Contributor Update, Dmitry Borshch

Join Superstition Review in congratulating past contributor, Dmitry Borshch, on some exciting news! Since being featured in Superstition Review Issue 12 in 2013, Dmitry has had some amazing art exhibitions in his home state of New York. Here are just a few:

Disasters of War in East Ukraine, an exhibition about the continuing war in Donbass. Check out full details of this exhibition on Actipedia.

“When I mentioned to a friend employed by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in New York that I am preparing a series on the war in East Ukraine, which involves traveling there, he encouraged me and even gave the number of two employees of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. One of them, a monitor with its Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, provided me with valuable security information as I traveled to Donetsk, Poltava, Kiev, Mariupol, and other places from Dnepropetrovsk, my place of birth. There in 2015 I began to research ‘Disasters’ through interviews with ‘переселенцы’, persons resettled from ATO, the zone of Ukrainian government’s ‘anti-terrorist operation'”, Borshch explains, adding “I wanted the series, whose title obviously refers to Goya’s ‘Los desastres de la Guerra’, to be first exhibited in cities afflicted by the war.”

From Disasters of War in East Ukraine art exhibit by Dmitry Borshch
Turkish past, Ottoman present and Spengler in Turkey. Check out full details of this exhibition on Actipeida.

Two weeks after Erdoğan ascended to the presidency Borshch organized an exhibition in Istanbul, “Turkey’s New Sultan”, for which, the artist explains, “[he] had to revive the Soviet practice of apartment exhibitions. No gallery in Turkey that we contacted would agree to mount it, fearful of being prosecuted on charges of “insulting Turkishness” – Article 301, Turkish Penal Code. So, as in eighty-nine when I and other nonconformists mounted exhibitions in Dnepropetrovsk apartments because galleries could only exhibit Soviet (meaning Socialist Realist) works, the curator of this exhibition found an apartment in south Istanbul where we showed fifteen drawings on the prime ministership of Erdoğan and invited sympathetic locals to visit; about seventy visited during the exhibition’s almost three weeks, many of them artists. “Turkish past, Ottoman present” is an outgrowth of “Turkey’s New Sultan”. All fifteen collages in it depict Erdoğan and members of his sultanic, neo-ottoman court, such as Binali Yıldırım, Ahmet Davutoğlu, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.”

Denial of Family Values, Gay and Anti-gay Propaganda in Russia. Check out full details of this exhibition on Actipedia.

“This exhibition was created in America but premiered in Russia a year after the passage of what many know as “gay propaganda law”, the bill unanimously approved by the State Duma (with one abstention) and signed into law by President Putin in June, 2013. We contacted five galleries and several cultural centers, not just in Moscow, but none of them agreed to mount our exhibition because of the new law and broad anti-gay, anti-trans sentiment in the country. As thirty years ago in Dnepropetrovsk when I organized apartment exhibitions because only Socialist Realist art could be officially exhibited, we rented a three-bedroom apartment on Moscow’s Budyonny Prospekt, mounted the exhibition, and invited only those who were sympathetic to or could tolerate our views on gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans rights, would not report us to the police who could impose a fine for an unsanctioned exhibition or – this has happened with some exhibitions in Russia deemed “offensive” to religious or national feelings – damage the pictures,” explains Borshch, adding, “There was another apartment exhibition in Moscow, on Tverskaya Street, followed by one more in Saint Petersburg’s Kalininsky District, both lasting a month in early 2016”. Figurative drawings like “The Making of Brothers” are displayed in our exhibition alongside excerpts from speeches on homosexuality and its “evils” by Russian public figures, which are rendered calligraphically on white, yellow, and pink sheets.

“This was the first of two apartment exhibitions mounted by the artist in 2014. Less than three months after it, reacting to the presidential campaign victory of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Borshch had the other apartment exhibition in Istanbul. As some nonconformists did in the Soviet Union, he continues to employ this tactic of apartment exhibitions in Putin’s Russia, Erdoğan’s Turkey, and elsewhere,” writes Dr. Khidekel in the introduction to “Denial of Family Values, Gay and Anti-gay Propaganda in Russia”, which she curated. It is happening on the sixth anniversary of anti-gay legislation’s passage, and during the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month in America.”

