During the holidays some people give books as gifts – table top books – the big books that cover some subject in a special way. Art books are often a choice. Of course art books are good for any time. And, in the last week or two I’ve mentioned the book, Brian Rutenberg: The Sensation of Place, the first ever major monograph on the artist’s paintings and drawings. The book is available now at the Gibbes Museum Store in Charleston, SC, and at Jerald Melberg Gallery in Charlotte, NC. Actually, I’m sure it’s available at Amazon.com or any other major book store.
Well, there is another book available about a Carolina artist – Christopher Rico from Clinton, SC – it’s The Forest and the Sea. This monograph chronicles the work of Rico during the first half of 2009. It focuses on a 24-hour installation of 11 paintings in an active construction site and is supported by a short film. The book also includes several short essays, a lengthy interview and dozens of photographs as well as blog excerpts from the artist’s studio blog. It is available at this link and I think from the artist at his website.
I made a blog entry about this installation, as I was there for part of it. I even took part in the production of the movie – I swept the path clear for a dolly and pushed and pulled that dolly a few times. I won’t be getting any work soon in Hollywood or even Bollywood, but it was interesting and fun being part of the production. You can find that entry at this link.
Christopher Rico writes one of the Carolina art blogs that I keep up with on a regular basis or as best I can. His blog is called Machinations of a Distracted Mind and he also has a website at (http://christopherrico.com/). I get some pretty good insights there on the life of an artist living in a small town in the Carolinas. It’s not uplifting at times as the reality is – it’s darn hard to make a living as an artist, much less in a small town in the South or just about anywhere.
Rico is scheduled to have an exhibit at the Saul Alexander Foundation Gallery, one of my favorite exhibit spaces in Charleston, SC, in April 2010. I’m looking forward to seeing his works hanging there.
But, if you’re looking for a last minute gift for the holidays or just an interesting art book – you might want to consider The Forest and the Sea.
Check out his work on his blog and website – if you like what you see – you may find the book an interesting addition to your art book collection. You might even find some work you want to buy. Rico won’t be opposed to anyone doing that – especially this time of the year.