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Artist Statement:
My art is designed, in
an abstract way, to examine
social structures, and those
who struggle within them,
including myself, to the
critical eye of the outsider.
A constant in my art has been
the importance of circles—be
they mandalas, the circle of
life, or portholes through
which we see both others and
our inner selves. During the
last 2 years, I have been
experimenting with the
properties of modern
materials, such as plastic,
acetate, polycarbonate, Mylar,
and glass, to create optical
effects. My art has also
acquired sculptural qualities.
I have been working
exclusively on
three-dimensional pieces—maybe
only an inch or two
thick—using Mylar and acetate
to create layers within the
internal space. The use of
these transparencies and 3D
technique has suited my
purposes perfectly. I subject
them to various conditions and
elements to give them just the
effect I am looking for. I
create worlds where the viewer
is allowed to see some things
clearly, some things opaquely.
But all things seen are
intended to reflect an outer
and inner world of
psychological stress,
fragility and dislocation. I
have come to recognize that my
art is tending more and more
to show the...
Further Information
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Artist Exhibitions:
*Mexiacan Cultural Institue.
"The Immigration"
XVI Iberoamerican art salon
*Nevin Kelly Gallery"
Third Annual Attainable Art.
"Water Gate Gallery"
http://docs.google.com/View?doc
ID=ddvfgczs_64g3pc43&revision=_
latest
*Nevin kelly
Color transparencies extended.
http://
nevinkellygallery.blogspot.com/
*9x10 WW Parker Gallery.
WPA/Corcoran
*Soho Myriad
Susan Komen Homage. Atlanta.
GA...
Further Information
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Artist Galleries:
Nevin Kelly gallery. DC
Soho Myriad. Atlanta.
Winvian. Connecticut.
United Creators.NYC...
Further Information
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Collections:
Coming Soon!
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Nevin Kelly Gallery Blog
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Joan Belmar Opens Exhibition
Chilean-born local artist Joan Belmar opens his exhibition "Color Transparencies" with a reception at the gallery tomorrow night (Thursday, May 24) from 6 until 9 p.m. Belmar creates sculptural paintings out of strips of painted Mylar, which he shapes into circles or curved lines and combines with other objects on a base of wood or paper. He then overlays the composition with frosted acetate, on which he has drawn and cut out shapes. Where the acetate has been removed, the shapes beneath show clearly. Where the acetate remains, the shapes appear as if through a fog. The compositions exist in multiple layers: on top of, within, and beneath the acetate layer. Pictured at left is "Toy Box (Ochre)," one of 5 pieces in Joan's new Toy Box series. The piece measures 25" x 21" framed.
Color Transparencies will run thr0ugh June 17 in the front room (and part of the back room) of the gallery. Joan will be joined by Ellyn Weiss, who will show her new series of prints, "Time of War," in the back room from June 1 until June 30. More on Ellyn's series later.
Please join Joan and us for the opening reception tomorrow. If you are unable to make the opening, please don't miss the show. Color Transparencies is a true delight to behold, representing some of this artist's best works to date.
Joan Belmar received his degree in graphic design at the Catholic University of Chile. He moved to Spain at the age of 24 and to the U.S. four years later. In 2003 he was granted permanent residency status on the basis of extraordinary artistic merit.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Joan Belmar "Color Transparencies" Extended Until June 24th
Due to popular demand and our own personal pleasure in having the work up in the gallery, we are extending Joan Belmar’s Color Transparencies show for another week.
Mysterious compositions of undulating organic forms from afar, when studied up close Belmar’s sculptural wall pieces reveal strips of mylar shaped into circular and curvilinear forms blanketed in sheets of frosted acetate along with found objects including glass, metal hooks, bits of plastic, and other remnants.
Escape the Heat and Enjoy Art!
Joan Belmar and Ellyn Weiss just sent us new images of their work currently on view in the gallery. Please come by and enjoy the work in person. Belmar’s mixed media constructions of mylar, acetate, acrylic, and found objects are mesmerizing. As “mediations on the pain of war,” Weiss’s new series of monoprints are emotive while at the same time hauntingly beautiful.
Joan Belmar’s Color Transparencies will be on display until June 17th and Ellyn Weiss’s Time of War will be up until June 30th.
Enthusiasm is Transparent for "Color Transparencies"
Joan Belmar's "Color Transparancies" opened on Thursday evening, May 24, to an enthusiastic audience. Guests were very taken by Belmar's dimensional compositions of Mylar, acetate, pigment and found objects.
At left is "Compression," the largest work in the exhibit (47"x 38").