Soviet Lives of Uncle Tom. Check out full details of this exhibition on ArtRabbit.
Dmitry Borshch

“Having read one of many Soviet children’s editions of the book as a child and later becoming impressed by its global success, I have never attempted to illustrate it traditionally, in the manner of Hammatt Billings, its first illustrator, and those who followed him,” says Dmitry. “In this exhibition I illustrate the handling of the book by Russian censors, editors, preface and afterword writers, publishers. Although it was published in Russia about three years before statutory abolition of serfdom, and already then manipulated for the Russian government’s benefit, I focus in the exhibition on Soviet manipulations of the classic, performed by those who were living in Soviet bondage upon a novel about bondage in America. Excerpts from their prefaces to the book, afterwords, and translations are rendered calligraphically: Stowe’s English and translators’ Russian passages are organized into parallel columns on the same pink sheets, which helps the viewer to notice politicized manipulations of the translators and their censor-editors. All these pictures were made recently but are informed by thirty-five-year-old memories: like you [the exhibition’s curator] I still remember the late Soviet treatment of this novel, when it was employed widely for anti-capitalist, anti-American propaganda, extolment of USSR as the righteous opposite of USA, advancement of Soviet hegemonic goals,” concludes the artist.”

The Second October Revolution, about 1993 constitutional crisis in Russia. Check out full details of this exhibition on ArtRabbit.

“25 years ago, while staying with relatives in Moscow, I observed what was a genuine possibility of restoration of the Soviet Union, meaning the imposition of Soviet rule and governance on all the former republics of USSR. I heard megaphone speeches by parliamentarians at their White House, promising exactly this and lamenting the Union’s dissolution. That was on September 26; on October 4 I was able to hear from New Arbat (then Kalinin Prospekt) tanks shelling the parliament building. My show is a dramatization of that and other actions ordered by Boris Yeltsin which effectively ended attempts to restore the Union. Blackened stories of the White House I saw on October 8, a week before leaving Moscow, announced this end,” says Borshch.

Congratulations, Dmitry!

#ArtLitPhx: Observation & Imagination

Due to popular demand Observation & Imagination exhibition has been extended at Royse Contemporary through May 25, 2019. This group exhibition examines the ideas of observation verses imagination, reflecting upon the artists perspective and creative process. Showcasing an eclectic selection of work from thirteen noteworthy artists: Cherie Buck-Hutchison, Angel Cabrales, Charmagne Coe, Bill Dambrova, Lee Davis, Cam DeCaussin, Gennaro Garcia, Rafael Navarro, Dan Pederson, Daniel Shepherd, Marilyn Szabo, Casey Wakefield, and Scott “ColorOrgy” Wolf.

Typically, one would define “Observation” in art as drawing or painting from life, while “Imagination” emphasizes the artist’s ability to produce images and ideas without any immediate input of the senses. Owner/Curator, Nicole Royse has selected artists who both typify and transcend these categories, creating powerful work that offers a distinctive voice, mastery of medium, and unique perspective. This exhibition offers an eclectic selection of work with artists working in an array of mediums including collage, drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media. Observation & Imagination aims to create a dialog and connection with these artists, highlighting their use of imagery, engaging styles, and strong voice. 

Royse Contemporary will host an Artist Reception for Observation & Imagination on Thursday, May 9, 2019 from 6 to 10 p.m., coinciding with the weekly Scottsdale ArtWalk. The evening will feature an opportunity to meet the artist’s and curator, along with light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments.Observation & Imagination will be on display at Royse Contemporary through May 25, 2019.

Royse Contemporary is located in the Scottsdale Arts District in the Marshall Square complex at 7077 E. Main St., Suite 6, Scottsdale. Royse Contemporary is open Monday, Tuesday, Friday 9:30 to 1:30 p.m., Thursday 6 to 9 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about Royse Contemporary or the featured artists, visit roysecontemporary.com.

#ArtLitPhx: Elemental: Cultural Arts Festival

Date: Thursday, April 4, 2019

Time: 5 PM – 9 PM

Location: Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ, 85004

Cost: Free

Event Details:

As part of our commitment to sponsor performances that feature outstanding, artistic talent, Maricopa Community Colleges presents its second Annual Elemental Cultural Arts Festival on April 4, 2019. This unique event invites a diverse group of artists within our student body, faculty, and community to come together and culturally express themselves through art.

