Subversive Vernacular On View In September

 Danger!, Apalachicola, Florida 2015 © jwl

I am excited to shake off the cobwebs and get some art on the walls for this upcoming First Friday event in Knoxville, Tennessee. I will be showing new prints in 2 locations on the 4th of September.

Pulling from mostly new work, I am creating a body of images I call Subversive Vernacular. I feel these newer photographs speak to me in the way that short story fiction often does. As though the viewer can sense that something has gone down in the space or has shown up just after the action stopped and is wondering 'what happened?' or 'what's next...' I'd like to think that the photographs have a quality of mystery to them. The subject matter keeping true to my wanderlust of the American Vernacular Landscape, especially in the Southeastern States.

I am compiling images for a book later in the year and I am considering including some poems or stories to go along with the work. I believe it will enhance the work quite well.

Shed, Highway 25W, Tennessee 2015 ©jwl



For now, you can see some of these pieces on the evening of Sept 4th at

CBI

128 S. Gay St.

Knoxville TN

You can also stroll on up and see more work throughout September at

Hops & Hollers

937 N. Central St.

Knoxville TN

 I look forward to seeing you on First Friday or sometime soon!!

NEW WORK | AISLENINE ARTSPACE | MARCH 2013

Breakroom, KNX TN 2013 © jwl

I have a few new photographs on display at the Aislenine Artspace in the Old City, KNX. The work will be up through March.

Since I have been digging through the crates for new images, I thought 'what the hell' and decided to let a few loose on the walls! Come by and see what there is to see.

Untitled 2012 © cmp

Chad Pelton is joining me in decorating the Ailsenine walls with a couple of pieces that just came down from a juried show here in town. I am particularly fond of Chad's work and he and I have been known to collaborate now again on art, books, adult beverages & cheeseburgers. His work is good, give him some eye time!

Base Camp

Raccoons, Sneedville TN 2012 © jwl

I hung a few photos in the Aisle Nine Artspace today. I didn't have an artist lined up & decided to showcase some of my favorites for the month of October. As I was looking through trying to decide who was gonna be my 'favorite' I took notice of how many folders there are on my hard drive full of unprocessed files.

I have almost 2 years' worth of photographs that I have taken and just filed away. I haven't blogged them, shown them to friends, exhibited them....NOTHING. Makes me think it might be time for a new book...

Here is a shot I took while staying at a cabin last Valentine's Day weekend. I have an idea of staying there again soon and using it as base camp for some new work. We will see what happens...

GHOSTS/NUMBERS IN PRODUCTION

For the curious...here are some production shots from the WAR ROOM of the GHOSTS & NUMBERS that I will be showing @ Aisle Nine's Artspace in April.

Above we have some of the NUMBERS mounted and ready for the router. Piled up in the back are the ENTROPY images that spearheaded this new process of wood mounting and whatnot...

Here we have one of the king daddy GHOSTS, fresh off the printer awaiting the wood mounting process. This bad boy is about 20x30, there are some 12x15 versions lurking in the top left of the shot. There are full on jpeg images of GHOSTS elsewhere on this blog, just click the tag below.

The process of making these images is a bit complicated to blog, but I assure you it is time consuming and tedious. Along with the wood mounting, these bad boys get some attention.

This is a pile of primed wood, waiting to get cut down and made into a home for images.

Stay tuned for more as these babies come to life. and don't forget to come out for First Friday, April 6!!!

NIGHT WORK ON DISPLAY @ UTK

I know it is a bit of a short notice, but my NIGHT WORK is on display @ UT-Knoxville for the month of March. There will be a small reception tonight, March 12 @ 7:00pm. I'd love to see you there if you can make it.

As much as this work moves in and out of my periphery artistically, I am quite proud to show the work in the building that inspired it's beginnings theoretically. I dug in deep and printed some images that have never been shown before. In fact some of the photographs have never been seen before other than through my camera. It should be a treat for everyone.

The work will be up until early April so if you are in Knoxville feel free to stop by and have a look.

UT Art + Architecture Bldg
Gallery 103
1715 Volunteer Blvd
KNX TN 37996

Chad Pelton | First Friday | January

Clearview 4PM | 2011 © cmp 2011

Come out to Aisle Nine Grocery in the Old City of Knoxville this Friday night. Chad Pelton's photographs will be on display @ Aisle Nine Grocery. As the first (of many) shows that I plan to curate in the store space, I am proud to exhibit work by one of my favorite photographers. Chad is a local Knoxville boy and does a great deal of art making and design work.

Since I closed my Milwaukee gallery in 2008, I have been trying to continue to exhibit artwork by artists that need to be seen. I had a bit of success with the shows that I put on in the WAR ROOM | MKE, as well as some other small deals, but now that I am responsible for the art for Aisle Nine, I think that there will be better exposure for the artists.

