RICHARD SLECHTA

FABRIK Magazine Features Richard Slechta

Richard Slechta — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:20:55 +0000

FABRIK magazine, one of Los Angeles most well known arts and gallery publication is featuring one of Richard’s photograms in their most recent issue. This Issue 16 is focused around MOPLA, Month of Photography in LA providing articles that are exclusively photography focused. Check out Page 42 of this full color, glossy booklet to see the photogram ‘Playing By The Rules’ in print form

You can get a free copy of this magazine at many of the LA’s Galleries,
or just this link to view the digital copy.

LAAA’s ‘gem’ Exhibit a Success

Richard Slechta — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:34:22 +0000

LAAA’s Gem Art Benifit was a huge success and one of the Busiest gallery opening that I have seen in a long time (400+ people). The walls were packed with some really amazing quality artworks while Hors d’oeuvres and champagne circulated. Classy Event.

I had a great time discussing my photo paper works with collectors, curators and other artists. Here are Some photographs from the event. My piece on exhibit was “Plenty Endowed”.

How To Spend Too Much Buying Artwork

Richard Slechta — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:13:35 +0000

Originally I thought as a young art collector that buying art is pretty straight forward, ‘just buy what you like’, right? Of course taste is an open playing field, but learning you payed too much or that you got duped can quickly sour your appreciation of your purchase.

Having recently finished this essential books on art collecting, I can’t recommend enough for beginning art collectors. ‘The Intrepid Art Collector, The Beginner’s Guide to Finding, Buying and Appreciating Art On a Budget’, by Lisa Hunter is a accessible jargon-free guide. She shows you how to start a collection without spending a fortune as well as how to avoid some of the common pitfalls that are prevalent in the art market.

The book has an excellent chapter on Contemporary Photography. One of the topics she covers is the concept of Limited Editions. It was common not that long ago, that there would be a self imposed limit to the number of prints a photographer would make of a single image. These days, that is a much more murky area and there are some deceptive practices that are essential to be aware of.

Lisa Hunter shares with us, “That doesn’t mean, however that the photographer will never print another edition of the same photo. Some do––– often in a different size or with other slight variations.”
Ms. Hunter recommends “Ask the dealer if the photographer has made other editions of this print or plans to. If so, you may not be getting as “limited” an editions as you think.”

How many limited editions does Richard create of his photograms?

Though my photo paper works are photography in nature, the photograms process I use makes it virtually impossible to create a similar image much less a duplicate one. So, there are no series or limited editions. Besides, I am more interested in creating new and exciting works then rehashing “greatest hits”.

Lisa Hunter’s book is available on Amazon.com

Idling The Fringe

Richard Slechta — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:02:13 +0000

One of the first Photograms of March, titled ‘Idling the Fringe’.

Detail

Idling The Fringe, 60″ x 17″
Chromogenic Photogram, 2012

Newest Series of Photograms

Richard Slechta — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:44:12 +0000

In discussing his latest series, Richard introduces the work as a dialog between photography and painting.

The colorful photo-paper works are a camera-less interaction between light, painting and photosensitive paper. Within the vast areas of white negative space, it is illumination that selectively defines and reveals only what is needed from the paintings onto the surface. The result of that subtle play is a single photographic image, which is completely independent of resolution or duplication.

In his new series, Richard has departed from any previous remaining abstract naturalistic references. The further reduction of imagery eliminates any metaphor and gets at the physicality of illumination. This reveals the relationship and interaction between the lines of the painting and the gestures of light. The ambition of the work is not conceptual, but to invite a heightened sense of perception of presence.

To See more, check-out the 2012 Series

Become an Art Aficionado on Your Coffee Break

Richard Slechta — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:14:28 +0000

One of the wonderful things about many the art museums, besides filling their halls with artworks that challenge our thinking, is they also often have a excellent art education resources. Of course with our busy schedules, who has time to go to museum lectures or visit artist open studios?

Fortunately there are several free video podcast available from museums and art organizations featuring interviews, discussions and studio visits. Many of the podcasts are under 10 minutes, perfect for a quick coffee break.

Now you can sharpen your art aficionado skills to be able to pick apart a conceptual Rauschenberg as easily as you can appreciate a Renoir.

Here are my Favorite Video Podcast (in descending order). What are Yours?

TateShots is by far one of the top arts video podcast and have over 250 episodes. No surprise as they are probably the best contemporary art museum in the world. They feature mid-carrier and established artists often visiting their studios and museum exhibits.

KQED: Spark Art Video Podcast is about San Fransisco Bay Area Artist of all mediums. The program is highly relevant and interesting to even those not in the region. The primary focus is around studio or gallery visits with emerging and and mid-carrier artist alike. Over 230 episodes.