Join us to watch these artists showcase their talent in the areas of sound, movement, vision, and expression – i.e. DJing, dance, street art, spoken word, and storytelling. The art exhibition and reception will take place from 5 to 5:30 p.m., and performances from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The event will be held at the Phoenix Art Museum at 1625 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004.

Your attendance is greatly appreciated by the art community and the fine arts students at Maricopa Community Colleges.

For more information about the festival, please contact Kara Thomson at 480-731-8630 or kara.thomson@mesacc.edu, or Dr. Rob Morales at 480-731-8302 or rob.morales@domail.maricopa.edu.

#ArtLitPhx: Royse Contemporary Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary with “Our History” Exhibition

#ArtLitPhxRoyse Contemporary Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary with “Our History” Exhibition

Event Description:

In celebration of the One Year Anniversary of Royse Contemporary, Curator and Owner Nicole Royse is honored to present Our History. This exhibition showcases an electrifying multi-media group exhibitionthat explores how artists’ today create, share and examine their histories through a contemporary lens. The artists’ lives and work share the common bond and passion for art and the influence of the southwest. The work created is compelling and authentic with original styles and captivating subject matter, resulting in art that produces meaning relevant to contemporary issues and life today.

Our History  showcases the work of 7 regional contemporary artists, which include Gennaro Garcia, Fausto Fernandez, Frank Gonzales, Cherie Buck-Hutchison, Charmagne Coe, Daniel Shepherd, and Marilyn Szabo. The exhibition will feature a diverse selection of work including painting, drawing, photography, collage, and mixed media highlighting the artists’ energetic styles, eclectic imagery and brilliant color palettes. These artists were selected based on their distinctive voice, ingenuity, and accomplished work. “It is my honor to work with this talented group of artists and present this exhibition to celebrate the one year anniversary of Royse Contemporary, states Royse.

Our History  exhibition opens to the public Thursday, September 6, 2018. We will celebrate Royse Contemporary’s one year Anniversary and our new exhibition on Thursday, September 13, 2018 from 6:00-10:00pm, coinciding with the weekly Thursday Scottsdale ArtWalk. The evening will feature an opportunity to meet the artists’ and curator, live violin music performed by Telian Dodge, along with light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. The Our History  exhibition will be on view through Saturday, September 29, 2018.

Royse Contemporary is located in the Scottsdale Arts District in the Marshall Square complex at 7077 E. Main Street, Suite 6, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (located on the south side of Main Street just west of Marshall Way). Royse Contemporary is open Tuesday & Friday 9:30-1:30pm, Thursday 6:00-9:00pm, and Saturday 12:00pm-4:00pm. For more information about Royse Contemporary or our featured artists visit roysecontemporary.com. Direct all media inquiries to owner/curator, Nicole Royse at Nicole@nicoleroyse.com or (602) 810-3449.

Link to Official Press Release

#ArtLitPhx: ASU Art Museum: Beyond Beyond Exhibition

#ArtLitPhx

 

Exhibition runs June 23 through Sept. 29

Time: 11:00am-5pm

Event Description:

“Beyond Beyond” is a solo exhibition of Ai Kijima, a contemporary artist whose riotous collages of figures, patterns and colors are made from meticulously pieced and fused textiles.

In her work from the early 2000s, she used scraps of bed sheets, curtains, clothing and dish towels collected from thrift stores to create artworks that depict a variety of characters ranging from American cartoons to Japanese anime. Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Kijima is fascinated by the patterns and imagery of fabrics from around the globe.

“Beyond Beyond” reflects Kijima’s interest in how the melding of traditional craft and popular imagery reflects a culture’s history, preoccupations and social politics.

Supported by the Windgate Charitable Foundation as part of the Windgate Contemporary Craft Initiative at ASU Art Museum.

Visit the museum website for directions and hours and information about bringing classes to tour exhibitions or meet with curators.