Any artists who wanna give it a go on the walls of Aisle Nine, feel free to send me a CV and jpeg samples of the work to be displayed.

Working On Commission

I am proud to say that my work has been commissioned to be on display in a new restaurant in Chicago. The fine people of Northdown Cafe selected 13 images from my vaults to have grace their soon to be open walls.


I have been in the WAR ROOM for the last week or so prepping files, printing and matting the a very nice selection of photographs. The rumor is that there will be some custom made barn wood frames to hold these babies to the wall.

Needless to say, I am very pleased to have been chosen for the task of bringing visual pleasure to what I am sure will be a room of culinary delights.

RECENT IDEAS

RECENT IDEAS has been given the go for an extended week! If you haven't had the chance to see it, run down and see my work.

Gallery 103 | A&A Building
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Through 11 March 2011

I am pretty excited to have my work on the UT campus for the next couple of weeks. I always love to visit my old stomping ground and to have my work visit is even more exciting. If you are in the Knoxville area I hope you make a visit to campus and see my work.

50 | 2009 Online

For any and all who couldn't make it to the WAR ROOM for my 50 | 2009 show last night, I have created some web galleries to view. Feel free to view and enjoy at your leisure. Feel free to lemme know what you think of the new work. It loads a bit slow, but be patient it's an entire show on one webpage!

50 | 2009


Keep in mind, my holiday sale (20% prints) will be going until January 31st. If you see something you like, now's a good time to buy!

Forgotten But Not Gone

Butterfly, Louisville KY 2009 © jwl

In looking over the photographs I have made this year, I have stumbled over a few images that I kinda lost in the mix of travel and everything else. For the Gallery Night show that I have coming up next week, I have chosen a few sleepers that I usually wouldn't show. I don't particularly have a reason not to show them, it has just dawned on me that I tend to get wrapped up in a certain kind of image when putting together groups of photographs. I am very excited by what I plan on putting on the wall this go round. I hope everyone enjoys them as well.

This is a photograph I took earlier in the year while I was in Louisville working on the Rivertown project with Chad Pelton. I found it again today and it just struck me to show it to you here.

jw lawson @ Baker Arts Center

Kudzu House, Carter's Valley, Tennessee 2009 © jwl

I am proud to announce that my Kudzu House will be exhibited at the Baker Arts Center in January. This is the third time I have been accepted to a juried show at this venue. I would like to thank them and invite everyone to try and see the show.

Baker Arts Center
12th National Juried Art Exhibit
January 9- February 20, 2010

Opening Reception: January 9, 2010 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Juror, Dan Addington, owner of the Addington Gallery in Chicago, IL, has selected 66 works of art created by 55 artists from 24 states to be exhibited in the Baker Arts Center’s 12th National Juried Art Exhibition. This year’s show will include artwork showing great diversity in materials, techniques, and styles among the two and three-dimensional and photographic categories.

This exhibit opens with a private reception for the artists, their guests, and members on January 9th and will be open to the public on January 12th. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 9:00-12:00 & 1:00-5:00, 2:00 to 5:00 on Saturdays, closed Sunday and Monday. Artworks will be on display through February 20, 2010.

Baker Arts Center
624 N. Pershing
Liberal KS 67901
(620) 624-2810

ENTROPY Install

Making measurements...

Curator and man about town, Dwayne Butcher helping me with the first of 5...

Dwayne giving some sage curatorial looks...

Birthday boy, Bobby Spillman throwin' in some elbow grease...

Here's the nut. I hope you can make it out tonight for the reception. If not the show will be up until January.

Many thanks to Melanie Spillman for documenting the installation.

More information here.

ENTROPY: new work by jw lawson

I have an opening this Friday in Memphis. The work is part of a new body of work that I have begun titled Entropy. If you are in the Delta or looking for a reason to take a trip, I'd love to see you at the reception. The exhibition is part of the CaseWorks project that Dwayne Butcher commands. I am proud to have my work at the University of Memphis Art Museum and I can't wait to install the show. The work will be up through January.

ENTROPY: new work by jw lawson
CaseWorks | Art Museum of The University of Memphis
3750 Norriswood
Memphis, TN 38152-3200
Opening Reception, Friday November 20, 5:30-7:00 pm

If you have questions or need help feel free to email me and I can guide you to the show.

While in Memphis I plan on spending a few days working on more Rivertown work as well as expand the Entropy body. I will also be celebrating Bobby Spillman's birthday and the Anniversary of he and his wife Melanie. I am also up for some socializing in the night hours, so get ahold of me if I haven't called you already.

