Welcome to the December edition of our Art Assembled series, where we unwrap a month filled with vibrant creations from talented artists. December is a unique time of year, marked by its own kind of magic and reflection. And in December, we had the pleasure of showcasing the incredible works of Dominic Di Mare, Lizzie Farey, Karyl Sisson, and Gizella Warburton. Each artist has brought their unique perspective and creative energy to our New This Week series.
As we approach the year’s end, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to you, our loyal supporters and art enthusiasts. Your passion for art fuels our mission, and we’re excited to continue sharing the beauty and creativity of contemporary art with you.
Read on to discover what new art we showcased throughout December!
Our month began with a spotlight on Dominic Di Mare‘s exceptional body of work. Di Mare, a distinguished American artist and craftsperson, has left an indelible mark on the world of contemporary art through his diverse array of creative expressions. His artistic voyage has been a testament to his pioneering spirit, always pushing the boundaries of what art can be.
Dominic first garnered acclaim for his groundbreaking work in dimensional weaving in the 1960s, a period when he carved a distinctive niche for himself in the art world. His ability to weave together intricate patterns and textures in three-dimensional space was nothing short of revolutionary. In the 1970s, Di Mare embarked on a new artistic journey, venturing into the realm of cast paper art. This phase saw him seamlessly blend elements of paper, sculpture, and mixed media into a mesmerizing
Over the years, Di Mare’s artistic journey continued to evolve, exploring watercolor paintings and abstract mixed-media sculpture. His art often touches on themes of personal spirituality, inviting viewers to embark on their own introspective journeys through his creations.
Up next in December, we turned out spotlight to Lizzie Farey, a remarkable artist residing in from Scotland. Farey’s work is a testament to her deep connection with the natural world, drawing inspiration from the inherent qualities of the materials found in her Scottish surroundings.
Using locally grown woods such as willow, birch, heather, and bog myrtle, Farey’s creations encompass a wide range, from traditional to organic sculptural forms. Her innovative approach often pushes the boundaries of traditional techniques, resulting in pieces that are both rooted in tradition and remarkably contemporary.
Farey’s art invites viewers to reconnect with the profound pleasures of nature, transporting them to a universal place and time. Her creations are a harmonious fusion of the tangible and the ethereal, showcasing the boundless beauty found in the world around us.
We then turned our attention to Karyl Sisson, a visionary artist based in Los Angeles. Sisson’s work is a testament to her extraordinary ability to weave together the fibers of everyday life, seamlessly blending elements of the past and the present into sculptural and textured forms that transcend traditional boundaries.
Drawing inspiration from a diverse array of sources, including the landscape of Los Angeles, microbiology, and fashion manufacturing, Sisson’s art is a captivating exploration of patterns, repetition, and structure. These themes are at the heart of her work, and she approaches them dimensionally, building upon her foundation in basketry and needlework.
One can’t help but be captivated by Sisson’s innovative use of materials, a practice that allows her to confront domesticity and challenge traditional gender roles. Her recent foray into working with paper straws, inspired by the intricate world of cells and organisms, has resulted in creations that appear to grow naturally and organically, inviting viewers to marvel at the wonders of the microscopic world.
Last, but certainly not least, we turned our focus to Gizella Warburton, an artist whose abstract compositions take shape through the tactile and contemplative process of drawing with paper, cloth, and thread. Warburton’s artistic journey is deeply intertwined with the materiality of her chosen mediums—cloth, paper, thread, wood, and paint. Through these elements, she connects with an innate human desire to create marks, to decipher the meaning of our physical and emotional landscapes, and to explore the transient nature of the warp and weft of our lives.
The slow, tactile intimacy of stitching serves as a mantra in Warburton’s work, inviting viewers to join her in a contemplative journey. Her creations evoke a sense of meditation, as if each mark and stitch were carefully placed to guide us through the intricate labyrinth of emotions and experiences.
Warburton’s artistry has been showcased in exhibitions across the UK, Europe, and Australia, leaving an indelible mark on the global art scene. Her work invites us to pause, reflect, and unravel the layers of meaning woven into the fabric of our existence.
As we bid farewell to December and this year, we look ahead with great anticipation for what the new year will bring. Thank you for being a part of our art-loving community. We wish you a joyful holiday season and a new year filled with inspiration, creativity, and the boundless beauty of contemporary art. Cheers to the exciting adventures that await us in the year ahead!
It’s Never Too Early: How to Buy Art in Your 20s
Lizzie Farey($1,800), Deborah Valoma($1,700) and Stéphanie Jacques($1,200). Photo by Tom Grotta
Thanks to the DIY movement and a mass of online and cable design and decor resources, we’ve never had more encouragement to create environments that inspire and invigorate. Art can be an essential element of such an environment and investing in art need not be a bank breaker. Domino, a curated site that encourages readers to “bring your style home,” offers several tips for buying art in your 20s, including not buying too big and not being afraid to invest http://domino.com/how-to-buy-art-in-your-twenties/story-image/all. We at browngrotta arts have a few additional thoughts:
INYO (95-2), Tsuruko Tanikawa, brass and iron wire, coiled and burned, 7.5″ x 6.5″ x 14″, 1995 ($1,200)
1) Think objects: If you are in your first apartment or are fairly certain that a move is in your future, Ceramics, Art Baskets, Glass sculptures can be easier to place in your next home than a large wall piece may be.
Naomi Kobayashi Red & White Cubes ($1,000 each)
2) Invest for impact: Prints are generally less expensive than originals, editions less expensive than a one off. And you will find that some mediums are, in general, priced more accessibly than others. Art textiles and fiber sculpture are an example. Work by the best-known artists in the field go for under a million dollars, compared to tens of million dollars for paintings by well-recognized artists. You can start small with works in fiber, ceramics and wood, and create a small, but well-curated, collection. Consider Naomi Kobayashi, a Japanese textile artist whose work is in the permanent collection of many museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and whose work can be acquired for $1000. Or an up-and-coming artist like Stéphanie Jacques from Belgium, whose masterful multi-media works address issues of gender and identity, and begin at prices below $1500.
GRAY WITH BLACK, Sara Brenan, wool & silks linen, 12.5” x 19”, $1,900 photo by Tom Grotta
3) Take advantage of digital placement: Reviewing art online is a great way to expose yourself to a wide variety of work, and develop your personal aesthetic. Once you’ve found a work that appeals, digital placement can give you a greater level of confidence before you press “Buy.” At browngrotta arts, we ask clients to send us a photo of the space the propose to install the work. We can digitally install the piece, to scale and with shadow, so you have a sense of how will work there.
32pc CONSTRUCTION III, Pat Campbell, rice paper, reed, 8″ x 7.5″ x 5.5″, 2002
4) Document: If the work you purchase has appeared in a book or a catalog, make sure you get a copy. Ask the seller for any information he/she has on the artist for your files. On each artist’s page on browngrotta.com, you can find a list of publications in which the artist’s work appears. The documentation is good to have for insurance and appraisal purposes and you can watch as the artist’s cv —hopefully — expands in the next several years.
5) Buy for love: It’s great to learn 10 years down the road that a work of art you purchased has appreciated and is worth more than you paid for it. We’d argue, though, that if you’ve enjoyed owning it for 10 years, and thought each time you looked at it, “I really love that piece,” you’ll have gotten your money’s worth, and enriched your life in the process.