Image credit: Ai Kijima, “Rebel to the End,” 2012. Mixed media, 54-by-65 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

#ArtLitPhx: Elements of Style: Part 2 at Royse Contemporary

#ArtLitPhxElements of Style: Part 2 at Royse Contemporary

Event Description:

Royse Contemporary Presents “Elements of Style: Part 2” offering brand new multi-media works from this vibrant group of talented artists! Many of the featured artists have created new works for August! Elements of Style: Color, Line & Texture exhibition offers an eclectic selection of work that includes collage, drawing, mixed media, painting, and photography.

These artists are connected through their striking imagery, originality, vibrant color palettes and engaging styles. This exhibition showcases the work of eight noteworthy artists based in both Arizona and Texas including Angel Cabrales, Charmagne Coe, ColorOrgy, David Allan Paul, Dan Pederson, James Anthony Peters, Daniel Shepherd, and Marilyn Szabo.

These selected artists based on their distinguished styles, accomplished work, and distinctive voice, each creating and embodying elements style. Their work is original, captivating while pushing boundaries and redefining their mediums in contemporary art today.

Elements of Style: Color, Line & Texture will be on view through Saturday, August 25, 2018. Royse Contemporary’s new summer hours are Thursday 6-9pm, Friday 9:30-1pmSaturday 12-4pm, or by Appointment. Royse Contemporary’s Summer hours are Thursday 6-9pmSaturday 12-4pm, or by Appointment. Visit us at RoyseContemporary.com located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale located in the Marshall Square complex at 7077 E. Main Street, Suite 6, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

#ArtLitPhx: ASU Art Museum: Family Day

ArtLitPhxASU Art Museum: Family Day

July 14 10 am-4 pm

Location: ASU Art Museum, 51 E 1oth St, Tempe, Arizona 85281

Event description: Spend a full day with us making, learning and playing. At ASU Art Museum’s Family Days, art stations are set up throughout our galleries for children and families — or anyone else interested in art-making! Activities revolve around current exhibitions and many are led by local artists.

This Family Day, we will be joined by Miguel Cardona, Rachel Goodwin and Estrella Payton. You’ll also get to see a sneak peek of our upcoming exhibition “Indwelling,” as artist Yuri Kobayashi works in the galleries on her installation.

#ArtLitPhx: Adventure and Control Art Exhibition

Renowned for her dark, intimate portraits, Arizona artist Rachel Bess incorporates classical techniques to realistically capture the likeness and complex narratives of her subjects. In her paintings, Bess employs dramatic lighting and conveys a nuanced mood that reflects her lifelong fascination with impermanence. Her latest body of work represents the balance between being in control and letting go while pursuing an underlying drive for adventure and change. Her latest exhibition Adventure and Control will be on display from April 20 through August 5 at the Mesa Arts Center (1 E Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201). Opening reception will be May 11 from 7 pm to 10 pm in the North Gallery of Mesa Arts Center.

#ArtLitPhx: Artist Talk: Claudio Dicochea

Hear artist Claudio Dicochea’s Artist Talk at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art on May 10 from 7:00-8:30 pm. The talk will be about his exhibition Acid Baroque and its exploration of fandom, race, science, national identity, pop imagery and visual culture.

About the exhibition:

Mexican-American painter Claudio Dicochea works at the intersection of colonialism, art history and contemporary popular culture in order to re-examine the concept of mestizaje or mixed race identity as well as the issue of media stereotyping today. Using the Casta painting model as a framing device for his resolutely contemporary works, Dicochea engages a broad diversity of cross-border topics, figures and references from pop culture, including celebrities, film and television stars, comics and history. His work is an interrogation of the process of re-appropriation of culture, historical models and current media. It is also a critique of the role that the visual arts have played, and continue to play, in shaping the social constructs of race, gender, and class in our society.

#ArtLitPhx: We the People

“We the People” highlights exceptional figurative artists, who capture an aspect of the American experience. Representing a wide array of mediums and styles, the artists’ treatment of this classic subject ranges from traditional portraiture to social discourse. The artists selected for this exhibition provide a limited snapshot of the complex cultural fabric that binds not only our country but our humanity.

Opening night will be Friday May 11, from 7:00 to 10:00 pm at the Mesa Arts Center (1 E Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201) in the Dobson Main Gallery, with musical entertainment by Jaime Cortez Band. The exhibition will be on display from May 6 through August 5.