First Friday | Amaris Hames | November 1st

All Things Beautiful

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“There’s no history here about how I was always the girl with the camera. Truth be told, I thought a cubicle crunching numbers would be my career. I went back to school, hoping for graphic design, and took a film photography class “for funsies”. It pushed me to climb out of the cubicle, finish my undergrad degree at NC State and I started a photography business somewhere in the middle. Then I became the girl with the camera and a snowball was started of these people telling those folks who sent him and her my way. It’s a firm belief of mine that everyone has a “good side” and everyone has a best self that sometimes takes some work to discover. I strive to bring energy & laughter to all of my sessions and try to reveal your best self. Photos give worth. It’s certainly a job, but this job is my joy”

-Amaris Hames

 

Originally trained in film, Amaris switched to digital photography in 2008 while completing her undergraduate degree at NC State University. She has completed studies underneath other talented photographers including a four month photography program in the Czech Republic, and is a proud member of the Professional Photographer’s Association.

Amaris works and lives in Raleigh, NC.

To see more of Amaris’ work visit her website at www.amarisphoto.com.

 

 

 

 

First Friday | Keith Adams | October 4th

Blood Stained

Wedding Day

http://www.keithadamsart.com

http://www.citygallery.vintagenc.com

 

First Friday | Christine R. Choi | September 6th

Moving Back, Moving On

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There are moments in my life that feel like slow-moving scenes from a movie – everything about the room feels heavier, smells stronger, and I forget how long I’ve been holding my breath, waiting to pull myself out. But then my lungs expand, the world around me reappears, and I exhale with gratitude. Everything comes back into focus – and the past softens.

Many of my photographs are unplanned, discovered in mundane, unassuming places – the parking lot of my childhood elementary school or the front window of a coffee shop. I try to find myself in these moments, suspending my place behind the camera and leaning into them. In some of my recent work, I intervene by constructing spaces and exploring the effects of personal trauma and memory – how displacement and notions of coming home have played a pivotal role in my life.

I am driven by an unshakable desire to catch these quiet affirmations; to connect with others through the detached yet incredibly intimate object of a photograph; to find a proper place for the past and the now.

“Born and raised in North Carolina; the daughter of immigrant parents; past mistress of Chicago; constant companion to silver linings, the overlooked, and the unnoticed; cheeky, coy, and careful; a storyteller at your whim. I give people the benefit of a doubt; believe we can each tell our own tales and imagine ten thousand more; and I turn to photography, always searching for the satisfying, held-between-breaths, impulsive balance of the beautiful and the unscripted.”

– Christine

 

 

 

Christine R. Choi grew up in the Triangle, lived in Chicago for several years, and returned to lead a double life in academic publishing and photography. Visit her website for more information: www.christinerchoi.com.

First Friday | Justin Leitner | August 2nd

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“There is an universal tendency among mankind to conceive all beings like themselves, and to transfer to every object, those qualities, with which they are familiarly acquainted, and of which they are intimately conscious. We find human faces in the moon, armies in the clouds; and by a natural propensity, if not corrected by experience and reflection, ascribe malice or good- will to every thing, that hurts or pleases us.”

–David Hume

With my work I explore the psychological phenomenon of pareidolia, a type of illusion or misperception involving a vague or obscure stimulus being perceived as something clear and distinct, with the use of abstract extractionism as means to visualize the subconscious.  My work utilizes the Cavazos method of recognizing an idea, image, scene, or further point of Abstraction within the Abstract. I believe that the images our subconscious reflects onto the naturalistic world is ingrained into us as humans.  Our brain is wired to find meaning, and to identify structure and order around us.  Pareidolia can unlock the true essence of societies and cultures.   My work often represents a duality between the naturalistic world and the subconscious; narrative as it relates to a narrative framework, and chaos versus order.  Each of us has a very unique and random set of stimulus determined by the people we meet, the choices we make, our beliefs, memories, etc.  I use Pareidolia to allow myself and the viewer access to visual representation of a random set of stimuli in order to make sense of the images being perceived as it relates to a greater whole.

Justin Leitner was born in 1990 and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina.  He is currently a senior at Appalachian State University working towards a BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in painting and drawing.  After high school, Leitner completed an internship at Artspace in Raleigh, NC where he learned to paint from professional artists Luana Winner and Judy Crane.  During his three years at Artspace, his work was primarily focused on portraiture and landscape, with his only visual outlet being to outline human and animalistic characters he saw within the negative spaces of his work. His current practice involves combining these two visual techniques into one cohesive idea.

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We are also hosting a live performance of Son of Laughter

http://www.son-of-laughter.com

opening reception | live performance | 7 – 10p

117 S. West Street | Raleigh, NC 27601

http://www.citygallery.vintagenc.com 

First Friday | David Stickel | July 5th

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This concept of ‘excellence’ challenges me, as it once did the great masters–to create representational works through the medium of watercolor that speaks to the heart. It beckons the mind of the viewer into the beauty and creativity of the everyday wonders around us. I especially enjoy creating images that few others would ever consider painting because of their overwhelming complexity.

-David Stickel

opening reception | 7 – 10p

117 S. West Street | Raleigh, NC 27601

http://www.citygallery.vintagenc.com 

First Friday | Aimee Cuthrell | June 7th

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Though she has been producing art since childhood, painting people has been her main focus for the past 15 years. Aimee seeks to reflect a mood or an essence of the subject while revealing a quality that draws an emotional response from the viewer. Aimee’s work stems from a genuine fascination with the people around her and a true joy in celebrating the human spirit.