National Gallery of Art Videos is a collection of documentaries, artist interviews and lectures. With 54 episodes, this is an actively growing collection of art history refreshers with inclusion of contemporaries like Brice Marden.

Art21 is professionally produced ongoing documentary series (well known for it’s DVD video series) of mid-carrier and established artists. This video podcast have shorter length then their video counterpart and is releasing content regularly with over 100 episodes.

KQED: Gallery Crawl is produced by the same group that does the Art Spark. This podcast focus on emerging artist exhibiting in the SF Bay Area. There are 65 episodes and growing slowly. recommend even if you don’t live in the Bay Area.

LACMA is a mix of video and audio interviews, projects plans and studio visits and give an snapshot of what is going on recently in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, there are no new episodes after 2010, but there are a several gems with established artist like Burden, Irwin and Baldessari.

Whitney.org a video podcast from the Whitney in NYC is a different type of museum podcast. The hosts often use sign language for the hearing impaired and make for an fresh perspective on the exhibits and the museum spaces.

The Art of Photography – For the photography fans out there, this is practical video podcast for dialog and discussion of all things photographic. Pick and choose from the archive of topics that interest you. 85 episodes and growing.

Getting Started Using Video Podcasts:

I find using iTunes is most convenient to getting the latest updates.
Start by click on the podcast links above to take you to iTunes website.
Click “view in iTunes” that will open the podcast page in your iTunes.
Select the “subscribe free” button. It will ask for a confirmation, then will begin
downloading the latest episode.
The older episodes in light grey can be downloaded at your leisure.

Tip: when ready to remove the episode, just select and delete, when prompted, be sure to “move to trash” otherwise it will remain on your hard-drive.

Introducing the Newest Member of Los Angeles Art Association

Richard Slechta — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:01:01 +0000

I’m excited to share with you that I have been awarded membership
to the Los Angeles Art Association.

With limited membership openings evaluated only twice a year, it is an honor to be selected from the large and competitive group of applying artists.

LAAA is a non-profit gallery and arts organization with a range of exhibits, lectures and other opportunities designed to support emerging artists in Los Angeles. Their gallery, Gallery 825 is in the heart of Los Angeles, located on La Cienega Blvd.

See the work for yourself - my latest portfolio

Stuck Red and Stuck Blue

Richard Slechta — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:02:13 +0000

I’m not normally totally turned upside down by a piece of art, but after recently seeing for the first time a James Turrell light installation I’m left in awe. His piece Stuck Red and Stuck Blue, 1970, can be seen for just a short time more in San Diego.

From the above photo it look very simple in design so let me describe my experience. Entering a dedicated room, there was a red and blue panel of light. It appeared like a back-lit display, but approaching the red panel, I became hauntingly hypersensitive. At one foot away, all my senses were firing, tying to figure out what was in front of me. No reflection on the surface, no edge, no gimmick to define this luminescent volume. I had previously read how he made these pieces, but could not believe it. I put my hand out to touch it. Expecting the museum alarm to go off, hand nervously shaking, it went right though the red. Disbelief. After a few more seconds, my eyes began to adjust to the light so that I could see there was another room evenly light through this open ‘window’.

How rare is it that an artist challenges us on the most primal level of perception. For those few moments where I didn’t know what “it” was, there-in-lies the beauty and awe of the experience of not knowing.

This installation originally done over 40 years ago, has been rebuilt for a limited time. See if for yourself at Phenomenal: California Light, Space, Surface at Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Closes February 5th.

PBS also has an excellent video of James Turrell and his work if you can’t catch the exhibit at MCASD.

Art Fair Season in Los Angeles – The Hunt is on

Richard Slechta — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:04:46 +0000

One of the things I find interesting about the various art fairs that grace Los Angeles are the exhibits from the international galleries. Occasionally there is something quite fresh.

This Week Photo LA wrapped up its 21st Exposition. There were a few gems to be had amongst the ever-popular vintage black & white photographs from earlier Icons. For those with a taste for contemporary photography, favorite exhibits were from the non-profits Queensland Centre of Photography and the Los Angeles Art Association. Not a significant presence from the local gallery scene and no wonder, there are 3 more Art Fairs still to come this week in Los Angeles.

Art Los Angeles Contemporary 
Barker Hangar in Santa Monica  - January 19-22

L.A. Art Show
L.A. Conventional Center  January 18-22

Affordable Art Fair (1st Year)
L.A. Live  - January 18-22

Newly Framed Photogram

Richard Slechta — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:44:48 +0000

Just got one of the photograms back from the fine art framers, Finishing Concepts Inc. The image is mounted on an aluminum floating frame and face mounted with a protective UV Plexiglas. This highlights the glossy photo paper’s rich blacks and saturated colors. The piece will look great on a gallery wall.