Showing posts with label visiting artists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label visiting artists. Show all posts

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Roar of the Rar Rar




This seems like an appropriate image to start of the next post about our upcoming artist - Ms. Rebecca Ann Rakstad (Reba Rar Rar for you trendy gals and guys)!

Rebecca likes wood type. Likes it a lot. She tends to make amazing/beautiful/funny/poignant etc... etc... with this wood and type. Oh yes and ink too. Let's not forget that. (I digress) Anyway, Rebecca is going to be having a solo show at the ol' Bakery here in the very near future. It'll run from Friday, August 26th until Saturday, October 22nd


Let's look at a piece...
Type is letterpress, image is 4-color offset (I think) If I am wrong I stand corrected

Now it's time for that bit about the who's and the what's and the where's (oh boy do I ever love this part)


Who is the who:

Chicago artist Rebecca Ann Rakstad

What is the what: 

"Rar Rar Press" a collection of letterpress posters and print work

Where is the where:

The Bakery Gallery is conveniently located at 1330 E. 12th street, Davenport Iowa 52803. Copious amounts of delicious food will be served.

When is the when: 

We're doing an earlier Opening this month - 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm on August 26th. The exhibition will run from August 26th until October 22nd. The Bakery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7:00 am until 9:00 pm. Buy a brownie or better yet... some pizza.



This woman does NOT kid around. 

We here at the Gallery are particularly proud that Rebecca has agreed to do a FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC presentation on her work the afternoon before the Opening. WHAT!!! That's right, she's driving on over from Chicago and will be here to speak to you, yes you! (The plural you) 

Details, give us details!

When: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm on Friday, August 26th

Where: St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Art Center Rm. 141

How: Through the power of speech, bending light and internet delivering tubes

Why: Because she is interesting and we want to give you an opportunity to hear her speak. 



A frequent statement in many of our lives. 




Artist’s Statement:

 Rebecca Ann Rakstad (aka Reba Rar Rar) took her first letterpress class in 2004 and Rar Rar Press was born shortly thereafter. Rar Rar uses handset wood and metal type with a Vandercook press to make postcards, posters, notebooks and more, drawing equal inspiration from pop culture and irony as from the craft and history of hand-lettered prints. Rakstad received her BFA from the Art Institute of Chicago and her MFA from Columbia College Chicago, while using her DIY skills for the Midwest punk scene, booking shows between making zines and record covers. Her zines transformed into artist books, then when free copies became scarce, Rakstad took to letterpress to fully expand control over the printmaking process. The works of Rar Rar Press have appeared in indie craft fairs all over the country, including: Renegade, Bust Craftacular, Crafty Bastards, and Art vs. Craft. Rakstad is a member of the Chicago Printers Guild and in 2011, Rar Rar moved into a new location in Pilsen that will soon host workshops and events, so everyone can learn how to be a little more DIY.


For those of you who don't know how this whole shindig work here is an example:

up above we the type.

down below we see the print.


oh it's so true. 


Finally I encourage you to check out Rebecca's etsy page (http://www.etsy.com/shop/rarrarpress) where many of her posters and postcards are for sale at any hour of the day. You can always buy from us too...there will be plenty to choose from and Rebecca is bringing lots and lots and lots.

As always 100% of the money that comes from selling work at the Bakery is given to the artist. We do not take a commission. We just love showing you new stuff. (If you ever feel like donating...well that's a different story) So what I'm saying is support our artists and buy some visual culture!

See you there.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Now How About That

Before Amanda's show we had a little show by Mari LaCure. (You may remember it) For whatever reason we also forgot to take pictures of the Opening for that as well. Sneakily we were able to sequester these several images to show the unsuspecting public the inspiring beauty of the Quiet Garden. 

Mari was kind enough to not only come for the Opening, but to also do a demo at St. Ambrose, two lectures and submitted a kind donation of two prints for our Open House. She's a swell artist and if you ever find yourself in Lawrence, Kansas you should seek her out. (get in contact with her first...don't be creepy) 

Unfortunately, in order to evade a dastardly and shady character we had to hide the film for the exhibition for several months until "business" was taken care of. Now that MacGillicutty is out at the "farm" and the entire backyard has been dug up trying to find the darn thing we can safely show you what needs to be seen. 

That's a convincing excuse right. 


The little fellas...we should have bought them all.


 Oooohhh...how striking.


 Closer up on some meticulous gorgeousness. 

It's ok to stare. 


Two on the left and a table (the title for every stilllife from now on)


I want to be framed like this.



That's all for now. I'd say see you soon, but really...it could be a while. (or maybe not?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?)

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Finally Some Images From That Gall Darned Show.

Ever the procrastinator, eh Mr. Lappie? It only took me two months to get images of Amanda Thomson's show onto the blog. Now keep in mind we forgot (for the second straight exhibition) to bring the camera to the actual Opening so we do not have any "action" shots. I know, you're mighty disappointed, but take solace in the fact that we were able to snap these snazzy pics on a quiet, and incredibly hot, evening. 

The show is still up for a few more days. If you read this before it comes down, don't you think you owe it to yourself to take in some fresh art and perhaps a pastry? 

Just a suggestion. 


We start off with the westside pretty wall. 


DYNAMIC ANGLES!!!


Giving all the sitters something to ponder as they eat their cream horns. 

I love this book! Love it and lust it. 
Star-crossed lovers though, it wasn't meant to be. 


detail of etching


Damn you inconsistent florescent lighting. A curse!


In retrospect I probably should have moved that fan. Did I mention the heat?


A three-fer


I stacked these incorrectly...Amanda was kind enough not to be angry 
and also kind enough to place them appropriately. 


Do you see the vanishing point?