To find out more about Aimee and her work please visit her website:

www.portraitsbyaimee.com

opening reception | 7 – 10p

117 S. West Street | Raleigh, NC 27601

http://www.citygallery.vintagenc.com 

THE AP ART STUDENTS OF ST DAVID’S SCHOOL May 3rd

 

This is the 4^th year The Gallery at Vintage Church has hosted an exhibition of student artwork from St. David’s School.  These 7 students have selected works from their portfolio that best describe a concentration that has been developed over the course of the school year.  Each artist has committed to the extensive research of a subject and the experimentation of materials.  The success of each individual fuels the group as a whole and creates an environment of exploration.  This exhibition reveals a unique insight into the art practices of high school artists in how they collaborate in thought and practice.

opening reception | 7 – 10p

117 S. West Street | Raleigh, NC 27601

 Ashley Rifenburg

Brandon Gerringer

Jamie Park

Laura Joyner

Nathaniel Holley

Olivia Vanarthos

Nick Thagard

First Friday | MACON BUNN | April 5th

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opening reception | 7 – 10p

117 S. West Street | Raleigh, NC 27601

 

Macon began to cultivate her knack for drawing at a young age, using the blank “notes” portion in the bulletin at church as her sketch pad during sermons. At school, if she wasn’t attending an art class, she was drawing in another class’s margins. After getting accepted by UCLA’s art school, she moved from North Carolina to California in order to tan. After graduation, she moved to New York and worked in advertising for a couple of years.  She returned to her roots this past fall, moving back to Raleigh as a full-time artist. 

On most days, you can find her drawing, yoga-ing, or music-ing outside in the sun. She thanks Vintage 21 for the opportunity to show her work, her lovely family for their continued support, and you for coming to see the show. Enjoy!

Connection. It is the thing we humans strive for. That which was necessitated for our beings upon birth. An essential mode for survival, a connection lies between ourselves and everything around us. Essentially, the only thing we need to connect emotionally with another human being on a more intimate level is a lock of the eyes. The eyes tell a great amount about a person. They are a direct pathway to the soul, the spirit, and the workings of the mind.

 The meat of my work lies in drawing large-scale, highly realistic portraits of people. The medium I utilize is paper, scoured over by graphite pencil; rubber for both additions and omissions. The observer’s gaze glides over the contours of the face, noting the slight upward curve at the tip of the lip, the tiny hairs that lace the skin, and the glossy saline catching the light in both eyes. It is powerful to experience a person’s presence on such a large scale; being given full permission to look upon their beauty in this personal way. You host a silent conversation with them, learning the extent of their history, judging their personality, and feeling out their energy. 

 My creative soul seeks to bring into existence that which has not been realized before. Rendering these faces is a way for me to create, as well as connect with others on a more intimate and emotional level. Feeding the pressing need, I will continue to seek and share this powerful connection.

-Macon Bunn

JARRETT BURCH a perspective | March 1st

+ Join Us For An Opening Reception + 7 – 10pm +

Live music  performed by Jake Rodgers

117 S. West St, Raleigh, NC 27601

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Jarrett Burch is a self-taught chromatic abstractionist painter and is a member of Raleigh’s Visual Art Exchange. His work has been purchased by clients in Los Angeles, Raleigh-Durham, and New York City.

Jarrett’s paintings have been selected for group shows by such distinguished jurors as Peter Nisbet  (Chief Curator, Ackland Art Museum at UNC-Chapel Hill); Anne Strauss  (Associate Curator, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC); Seth Thompson (Curatorial Assistant of Modern & Contemporary Art, High Museum, Atlanta, Georgia); and Elysia Borowy-Reeder  (Executive Director, Contemporary Art Museum, Raleigh).

Initially Burch’s style was positioned at an intersection of Rothko, Turner, and Frankenthaler; it has since evolved into a unique creative process based in part on intuition.

His painting can be inspired by many things: a piece of music, for example. The idea then evolves directly on canvas as work proceeds, and usually undergoes several cycles of “creation and destruction” before the artist is fully comfortable with the result. 

http://www.jarrettburch.com

http://www.jarrettburch.com

First Friday | Artist – Kevin Bass | February 1st

First Friday | Artist – Kevin Bass | February 1st

+Join us for an opening reception 7 – 10pm+

117 S. West Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

Kevin Bass grew up in Southern Pines, NC and now resides in Raleigh, NC. He has been a professional artist for many years. His work has been displayed in local galleries, juries exhibitions and in restaurants throughout the Southeast.

While attending Appalachian State University, Kevin found a new passion…the outdoors. Exploring nature and how it is ever changing opened up new possibilities for his art. He now creates impressionistic landscapes depicting the Southeastern area.

In studying art history his desire for abstract painting became apparent. The desire to explore new techniques and painting styles merged into a series of new work. He now creates abstract paintings based on nature and organic shapes.

I currently work in two separate styles of painting. One method or style of painting are my abstract pieces, the other body of work (which are my landscape/floral series) are displayed today. This body of work is compiled of my love of the outdoor landscape as I see it and my continued study of the traditional flowers in a vase.

As I walk along overgrown natural paths in the woods, I explore the scenery and take notes with my sketch book. I observe natural and manmade paths, bridges, arrangements and floral compositions. Being inspired by Monet along with many other Impressionist painters of the day, I enjoy painting Plein Aire when I can. I feel as though it gives me a better connection with the work. Most of my pieces are painted in acrylics and oils, sometimes a combination of the two.

My exploration into the traditional flowers in a vase still life has expanded into a series of its’ on. I have experimented in different ways of painting the subject and repainting the subject. To me it’s a traditional/timeless subject that does not get old to look at nor explore the variations of recreating a classic.

-Kevin Bass

 

http://www.kevinbassart.com