The artist's use of circular and curvilinear shapes in his compositions gives them a meditative feeling that invites individual intepretation. Belmar gives the pieces ambiguous titles so as not to hinder interpretation. The circles appear to some like bubbles, or yantras or tissue cells under the microscope.
See the detail from "Crash" below, right, as an example of this. The effect can seem exuberant, solemn and even sublime. This piece is from the artist's "artifacts" series. The main element, appearing in the lower center of the piece, is a flattened side view mirror from a car that is
missing most of its glass. What remains of it looks like little bits of sapphire still imbedded in the rusted ore of the mirror's casing.
See Robin Tierney's very nicely written reviews of the show in both the Thursday and weekend editions of the Examiner (even the layout of the Weekend arts page is terrific--its surprising how many pages covering artistic events are so unaesthetic). Many thanks to Robin and the Examiner staff for their coverage of local art events.
Thanks also to other stalwart supporters of the local arts scene, including the Current Newspapers, the Washington Blade, and the Washington Post Express, as well as veteran DC art guru Lenny Campello and his electronic Mid Atlantic Art News and noted local artist/blogger Anne Marchand and her Painterly Visions blog. We are sorry not to be able to provide links to the Current, the Blade or the Express (which we looked at in hard copy), but we applaud their efforts to expand the coverage of gallery happenings in Washington, DC and surrounds (and always encourage the other print media to do the same--can they ever do enough??)
The examiner:
http://dcpaper.examiner.com/content/e-edition/2007/05/26/2/23.pdf
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Joan Belmar Opens Exhibition
Chilean-born local artist Joan Belmar opens his exhibition "Color Transparencies" with a reception at the gallery tomorrow night (Thursday, May 24) from 6 until 9 p.m. Belmar creates sculptural paintings out of strips of painted Mylar, which he shapes into circles or curved lines and combines with other objects on a base of wood or paper. He then overlays the composition with frosted acetate, on which he has drawn and cut out shapes. Where the acetate has been removed, the shapes beneath show clearly. Where the acetate remains, the shapes appear as if through a fog. The compositions exist in multiple layers: on top of, within, and beneath the acetate layer. Pictured at left is "Toy Box (Ochre)," one of 5 pieces in Joan's new Toy Box series. The piece measures 25" x 21" framed.
Color Transparencies will run thr0ugh June 17 in the front room (and part of the back room) of the gallery. Joan will be joined by Ellyn Weiss, who will show her new series of prints, "Time of War," in the back room from June 1 until June 30. More on Ellyn's series later.
Please join Joan and us for the opening reception tomorrow. If you are unable to make the opening, please don't miss the show. Color Transparencies is a true delight to behold, representing some of this artist's best works to date.
Joan Belmar received his degree in graphic design at the Catholic University of Chile. He moved to Spain at the age of 24 and to the U.S. four years later. In 2003 he was granted permanent residency status on the basis of extraordinary artistic merit.
Charles Krause
Reporting Fine Art
__________________ presents__________________
“LENSES”
New Work by Chilean Artist Joan Belmar
Experience Art at Axis, Feb. 11
Charles Krause: Reporting Fine Art is proud to present the lyrical Mylar constructions of Chilean born, Washington based artist Joan Belmar.
Belmar’s translucent sculptures are in the tradition of the abstract wooden boxes created 50 years ago by Louise Nevelson, yet completely fresh and original in their use of color and materials to achieve an almost shimmering effect.
Still relatively unknown in Washington, Belmar has been nominated by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities as a finalist for its prestigious Outstanding Emerging Artist of the year award to be presented by Mayor Adrian Fenty on March 19th at the Kennedy Center.
One of Belmar’s drawings is included in the District of Columbia’s new permanent collection in the Wilson Building and one of his new constructions has been selected to be auctioned at the Feb. 10th Corcoran/WPA Gala.
For “Lenses,” his upcoming exhibit on Connecticut Avenue, Belmar will for the first time play with light to give his work an even more brilliantly translucent quality.
Axis, long known for creative installations in its prominent Dupont Circle windows, will be the host location for Joan Belmar's exhibit. A rare example of imaginative and thought provoking Washington window display, the Washington Post has likened the salon's Connecticut Avenue windows to those of Barneys New York. Increasingly artists have had their talents displayed in the tall bay windows of the salon and Axis is pleased to provide exposure for emerging artists. "Lenses" marks the first time Axis has hosted an exhibition. . The event, entitled: ArtAtAxis is a not-for-profit collaboration with Charles Krause, a long time art collector and former foreign correspondent for The Washington Post, CBS News and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.
For more information, call:
Charles Krause
202-638-3612 or 202-412-2324
charleskrause@surfglobal.net
George Dant
Axis Salon
202-234-1166
georgedant@axissalon.com
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