#plantlife
You Should Own Art, Edition 16
I’m terrible at social media, but I would love for the Y.S.O.A. audience to continue to grow. So, if you have some spare some milliseconds, kindly use a few to spread the word on your channels of choice.
And I also invite you to follow Y.S.O.A. on Instagram. You can see the works that I wasn’t able to squeeze into the newsletter editions. While you’re at it, make your own discoveries with the You Should Own Art companion directory of artists, galleries, and auction sites.
Oh, I am pretty frequently asked if I make a commission from sales of the art that I feature here. No, I don’t. I have nothing to do with the transaction and I don’t plan to. I view Y.S.O.A. as a continuous argument that our lives are improved at some very fundamentally human level when we surround ourselves with art. I also think that making art is one of the best things you can do with your life, and I want to support those that do.
New feature: We Own Art, stories of people and the art they own. The first of these is below. It was a fun conversation. This may be a lot to jam into a single edition along with the selection of artworks, so perhaps it’ll become its own newsletter. Lemme know what you think.
We Own Art
Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Emily Brouillet, a Content Designer currently working at Shopify. I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I grew up. We moved here from Austin about a year ago to be closer to family during the pandemic. Before I started working in design, I studied art history and was an assistant curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.
What is the work you want to talk about?
It's a large-scale woodblock print called Lions, Tigers And Bears, Oh My!
by a Grand Rapids artist named Erica Lang. It shows three animals riding a three-seat bicycle. But, they're hipsters-animals because they’re on a fixie bike and they have headbands, backpacks, and skinny jeans on.
That is pretty hipster. Where did you find it?
I bought it six or seven years ago when we were visiting Grand Rapids for the holidays. We went into a store called Woosah, which is Erica Lang’s art and clothing brand here. I loved the concept as soon as I walked in. She sells really cool outdoor-inspired clothes that feature her art and design. In the back of the store, she had an art studio, which is where I saw this piece. I loved the image’s sense of craftsmanship and handiwork; plus, I thought that was an amazing deal for a limited edition print that's so large.
Why did you buy it?
At the time, I was decorating my daughter Lily’s bedroom. The theme of the room was animals, but I wanted it to feel sophisticated and modern. I didn’t want it to feel too childish as she grew up. This print fits so perfectly with that idea and I knew it would be a statement piece. I also loved that we were supporting a Grand Rapids-based artist.
You’ve had it for a while, right? How has your relationship with the work changed over time.
Recently, I saw the same piece in my friend’s house. It made me realize that even though I had bought it for our daughter's room, it can really live anywhere in our home, and it would still feel right.
What other kinds of art do you have in your home?
A lot of the art that’s hanging in our house right now is prints that we bought from the Flat Stock Art Fair in Austin. We also have a couple of pieces by Raúl Gonzalez III, an artist we knew back in Boston; he does these really awesome pen and ink drawings. We also have some limited edition prints by the street artist Shepard Fairey and beautiful nightscape photography by our friend Remi Thornton.
Is there a dream artwork or artist that you'd love to have something by?
Yeah, definitely. I would love to have a William Eggleston photograph. His work is just so amazing and iconic. I curated a Louise Bourgeois exhibit when I worked at the ICA (and was able to meet her once), so owning a piece of hers would be a nice memory of that time in my life.
Okay, last question: why do you own art?
I think one of the reasons is because my husband and I met when we were working in the museum. Love of art is something that we've always shared as a couple and we usually agree on like the things that we like. Having unique art has always been a way to make our home feel special. I didn't own much art before we were together, but it’s been part of building a home together.
About this edition
Maybe it’s because I’ve been feeling the need to get out into the world, but I’ve been drawn to works lately that depict more flora than fauna. It’s a delicate business, drawing and painting plants. I love to see what artists take from the natural world.
“Frutas y culebras”
Sol Calero
Digital pigment print, 48.8 x 42 cm
Edition of 45, signed and numbered
GBP£350.00
I love big movement and exuberant colors. It’s easy to miss the menace. You can buy this edition from Whitechapel Gallery here.
Sol’s Instagram
Sol’s website
“Big Tree - Bumping Lake”
Kathleen Kemly
Mixed media, 5.5 inches x 3.5 inches
USD$390
I find this to be very keenly observed, there is a real sense of the place. It also calls to mind the beloved work of Eric Carl, author of the classic “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”. You can buy this work from Lynn Hanson Gallery here.
Kathleen’s Instagram
Kathleen’s website
“Chardons et oursins”
Maurice Redard
Oil, 36.2 x 28.7 x 0.8 inches
USD$961
I couldn’t find too much about Maurice other than that he was a Swiss painter, born in 1922. This work is from 1955, but feels like it could be from 2021.
You can buy this work from Artsper here.
“Greenhouse Waterlily”
Clare Halifax
1 colour screen print on paper, 56 x 60cm
Edition of 100, signed
GBP£175.00
Dang! The draftsmanship in display here is just remarkable. Clare’s body of work is similarly epic in scale and detail. You can buy this edition from Smithson Gallery here.
Clare’s Instagram
Clare’s website
“Marchs Pond III, New Hampshire”
Gaétan Caron
Acrylic on Canvas, 16 x12 inches unframed
USD$795
I am totally transported to the end of the water on a misty morning in the Summer. What a little miracle. Gaétan is the co-founder of the Lost Art Salon, which is the best thing I’ve found in a long time. Along with some contemporary works, they resurrect overlooked artists from the 20th century. The place is crammed with treasure.
You can buy this work from Lost Art Salon here.
Gaétan’s Instagram
“Hello”
Holly Mills
Acrylic, soft pastel and pencil on paper, 18 x 12 cm
GBP£330.00
I’m a big fan of Holly’s mysterious and beguiling drawings and paintings. There’s always something lurking that you just can’t grasp. You can buy this work via Arusha Gallery here.
Holly’s Instagram
Holly’s website
“Cosmic Study #2”
Mall
Watercolor on moleskine paper, 5 x 7 inches
USD$450
Watercolor is a dark art. It can be a pretty unforgiving medium. I always marvel at work like this that is so delicate and precise, but very alive. You can buy this work from Gallery Nucleus here.
Mall’s Instagram
More work from Mall at Gallery Nucleus
“Living Circuit”
Strange Dirt
Giclée print on textured Hahnemüle 100% cotton mould-made paper, 20.5 x 30 inches
USD$300.00
Holy smokes! You need to take some time and check the work of Marsha Robinson who works under the name of Strange Dirt. It is intense and beautiful. Incidentally, I discovered her work via Ghost Gallery (thanks Sara!) in Seattle. They have an excellent and interesting selection of work .
You can buy this print from Marsha here.
Marsha’s Instagram
Marsha’s website
“Lush Verdant Hillside Forest”
Frederick Pomeroy
Oil on Masonite
13"x17" inches framed, 12"x16" inches unframed
Another gem from Lost Art Salon. Painted sometime in the middle of the 20th century, there’s definitely a Matisse-Cezanne-Pissarro vibe, but without being treacly.
You can buy this work from Lost Art Salon here.
As always, thanks for subscribing. I hope you discovered something you love. Please let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you.