Russell Brodie, Off the Wall Gallery

Russell BrodieOff the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s, 45th Streetoil on board, $300.00Mary Liz Memorial Masters Exhibition 10 

Mary Liz Memorial Masters Exhibition 10: Russell Brodie, Jon Laidacker & Tecu’Mish Munha’Ke

“There is indeed a key departure for this particular renewal of MLMME, which continues THROUGH APRIL 25. To date, practically every Fellow has been one of Mary Liz’s many colleagues, mainstay artists or discoveries. This year we welcome three artists whose first shows in this pioneering alternative art space came after her passing in October 2004. Each took a different path here, reflecting how we keep growing this community today.

RUSSELL BRODIE came to us through our very first juried exhibition in 2005. Admittedly, it was a work in progress; we had not fine-tuned the concept of running the two juried shows that introduce you to so many new artists each year — and introduce Off the Wall to them. But we remain indebted to that first show for welcoming Russell, among the most extraordinary painters we have known — at the most intimate scale.

Our long-standing connections with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program began under Mary Liz, who showed several MAP artists, such as David Guinn, Harvey Weinreich and David McShane, whose work many of us see just about every day right outside Frank’s. Still, when mural artist and art activist JON LAIDACKER made his debut on the Wall in 2009, it was nothing short of a revelation. His unvarnished, compassionate portraits of Philadelphia life caught everyone’s attention. Jon returns with a body of amazing digital paintings — created on his iPhone and iPad — that ushers in a new medium grounded in the sure hand of a gifted painter.

TECU’MISH MUNHA’KE lives a couple of hours from 13th & Pine. But we found her engaging found-object assemblages, at turns raucous and provoking, right around the block — at The Plastic Club. How many times have our friends and frequent collaborators up Camac Street helped us uncover new talent among their membership?! It’s simply impossible to say.” – Togo Travalia, Manager Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s

Russell Brodie, Off the Wall GalleryRussell BrodieOff the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s, 

Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s annually presents an art exhibit dedicated to the memory of the gallery, Mary Liz. The bar at 13th and Pine has a great long wall and a vitrine to exhibit art. Russell Brodie’s small paintings are clustered with Jon Laidecker’s still life paintings. TecuMish Mahna’Ke bricolage and upcyled constructs are in the display case. The presentation is cool and restrained without trying to fill up the wall to the ceiling, the exhibition is so thoughtful and current.

I met Jon Laidecker in his studio for an open studio tour, his friendly manner memorable and I know Teco’Mish from a couple of group shows we were in together from the Delaware Art Museum to the Plastic Club shows, her bricolage art is divine. I remember Russell Brodie from previous shows at Off the Wall Gallery, his work may be miniature but they make maximum impact. The collection reveals levels of sophistication in painting that is inspirational and admirable, the skill and wit of the artists resonates with the pulse of the setting. The MLMMX-X show distills major styles in contemporary American art into an informative and assured art experience. The dive bar is a haven for artists, when you show at Off the Wall Gallery your art will be seen by your admirers, peers,and taste makers. The gallery is a real art destination in Philadelphia. To be a Mary Liz Fellow is to be part of Philadelphia art history.

Togo Travalia performs an excellent job promoting the shows at the gallery, an excellent writer, he creates word pictures of the artwork and shares on social media like facebook. The posters, cards and support raise the profile of the show and help link the concepts that make the exhibition. Jody Sweitzer curates the ar installations with excellent style and taste, MLMMX-X show is indeed memorable and a great memorial to the importance of showcasing local artists.

“Artistic careers are often broken into periods but rarely is a new direction in an artist’s plans. Far more often, new perspectives and passions emerge, take hold and there is simply no going back. When we first showed the paintings of RUSSELL BRODIE, they were populated with portraits and still lifes, such as the chess board that ushered his work into our community. All of this has changed — practically before our eyes. “For the past five years, architecture and sunlight have been the primary subjects of my work,” Russell tells us. “Buildings that speak to a specificity of place have been a strong focus — particularly buildings in West Philly (where I live and work), as well as places in India (where friends hosted me for a month).” – Russell Brodie

Jon Laidecker, Off the Wall Gallery

Jonathan LaideckerOff the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s

Togo Travalia explains MLMMX – X:

“There is indeed a key departure for this particular renewal of MLMME, which continues THROUGH APRIL 25. To date, practically every Fellow has been one of Mary Liz’s many colleagues, mainstay artists or discoveries. This year we welcome three artists whose first shows in this pioneering alternative art space came after her passing in October 2004. Each took a different path here, reflecting how we keep growing this community today.

RUSSELL BRODIE came to us through our very first juried exhibition in 2005. Admittedly, it was a work in progress; we had not fine-tuned the concept of running the two juried shows that introduce you to so many new artists each year — and introduce Off the Wall to them. But we remain indebted to that first show for welcoming Russell, among the most extraordinary painters we have known — at the most intimate scale.

