Arts & Culture
Eames + Artists: A Transformation Worthy of Sarasota MOD
Eric Cross
Artist Statement –
“I focused on the curve of the chair, and felt it lent a feminine edge, so I applied large jewelry images to the front and back to play on those curves.”
About the Artist
Eric Cross has been General Manager for Home Resource Contemporary Furniture since 2010. He previously held the Visual Manager position at Saks Fifth Avenue in Sarasota, and Marshall Field’s flagship store in Chicago. He is a graduate of Ringling College of Art + Design with an emphasis on Graphic Design and Illustration.
Grace Howl
Artist Statement –
“The concept behind the design is: ‘Eames meets Pollock‘.
It is a fun way to see what happens when great design and lively colors come together! It’s an original Grace Howl piece! Hope SAF has fun with it…”
About the Artist
Grace Howl was born and raised in Pennsylvania. She was kicked out of art class in second grade because she refused to stay within the lines and wanted the leaves of her tree to be purple and red instead of green. Grace started painting less than a decade ago and considers herself a 9-year-old “outsider artist” since she is self-taught. Grace says: “Abstract art is my language and conveys my emotions, thoughts, and my belief in the interconnectedness of life and creativity.”
Besides painting, Grace has also created, and twice opened to the public, an art installation based on the 25,000 pieces of correspondence and love letters between Georgia O’Keeffe & Alfred Stieglitz.
Her work is in commercial as well as private collections in Sarasota, Casey Key, Naples, Siesta Key, Long Boat Key, Chicago, San Francisco, New York and the United Kingdom. She is a member of Center for Architecture Sarasota, Interior Design Society, Women Contemporary Artists, Donor Member of Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota Architectural Foundation and The Ringling Museum.
Grace has been a resident of Sarasota since 1989 and has been involved in a number of philanthropic efforts and contributed her services throughout the Region. In October 2017, she opened her studio and gallery in Sarasota’s Rosemary District.
Tim Jaeger
Artist Statement –
Beach Chair is from a new series of paintings Tim Jaeger began about a year ago. Jaeger collaborates with local drone operators to fly over our beaches and capture photo/video of aerial shots-which then parts of the photos become paintings. These works are now on view at State of the Arts Gallery. Additional paintings can be viewed at www.regeaj.com
About the Artist
Raised in Paducah, KY, Tim Jaeger moved to the resort coastal town of Sarasota, FL in 1998 to earn his bachelors of arts from the Ringling College of Art + Design. Since graduating in 2002, Jaeger has emerged as a leading artist in South Florida and beyond. Currently, he continues to maintain his Sarasota studio while working towards engaging the community and fostering new artistic partnerships. Jaeger’s paintings can be found in numerous public and private collections both in the United States and abroad.
Laine Nixon
Artist Statement –
“I chose to cover my chair in an acrylic “paint skin” with a simple pattern of shifting colors. I developed this process as part of my “Zuhanden” series of paintings – a series of 48”x48” non-objective works where I embed thinned washes, pours, or otherwise watery paint within a heavy-bodied, textured acrylic gradient. I noticed if I applied the gradient mixture to a very slick surface, it would peel right up. I became enchanted with the idea of making a large enough “skin” for the Eames chair, giving the chair a unique and surprising texture. While it can be tough to interject new materials into one’s process, it also yields the rewards that accompany any experimental work. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for the challenge!”
About the Artist
Laine Nixon is a visual artist based in Sarasota, FL. She earned her BFA in painting from the University of South Florida. She has participated in numerous regional exhibitions, including a solo exhibition at Gallery 221@HCC. Nixon’s work was published in Studio Visit Magazine and is in the collections of RBC Wealth Management and SRQ Media. Development of her work has been supported by a residency at The Longboat Key Center for the Arts, and the 2016/17 John Ringling Towers Fund fellowship which includes a residency at the Hermitage Artist Retreat. She is a member of SARTQ, a Sarasota contemporary Artist Collective.
John Pirman
Artist Statement –
“This ‘Va-Va-Va-Voom Chair’ represents cheeky fun for a serious icon such as this Eames chair. I mashed the styles of two decades into one…the 40s meet the 50s. The curvilinear leaf pattern of the vintage barkcloth trimmed in striped fringe makes a swoopy Eames chair look like it’s ready to get up and dance.”
About the Artist
Illustrator John Pirman has done work for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Macy’s, J.McLaughlin, Museum of Modern Art, and The Ringling Museum of Art (it’s recent rebranding and naming system), among others. Each month, John creates an iconic image of Sarasota for Sarasota Magazine’s back page which portrays why this town is a great place to live.
http://johnpirman.com/
Nathan Skiles
Artist Statement –
“My inspiration for this project was immediately met with the intimidation of collaborating with the work of such luminaries. I think it’s absolutely necessary to acknowledge that the object alone holds such an important place in art and design history.”
I wanted to acknowledge and employ the history of the Charles and Ray Eames’ work, specifically their contribution to the war effort as designers. With that in mind, I chose to focus my design on their research into molded plywood forms, specifically their leg splint. By applying vinyl decals to the surface of the chair, I hope to integrate my interests and aesthetic sensibilities into the Eames’ profound design.
About the Artist
Nathan Skiles is an artist focused on the complex role of craft and technology in their service of images of power and prosperity. Skiles serves on the faculty of the Fine Arts department at the Ringling College of Art and Design and as co-curator at Art Center Sarasota.
http://nathanskiles.com/home.html
This content originally appeared on HomeResource.com.
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