An Exhibition of
Hands & Feet
Extremities is a story of contrasts. These unique images, drawings, and sculptures from local artists present hands & feet through extremities of time (birth to death) and extremities of emotion (joy to pain) and everything in between!
Artists: Skip to “Call to Artists”
“Soon after we are born, our feet are pressed into clay for posterity. Even at our birth the importance of our feet, their size and shape, are to tell a story. A story that keeps getting told throughout our lives. First baby shoes are bronzed, in school the kind of sneakers worn would speak volumes about who you are, as adults our foot attire tells of our jobs—dress shoe, nurses’ shoe, workman’s boot. Feet play a role in religion, the washing of feet or the walking on hot coals. Our feet are how we move through the world and connect with the earth.
Hands are more obviously evocative. With our hands we have caressed lovers, combed our hair, held screwdrivers, tossed pizza dough, given lovers pleasure, and even balled them into a fist and hit someone. Stieglitz has numerous photographs just of O’Keeffe’s hands. If feet are how we connect with the world, hands are the way we connect with ourselves and others.
Every image in this exhibition tells a story through the specific lens of these two appendages. Christopher Ryan has carefully curated these compelling images that ignite the tell thousands of stories.”
-Steven Reigns, poet (website)
Hours and Opening Reception
Regular Hours
May 19th through June 14th, 2022
Opening Reception
Saturday May 21st from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Meet the artists
- Complimentary refreshments
- Create a wax mold of your own hands (fee) with Nola Wax Hands.
Location
This event is hosted by Arabi Visual Arts in the St. Claude Arts Building and is only a few minutes away from the New Orleans Bywater neighborhood and only a ten minute drive from the French Quarter.
6707 St. Claude Avenue
Arabi, LA 70032
504-373-9476
The Artists and their Installations
Christopher Ryan
Christopher is an American photographer who briefly studied photography at San Diego City College and quickly departed for a five-year world tour shooting his favorite subjects: abandoned and decaying structures, children and adolescents, and fine art nudes. Christopher traveled extensively over four continents during this period and is pleased to share that incredible journey with gallery visitors.
Amy James
http://www.amyjames.photography/
Amy James’s photographs can only be described as transcendent and natural. She prefers to shoot while illuminating her subjects using only natural light and environments. This practice helps her to capture the sitter as well as the viewer in her lens.
Amy James shoots primarily in black and white, the traditional way, using silver and film. She was trained as a painter but was drawn to the darkroom upon learning it could create as much of a challenge as the empty canvas. James studied at LSU under Michael Crespo and Robert Hausey with Thomas Neff, her photography professor, perhaps being her greatest influence and mentor. James exhibits in many venues throughout the South with permanent exhibits displayed in Ruston, Baton Rouge, Birmingham and Dallas.
Christy Lori0
https://clorio.myportfolio.com/
Christy Lorio is a 9th generation Louisianian, writer and photographer. Her work primarily addresses living with stage IV colorectal cancer in relation to the swamps she grew up in. Her photojournalism has appeared in Vice News, In These Times and she was an Eddie Adams XXIV participant. Her fine art work has been seen at Photo NOLA Festival, Atlanta Loves Photography, LA Tech’s Louisiana Biennial, and The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, among others. Christy holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The University of New Orleans, where she is currently working on her MFA in Studio Art.
“These photos are part of an ongoing series where I create still life and self-portraits during medical appointments and procedures. The photos are all shot on an iPhone in order to be discreet and not alter the moment with the introduction of a camera. I turn the camera on myself in some of the toughest moments of my cancer treatment, such as gamma knife radiosurgery and chemo induced anaphylactic shock. By making images, I’m briefly taking myself out of the moment, shifting from patient to documentarian. This process feels important to not only document what I’m going through but to also accurately portray what cancer patients go through during treatment.”
H. Grace Boyle
H. Grace Boyle’s preferred method of creating is sculpting stone. Despite its being a taxing material, after finishing her first marble carving in 1997, a deep connection was formed. Making assemblages by combining her carvings with repurposed objects and materials and sculpting the human figure are foundations of her practice. In her work, the parallels between melancholy and humor that coexist in life are highlighted. Topics that appear in her work include presence and absence, isolation, and loss. She has completed three public pieces. Two are included in the Power Boulevard sculpture collection in Kenner, LA. The third is part of the Kenner Discovery Heath Sciences Academy collection, also in Kenner, LA. She is enrolled in the MFA program in studio art at the University of New Orleans
Karen McClelland
Karen McClellan studied art through private lessons as a young woman, learning to paint primarily on porcelain surfaces. Later, she painted on clothing which she sold in boutiques in Texas and Florida. In 2012 she was introduced to the digital work of British artist David Hockney, who painted on his iPhone and iPad; this inspired a new world of possibilities for Karen. Since then, she has worked exclusively in digital media, drawing and painting in the Procreate and Adobe Fresco applications. She takes inspiration from the beautiful landscape and architecture of England, where she lives with her husband and two labradoodles. Karen holds a BA in Humanities, a MA in Literature, and is a retired registered nurse.
Michael Binder
Michael Binder Jr. is a local artist who works primarily in experimental darkroom photography. Binder earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Nicholls State University in 2020. His work is influenced by the work of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung as well as his experiences with Hurricane Katrina. His work explores themes of psychoanalysis, loss, memory, and history. Binder will begin his studies for an MFA degree from Ohio University in Fall of 2022
Call to Artists
Submissions are being accepted for all mediums including photography, paintings, drawings, sculptures, and mixed media presentations.
Submittals will be received by email to info@arabivisualarts.com and should include the following:
- Artist’s name
- Medium
- Clear digital image of each piece submitted
- Title
- Dimensions
- Link to artist’s website, social media, or other related information
- Home or studio address and telephone number
Please be aware of the following items:
- Acceptance is at the sole discretion of Christopher Ryan and Arabi Visual Arts
- Artist’s will be required to sign a damage waiver and are encouraged to take out their own insurance to cover any type of loss
- Each artist will install their own work or negotiate a fee with Arabi Visual Arts to facilitate the installation
- Non-local submittals are welcome. Artists will be responsible for shipping fees (both ways) as well as installation and handling fees.
- All artist’s are highly encouraged to attend the opening reception.
- St. Bernard Parish and Louisiana sales tax will be added to all sales and 20% commission (prior to tax) will be deducted from each sale.
