The Girl of Summer Group Exhibition Opening Reception - Thursday, August 5th, 5-9pm Show runs August 5, 2010 through September 30, 2010
Elroy Artspace gallery is pleased to announce The Girl of Summer, a group exhibition of Barbie Doll-inspired fine art.The show will include the artworks of photo-realist oil painter Judy Ragagli, acrylic painter Debbie Curtis, and photographer David Parise.
Barbie is an American icon, a business phenomenon and a REAL doll! Since her introduction on March 9, 1959, Mattel has sold more than 1 billion Barbie dolls, nearly 100 million of those last year alone. She is the ultimate career woman (108 different jobs); a strong, single woman (she dumped Ken in 2004); and a three-time presidential candidate, as well! Along the way she has fired the ambitions of countless little girls, grown-up men and women, collectors and artists, alike...
Barbie has indeed fascinated artists since she set her permanently-arched foot into the spotlight! The blond beauty has been a muse for countless artists from Pop Art prince Andy Warhol to architect Robert A. M. Stern...and the three featured in The Girl of Summer, who will warm our hearts and eyes for this two-month exhibition.
...About the Venue...
The Original - A Dinerant presents this First Thursday opening reception and two-month exhibition of The Girl of Summer. The Original, Portland's downtown destination for all-day dining, renews the spirit of diners and supper clubs from the 1950s and 60s by serving up playful variations on the era's standards of food, art and design. So come and enjoy an evening of colorful, roadside-history art and that much deserved First Thursday nightcap! Settle into a spacious booth for a night of conversation and a cocktail, or stretch out in their plush retro-luxe banquette for an elegant dinner... With an innovative and colorful menu of classic favorites in an atmosphere that's stylish, sophisticated and cool, The Original honors the past as it listens in on the pulse of Portland's adventurous and evolving tastes.
The Original: Eat. Drink. Gather.
300 SW 6th, Portland, OR, 97204
The Artists:
JUDY RAGAGLI of Los Angeles began seriously pursuing her passion for oil painting when under the tutelage of Paul Bedard and her very first canvas was a portrait of nostalgic Barbie, who came to become her primary focus.Ragagli paints these Barbie’s because she sees the doll as possessing a soul and positive spirit; and whose true persona extends beyond the plastic façade.Judy’s goal is to pay homage to this surviving icon of modernity, femininity, and style, and in her paintings Ragagli aims to have the viewers recognize nostalgic Barbie as an important and positive influence within American society while painting a mark of beauty and grace into the world.
DEBBIE CURTIS of Oklahoma City says of her work: “The battle is continual, as I try to temper my compulsion to control with a little wild abandon - I know part of the process should be left for the viewer's eye - the rewards of filling in the details do not necessarily belong to me.My goal is simple - to capture your curiosity, bring you closer, and reward you for taking the time to look.I define my own successes and failures, all-powerful in my own small world.That is the fun stuff.”And fun for US!
DAVID PARISE of Miami, FL is an avid and tenured photographer / videographer who for the past year and a half has been shooting vintage Barbie and Ken dolls with a narrative of them in their original 1960’s outfits. Inspired by Miami’s Art Deco hotels and their timeless beaches, the luxury of The Hamptons, Los Angeles’ glamour and David’s own sense of humor is evident in all of his work.
'Pan on the Head', 11.5' x 17', matted and framed, $300
'Late for Dinner Again', 11.5' x 17', matted and framed, $300
'Spilt Milk', 11.5' x 17', matted and framed, $300
'Pooltime Boys', 11.5' x 17', matted and framed, $300