Our long-standing connections with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program began under Mary Liz, who showed several MAP artists, such as David Guinn, Harvey Weinreich and David McShane, whose work many of us see just about every day right outside Frank’s. Still, when mural artist and art activist Jonathan Laidecker made his debut on the Wall in 2009, it was nothing short of a revelation. His unvarnished, compassionate portraits of Philadelphia life caught everyone’s attention. Jon returns with a body of amazing digital paintings — created on his iPhone and iPad — that ushers in a new medium grounded in the sure hand of a gifted painter.

TECU’MISH MUNHA’KE lives a couple of hours from 13th & Pine. But we found her engaging found-object assemblages, at turns raucous and provoking, right around the block — at The Plastic Club. How many times have our friends and frequent collaborators up Camac Street helped us uncover new talent among their membership?! It’s simply impossible to say.

So while the story — our shared story, in which you have an important hand — continues with an unabated vitality that Mary Liz would relish, we open a new chapter.

As you’ve always done, help us turn the page. As you always do, come and join us in a celebration.” – Togo Travalia

Jon Laidecker, Off the Wall Gallery

Jonathan Laidecker, Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Franks, A Special, ArtRage app on iPhone, $100. framed / $75. unframed

The exquisite still life paintings by Jon Laidecker speak of his skill with paint, finding emotion and narrative in mark making. If you follow him on facebook he shares a dialog of his life and art with cute kid pics, photos of murals he works on and digital drawings. He made a series of iPad drawings while sitting in his Grandmom’s hospital room, documenting her transmutation to the next life that were loving and sublime. Jon understands image making and communication since he has to work as a community organizer to get murals completed but this group of images show a private life of studio work and dedication. The tonality and atmospheric naturalism created with paint app are simple and authentic.

“Artists are amazingly flexible, endlessly inquisitive. It’s part and parcel of being creative. Today, for more and more artists in this and any community, it means incorporating technology into their media and process. JON LAIDACKER is out front in this regard. He has reinvented himself and, at the same time, has remained true to his craft. Jon tells us more: “Like most academically trained painters, I considered technology a territory that should remain largely separate from the act of painting…. For the last year and a half, I have been working digitally and have been pleased and surprised at how easily working on my devices has fit into a studio practice. The software is so intuitive and the hardware so advanced that at times I have to remind myself that I am indeed working on an electronic screen.”
Jonathan Laidecker

Off the Wall Gallery, TECU'MISH MUNHA'KE

Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s, Tecu’Mish Munha’ke

“Being a creative person brings with it a fair amount of rejection. But all it takes is one magical turning point, one special, warm embrace — much like the response from you to our last post about TECU’MISH MUNHA’KE — to wash away dozens of NOs and quizzical looks. Having a curator or even just one person in the audience GET IT turns everything around. Tecu’Mish had such a moment, which led herdirectly to us. “Then one magical day in 2011, everything changed,” she fondly recalls. “At the time, I had a piece on display at The Plastic Club that a lot of people enjoyed. He was a found-object doggie, and I did for him what I would do for myself: I made him well endowed. My phone rang and a pleasant young woman introduced herself as Jody Sweitzer. Oh, my goodness, I nearly fell off the couch — a gallery curator was calling me! She had seen my artwork, and would I be interested, she asked, in showing at Off the Wall? I could barely contain myself.” Jody will take the “young” as a complement, but the highest complement of all is having this gifted artist and wonderful person in our community — and now a recipient of our highest accolade: MARY LIZ FELLOW!” – Togo Travalia for Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s MLMMX-X Exhibition

Tecu'Mish MunHa'ke, Off the Wall Gallery

Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s, Tecu’Mish Munha’ke, Road Trip, found object assemlage, $200.00

Tecu’Mish is an accomplished artist who has overcome many physical challenges and struggles with chronic pain. Art is freeing to her, she upcycles society’s discards and trash into icons, objet d’art and mysterious compositions. Using found objects as a painter uses a palette, the artist reveals interesting and new visual statements from disparate elements. Recently Tecu’Mish Munha’ke lost her home to the ravages of fire, Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s and The Plastic Club are accepting donations on her behalf.

“Never underestimate the strength of a community of artists. When a tragic fire struck the home of TECU’MISH MUNHA’KE at the very end of March and wiped out her studio and many of her amazing assemblages, her fellow members at The Plastic Club rallied to her aid. We’d also like to stand up for this MARY LIZ FELLOW — and probably the very best thing we can do is to generate sales in these final two weeks of MARY LIZ MEMORIAL MASTERS 10. We’re privileged to know and to be able to show Tecu’Mish, a self-taught artist who found her place in the art world by happy accident. “It was when I tried assemblage art using found objects that my true passion came alive!” she recounts years later. “Being a magpie at heart anyway, I now had a real excuse to take these throw-aways and turn them into something new and hopefully wonderful. I was hooked — no looking back.”

The community of artists who congregate at Frank’s truly appreciate the efforts of Jody and Togo. The MLMMX-X show is up until the 25th of April.

Thank you so much to Togo Travalia for providing the excellent press materials and images. Used with permission.

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Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Franks

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