past Shows @ The Gallery @ Fox Tax

Opening Reception: May 17th, 2008 6:00-11:00 pm
On View: May 9th – June 15th, 2008

The Gallery @ Fox Tax is proud to present a show by guest curator Emma Berg of mplsart.com, entitled:

I Dreamed I Dream.

This group exhibition of four painters explores those places and times born in the moments spent drifting behind closed eyes. Each artist presents their view on the historic duality of youthful optimism contrasted with a fear of surrendering such optimism.

The exhibition title, I Dreamed I Dream, borrowed from a Sonic Youth song of the same name, refers to dueling elements in life and can be seen in each artist’s work– A sweet purity soured by a daunting shadow of pessimism that seems to come from nowhere and everywhere.

Deuce Seven’s delicately constructed trains racing from nothing to nothing, describe an ideal America where riding the rails was the epitome of independence. Paired with psychedelic characters and landscapes, the land of freedom takes on an uneasy edge.

For DC Ice, scratchy black lines harden the innocent while the cruel are costumed in sweet pastels. The masquerade ends when her sinister side is revealed without incurring real-world repercussions.

Rudy Fig’s pop surrealism paintings are candy-coated in color and content, but a black cavity lies within this sugary goodness. Dark additions, such as a skull-dripping scoop of ice cream, find their way into her pieces and ache like a corroded molar.

The sorrow-laden characters depicted by Keith Eric Williams pose for battle in reluctant stances. The lovers-not-fighters look incapable of confrontation, more closely resembling lambs than combatants.

“may all your dreams come true” Sonic Youth

Please come see this wonderful display of dreamy color and imagery by four talented Twin Cities artists. The opening reception will be May 17th in conjunction with Art-A-Whirl, so make it a full day of checking out the art in the neighborhood!

images: Deuce Seven - Untitled, DC Ice - Tears Fill Ears, Rudy Fig - Cream Dream & Keith Eric Williams - Untitled

The Whimsy and Wit of Tom Stack, Chris Kerr, and Allen Christian

January 19th - April 30th

Opening Reception: January 19th 6 PM - 11 PM

The Midwest is known for it’s benign demeanor, but also it’s underlying competitiveness. Rivalries abound in sports, music and the arts. Amazing pockets of vibrant ideas and culture abound between wastelands of field and forest, and rarely do we seem to mix and meet.

The Gallery at Fox Tax is proud to present a display of whimsy and wit from three artistic representatives of our great Midwestern cities of Milwaukee, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Our hope is to both portray the similarities and the distinctiveness of each artist, create a dialog between these different artistic communities, and also stoke a little healthy rivalry that doesn’t involve pigskin OR steroids.

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Tom Stack is 36 years old and resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition to being a self-taught painter, he is a degreed electrical engineer, willingly employed as a public librarian. Much of his free time is consumed by adding to his ongoing series of non-wildlife bird paintings.

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Chris Kerr, currently living in Chicago, seemingly hails from a magical world of myth and wonder. His paintings detail a fantastical world populated with witches, elves, unicorns and exotic animals galore. Yet somehow, his matter-of-fact style somehow avoids any hints of Middle Earth and stolen comic book references. Instead, these paintings detail a world somehow fantastical, yet plausible, as if this vibrant world is right under our noses, and only Chris Kerr seems to have noticed it.

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Allen Christian has, for over 18 years, run the House of Balls in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis. It is a strange world filled with his bizarre interactive sculptural creations. We are very excited to be displaying some of his newest works, all of which are sure to give a glimpse of both the world within and without the mind of this unique and inquisitive artist.

Please join us on the evening of January 19th. All three artists will be present and would love to discuss the creations on display.

Mini-Art by MN Talent

Join us THIS SATURDAY for a fun holidazzled fox opening from 5 - 11!

November 16th - December 31st
Opening Reception: November 17th, 6 - 11 PM
Holiday Reception: December 15th, 5 - 11 PM

In a show of bite-sized proportions, over 35 local artists have contributed works highlighting their own style in miniature form. Being given the task to create works no larger than 4″ x 4″, these artistic elves’ creations are sure to shift your perception of scale and scope AND make the perfect one-of-a-kind gift for everyone on your holiday list.

