s Reception

Friday, September 11th, 2009

Geometers Dreamscape
Geometers Dreamscape digital abstract art

In July I was accepted into the Northwest Cultural Council’s Corporate Gallery Program. The Corporate Gallery Program is supported by funding from corporations in northwest suburban Chicago land and involves approximately 30 area artists whose art is on display in 9 corporate art galleries. The public may view the art during each gallery’s normal business hours. Artists display their works - oils, watercolors, sculpture, photography, mixed media (and now digital) - at the gallery sites on a rotating basis.

Upon being accepted into the program, four of my digital art works were put on exhibit at the Arlington Green Executive Centre at 2101 S. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights IL. The art went on display July 21 and will remain on display until October 5. The four art works that I have in the exhibit are:

  • Finding My Center of Gravity - an abstract panoramic gallery wrap canvas giclee.
  • Geometer’s Dreamscape - the abstract shown above.
  • Butterfly Effect - another abstract panoramic gallery wrap canvas giclee.
  • Harmony of the Spheres - an abstract similar in style to Geometer’s Dreamscape

Unfortunately I have made none of this art available for sale on either my web site or at Fine Art America. However, I did use a small scale study of Butterfly Effect as the illustration for my blog post Mensa, Algorithmic Art, and Monty Python

2010 Corporate Gallery Artists Reception - Saturday September 12

Following is the text of the reception announcement.

The public is invited to view works by seven new NWCC Corporate Gallery artists at a reception on Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 1pm to 3 pm at Arlington Green Executive Centre, 2101 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL. There is no admission fee, and refreshments will be served. Works will remain on exhibit through October 5, 2009; the gallery is open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 9am-Noon.

Exhibiting artists are:

  • Gail Baar of Buffalo Grove - Art Quilts
  • Liz Buckley of Mundelein - Photographs
  • Dianne Martia of Darien - Mixed Media
  • James Plaxco of Schaumburg - Digital Art
  • Donald Stillman of Buffalo Grove - Cellulose Polymer Resin Sculpture
  • Len Upin of Buffalo Grove - Ball Pen Drawings
  • Kevin Wisor of Schaumburg- Photo Collages

The Corporate Gallery Program is supported by corporations in the Northwest Corridor. The program showcases regional artists in attractive, modern corporate settings. Artists in a wide variety of media are accepted after a rigorous 2-step jurying process. The Council’s goal is to enrich the life of the community through exposure to the arts where people work and visit.

All art is for sale. A percentage of the sale price is a tax-deductible donation to support the Council, a not-for-profit community agency bringing visual art, music, dance, theater, poetry, and our unique Kids Meet Art program to the northwest suburbs.

For additional information about the reception please call the Council at 847-991-7966, or e-mail nwcc at northwestculturalcouncil.org.

About the Northwest Cultural Council

The Northwest Cultural Council was established in 1988 to respond to the need for cultural enrichment and development in the northwest suburbs and covers an area with a population of 800,000. The organization’s quarterly publication Spotlights is read by over 7,000 people and includes information about cultural events held in the northwest suburban area, focus articles on artists, and the value of art in education.

In addition to their work in support of the visual arts, NWCC also has literary programs and sponsors poetry workshops. It also sponsors a classical chamber music series featuring members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with concerts presented at NWCC Corporate Gallery sites.

The NWCC Kids Meet Art program is a three day arts education program that brings professional artists into elementary, junior and high schools, to introduce students to the various art forms. It offers hands-on, one-on-one training in art, music, theater, writing, dance, and special units on the Mayan and Japanese cultures.

See you at the Artists Reception

If you would like to attend the September 12 artists reception (1:00-3:00pm), you can use the following Google map for directions to the Arlington Green Executive Centre. I hope to see you there.

Ad Astra, Jim

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New Abstract Art - Fizzy Goodness

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

Fizzy Goodness digital art
Fizzy Goodness, 27.5 by 17 inches,  by Jim Plaxco

I just added a newly created artwork to my Abstract Gallery. Titled Fizzy Goodness, this art is my tribute to carbonated, sugar-enriched, artificially colored water. That’s right - soda pop. Or cola, depending on what part of the U.S. or the world you are from.

I can’t claim to be a cola connoisseur. Coca-cola, Dr Pepper, Root Bear, Orange Crush, and Squirt are my beverages of choice - delivering the high doses of sugar - and in some cases caffeine - that my body craves. I must confess that I don’t imbibe very often - perhaps only a few times a month as I really don’t need all that sugar and I try to set a good example for my two kids. To satisfy my desires for cold fizzy drinks I generally resort to simple carbonated water.

Fizzy Goodness is available as both a limited edition and open edition print. For information about the hand signed limited edition gallery wrap canvas in its original size, see Fizzy Goodness Limited Edition Print.
For the open edition print, which is available in a range of sizes, see Fizzy Goodness at Fine Art America. Note that while I personally create the limited edition prints, the open edition prints are produced by Fine Art America.

Cheers, Jim.

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Zero Energy Abstract Art

Monday, May 5th, 2008
Zero Energy Abstract Art
Zero Energy Abstract Art

After adding three old images to the Artsnova Space Gallery last Friday, I thought that I had better add something new to another of the galleries.

Zero Energy is a play on the physics term of zero-point energy, which is the lowest possible energy state of a quantum mechanical system. For more on the physics behind the term see Calphysics Institute: Introduction to Zero-Point Energy.

All “drawn” shapes in the image are perfect circles. However you will notice that the circles are organized into rectangular blocks - think of round pegs in square holes.

For more, see the Zero Energy gallery page. The page also contains a link to a full size version of a portion of the image as the details can not be discerned in the scaled down version.

Ad Astra, Jim

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