Down Down Down

Promenade, 2009 © Chris Miller

I just took down the latest (and quite outstanding) show by Chris Miller. The work was on the walls for a short time, but I am glad it was here. Often times I feel a bit uninspired and in those times it is nice to be surrounded by someone else's work. This was one of the true benefits of running the gallery before moving to the WAR ROOM.

Thanks to Chris and everyone who attended the little party we through two weeks ago. Hopefully we can have another shindig soon.

CHRIS MILLER @ WAR ROOM

Police Line, 2009 © Chris Miller

jw lawson FINE ART is pleased to present Out Of Place, an exhibition of new mixed media works on paper by award-winning Milwaukee artist Chris Miller. The show runs through October with an Artist's Reception on Gallery Night, October 16th at the WAR ROOM.

Chris Miller is a self-taught artist whose artwork has received several awards in recent years, including a Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Award in 2008 and a WVA Biennial Award in 2009. Describing this latest exhibit, Miller says "I think these pictures might reflect some of the unexpected challenges, like relocation while working, I’ve experienced this past summer."

Southeastern View @ MIAD

My Southeastern View work is now on view at the MIAD Perspectives Gallery. I delivered the work yesterday and from what I have seen, it is hanging very nicely. I would like to thank Sonja Thompsen and her assistant John Lusis for all their hard work.

The work will be on display into March for anyone who would like to stop by for a look.

On another note, Chad Pelton and I will be putting the final touches on the book of this material within the week. All of you with pre-orders expect a phone call soon. Anyone else interested feel free to email or call me.

Smart People Paper | Dwayne Butcher

Smart People Paper #34, 2008 © Dwayne Butcher

Here it is folks, the first show in the WAR ROOM!!!!

Due to the move and various other complications, the remainder of 2008's exhibitions at jw lawson FINE ART were postponed. Well now we can get back on the horse and ride. The WAR ROOM is showing art!

I just (moments ago) finished installing Dwayne Butcher's series of works on paper entitled Smart People Paper. These dandy and fun little paint & ink drawings represent contemplative studies and sketches that fall somewhere between Butcher's paintings and installation pieces.

Butcher is a poet, a painter, an installer, a curator, an organizer...Let's just say he does about everything there is to do with art in Memphis. I am proud to have his work in Milwaukee and I hope you are too.

Ranging in size from 5x9 ($40) to 11x14 ($60), these works will sell fast! Stop on by or call for an appointment to see this work. The work will remain installed until April 2009 or until Mrs. Parkhurst decides to install her work in March.

Men In Suits

So I get a phone call telling me to check out the CUE section in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, then I get the paper handed to me and HELLO, there I am. Weird in a way, but I am not surprised. I sat in a portrait for Nicholas Grider back in 2005 and always wondered when he was gonna use them.

Since Nicholas has gotten back in town, most of the local artists have been cowering in fear. Nick is a man with an incredible drive for output. To be honest, I am shocked he doesn't have 3 shows opening this weekend.

His portraits of Men In Suits opened last night @ the Portrait Society (207 Buffalo, Milwaukee) and if you missed the CUE you can see it here. Despite what Mary Louise says in the article, I am still open for business. I simply moved. I will repeat (I hope Mary Louise hears me) jw lawson FINE ART is still open!!!

Stop in and say Hi.

Masterpiece?

Abandoned Garage, Carter's Valley, Tennessee 2006 © jwl

I received notice that the above image was selected to be shown at the Baker Arts Center in Liberal, KS. The 11th National Juried Art Exhibition will take place January 10 - February 21, 2009. Back in 2006 I was in the 9th National event and won an Honorable Mention award. I am happy that they will have me back for another round.

In 2008, this image was in 2 national juried exhibitions. I don't want anyone to think that I have been pimping this picture, it is included with several images for entries. I am quite proud of it though. It seems to be a crowd favorite with the judges. I rememeber the day very well, making the photograph seemed to make sense, everything just fit into place that day.

jw lawson SHOW UPDATE

Abandoned Garage, Carter's Valley, Tennessee 2006 ©jwl

Since my last transmission, I found out about two more group shows that I am to participate in. If anyone is in the area, have a look and let me know what you think. If you can make the receptions, I'll be happy to buy you a drink.

My work was accepted to the NORTHERN NATIONAL JURIED ART COMPETITION in Rhinelander, WI. The show will take place at the Nicolet College Art Gallery. This show will be on display July 22 – September 12, 2008. The opening reception will be July 22 at 5:00PM.

In September, I will have work on display at the UW Memorial Union in Madison, WI. Lisa Hostetler, Curator at the Milwaukee Art Museum has chosen my work to be included in PHOTO MIDWEST: A Seven State Photography Competition. I am terribly excited about this show and would like to thank Lisa for her generosity. This show will run from September 26 – November 11, 2008.