The many well known artists involved include:

Isaac Arvold, Yuri Arajs, Pamela Yates, Ruben Nusz, Susan Opitz, Corey McNally, Tara Costello, Michael Sweere, Nick Wroblewski, Telos, John Maki, Jennifer Davis, John Grider, Amy Rice, Eric Melzer, Paul Stroot, Lane Belling, Karla Mae, Tom Stack, Brandie Adams, Ethan Arnold, Nick Howard, Allen Christian, Randy Walker, Kirstie Walheim, Dianna Darden, Bradley Royce, Rosi Kittsteiner, Pat Hidson, Welcom Jerde, Hannah Berg, Kerry Pennings, Dori Gallager, Robert Lesch, Allen Brewer, Alex Christianson, Laura Hallen, John Haglof and more!

Don’t miss this opportunity to see some of the Twin Cities most talented artists all displayed in the same place and offering affordable and one-of-a-kind artworks!

Click here to read a review of this show!

PICTURES OF THE SHOW

August 7-September 5, 2007

Robert Lesch, a Minneapolis native, presents his recent works of Feminine-, Land-, and Music-Scapes. In a career as an artist that spans more than 50 years, Lesch’s life, spirit and artwork have inspired many; his current collection is an exemplary look at that which inspires him. An Artist Reception will be held on Friday, August 24 from 5 pm to 10 pm at The Gallery @ Fox Tax, 503 First Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413.

Using themes of Feminine-, Land-, and Music-Scapes, Robert Lesch is presenting new work that (typical for him) defies any easy compartmentalizing. Dubbed the “Master of the Misuse of the Medium”, Lesch’s lyrical line embraces the female figure, defines landscapes and articulates music in a great variety of sophistication and mediums. Sometimes whimsical, always intelligent, this man’s creativity, mind, and spirit are aligned with what matters most…humanity and humor.

A DIGITAL MYTHOS - USING LIES TO TELL THE TRUTH

October 6 to November 10, 2007
Opening Reception: Saturday Oct 6th, 6 PM - Midnight

In a continued effort to promote new and innovative talent, The Gallery @ Fox Tax is proud to present a solo art show by Ft. Collins, CO photographer and digital manipulator, Darren Mahuron. Within his short 3 year career, his images have found their way into Vice, Juxtapozed, Syntax, Spin and Alternative Press Magazines. In his first showing in Minneapolis, Darren Mahuron’s digital filter is focused on reinterpreting classic mythological scenes. His seamless distortion of the present into the mythology of the past gives a face-lift to old familiar tales and a reminder of their relevance still today. An opening reception will be held October 6th from 6 pm to Midnight at the Gallery @ Fox Tax.

“Every culture in human history has used myth to portray truth.” Explains Darren Mahuron. “Yet today, we seem so intertwined in our little private movies that we have neglected and misplaced them altogether.” Mahuron’s aim to give these classical scenes a modern-day makeover succeeds in doing so through the subtlety of his skill. In doing so, he draws the viewer further down the rabbit hole into a deeper reflection on both the subject and medium in question.

Mahuron aims not only to remind the viewer of ancient mythological truths, but also hopes to debunk a few current fables as well: “I heard once ‘Photography is the refuge of the failed painter.’ I’ve set out to disprove this theory.” Using the most current tools in digital manipulation, Mahuron has proved that the new landscape of digital photography is as fluid as watercolor and as malleable as the blank canvas. Described by Spin Magazine as “like a photographer…only better”, Mahuron, in less than 3 years, has made great strides in both advancing and defending his quickly growing medium.

In a spirit of collaboration, the opening reception at The Gallery @ Fox Tax on October 6th will coincide with openings throughout the Felt Factory Arts Building at 503 1st Ave NE. Of note will be works by the buildings newest tenants, Ben Olson, Isaac Arvold, and Eric Inkala, who have all joined John Alspach’s Shiny Robot Studios on the second floor.

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