For your Valentine ....

We believe the gift of art is perfect for the one you love. Below are some rather fabulous artworks that we think suit the theme of romance. With only two days left until Valentine's Day ... we've only selected artworks that are mounted, framed and ready to hang.

 The Invention of Drawing (2008) ©Antony Crossfield

66" x 48" Ed. 3+1 | 36.5" x 26.5" Ed. 7+1

This photograph, by the British artist Antony Crossfield, was partly inspired by one of the many tales in art history regarding the invention of drawing. The narrative spoke of two lovers, about to be separated by war. The young woman, not certain if she would see her soldier-love again, traced out the outline of his shadow onto a wall with charcoal, as it was cast by the firelight. In this way, she intended to keep her memory of his image alive. Crossfield works with this story in this artwork from the  Foreign Body series. It's an amazingly accomplished photograph that draws upon many renditions of the narrative throughout art history. His authorship and artistry brings a truly romantic narrative right up to date, by working with contemporary social references and photographic practice.

 The Irony Tower – Andrew Solomon (2010) ©Doug Keyes

17" x 21" x 1.5" Ed. 6

In 2010, the celebrated author Andrew Solomon – currently in the midst of rave reviews for his most recent book Far From The Tree – visited the gallery to view the work of Doug Keyes. The visit resulted in Mr. Solomon commissioning Doug Keyes to make two artworks inspired by his books, Noonday Demon and The Irony Tower. Our love for books, literature and photography come together in this beautifully crafted artwork. 

"In this electronic age, it's easy to become sentimental about the book as object, and if such nostalgia afflicts some readers, it more deeply moves writers; there is an almost inexpressible satisfaction to the physical heft of a book, a joy attached to holding it aloft and saying, "This, this is what I have done with my life."  Doug Keyes celebrates that physicality, but never at the expense of the books' content.  A book is already metaphoric; it is a collection of dimensional shapes that correlate to spoken language.  In Keyes's hands, the material and the essential content seem to merge; these images encapsulate the very essence of the author's vision and intent.  To have one's own art transformed by his art is to feel truly and deeply seen.  The images are beautiful, and full of meaning, and the beauty is part of their meaning.  No one has ever done a more satisfying portrait of me than these two photos". – Andrew Solomon  

 Lowlands 1 (2010) ©Martin Bogren

16" x 16" Ed. 6

Each summer, the gallery stages an exhibition called FRESH. Photographs are selected from an open call and co-curated by Darren Ching and a guest curator – in 2012 we collaborated with the collector, Fred Bidwell. One of the artists selected was Martin Bogren and this photograph, a personal documentation of Bogren's home village, has continued to capture our imagination. The nostalgia, the romance and the mystery is simply captivating.

Mesmory (2010) ©Lisa M. Robinson

32" x 40" Ed. 10+2

This contemplative and engaging photograph forms part of Lisa M. Robinson's Oceana series, with which she explores the 'rythms of natural time'. She invokes through the artwork, a visceral response that extends beyond the visual and becomes almost physical. We can imagine sitting on a bench, cozied up in the chilled air, sitting together and watching the ocean ...

"Water and the atmosphere are forever shifting, changing in both subtle and dramatic ways ... I am viewing the physical world itself with an understanding of internal trsnformations and visible signs of upheaval". – Lisa M. Robinson

PO4 (2011) ©Max de Esteban

20.7" x 27.6" Ed. 5+1 | 39.4" 52.5" Ed. 5+1

 

One of the most romantic things to receive is a piece of prose, a love letter, or simply a note with a discreet message of admiration. This is a wonderful photograph from Max de Esteban's series, Proposition One: Only The Ephemeral .  We've chosen it as a perfect valentine's gift because it conjures up those memories of tranforming a blank piece of paper, into somethng so much more. The artwork itself is an expertly crafted photograph of an object, once so widely used for written creativity – now obsolete but the romance of it still coveted.