I Kan Do Dat

January 25, 2014

I Kan Do Dat

Curated by Danny Simmons and Oshun Layne.

In the past week there have been three art openings at three different galleries that are all part of the same massive exhibition of contemporary abstraction "I Kan Do Dat" curated by Danny Simmons and Oshun Layne.  This exhibition ties in 87 artists of all cultural backgrounds and a huge spectrum of materials and techniques in Contemporary Abstraction.  The galleries involved include Rush Arts Gallery in Chelsea, a Skylight Gallery at Restoration Plaza in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn, and Selena Gallery in the LIU downtown Brooklyn campus.

I am pleased to have an older painting often in the exhibition "earth Filters" a mixed media piece on canvas from 2009.  While the piece might be a little older it was great to bring it out for an exhibition.  My work is on view at Selena Gallery in Downtown Brooklyn.

This exhibition I Kan Do Dat ties together the founding principles of Rush Arts Gallery Beautifully.  There is some very strong work in the exhibitions at all three locations.  It is excellent to see the work of 2012 Rush Artist in Residence Cullen Washington Jr at Rush Arts Gallery along with the 90 year old minimalist painter Kendall Shaw.  Rush Arts also has a wall installation by the founder of Aljira Art Center Carl Hazlewood that combines materials, geometry, and line into a one time experience installation.  Rush Arts recently brought the work if Selin Balci to Select Art Fair in Miami and her bio art was featured in Signs of Life at Corridor Gallery.  It was excellent to see her abstract  "paintings" that are actually microorganisms grown in bio labs in the I Kan Do Dat exhibition.  Something I can definitely not do.

The sculptural installation of Musa Hixson at Skylight Gallery is not to be missed.  His blending of organic form with wood and paper constructions reminds me of my connection to the earth.  Musa was recently featured in an exhibition at Rush Arts Gallery titled physically practiced curated by myself, Charlotte Mouquin.  Also at Skylight Gallery is a stunning wall drawing by Lissete Morel that uses her body and large gestural marks.  Skylight has classic masters of contemporary abstraction from Ed Clarke, Ellsworth Ausby and Greg Coates to young artists inspired by them including an installation by Amber Robles-Gordon and the heavy black 3 dimensional paintings of Gabriel J. Shuldiner.

Selena Gallery at LIU had it's own unique mix of abstract painters including a large red abstraction by Michael Mut, the founder of the Love Yourself Project and a large pen drawing by Melissa Mathews.  Of course Selena gallery also includes my own painting so do stop by LIU campus to check out the work.

I Kan Do Dat will be on view at all three galleries grouch Feb. 22nd 2014.  I couldn't think of a more beautiful way to kick of the 2014 art exhibition season than with this expansive multi-venue gallery exhibition. Maybe you think you can do that but can you? Or do you? Here are 87 artists that do.

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I Kan Do Dat

Rush Arts Gallery

January 16th- February 22nd, 2014

Skylight Gallery

January 18th- February 28th, 2014

Salena Gallery

January 24th – February 22nd, 2014

Rush Arts Gallery in collaboration with Skylight Gallery of Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza and Salena Gallery of Long Island University Downtown, present I Kan Do Dat, an exhibition including 87 artists curated by Danny Simmons and Oshun Layne.

I Kan Do Dat explores contemporary abstraction through drawing, painting, collage, printmaking and sculpture.  This exhibition showcases the range of visual vocabulary within the language of abstraction. Using large-scale physical brush strokes, intricate visual symbols, layering of mediums and alternative materials the artists in I Kan Do Dat showcase universal truths. Drawing from numerous cultural and spiritual backgrounds, lines, shapes, and forms all have meanings that become truly personal to everyone.

Artists include: Pamella Allen, Ellsworth Ausby, Selin Balci, Kennis Baptiste, Che Baraka, Kimberly Becoat, Herb Bennett, Leonardo Benzant, Bob Blackburn, Frank Bowling, Aleathia Brown, Willie Mae Brown, Ramona Candy, Daren Chambers, Mary Chang, Lawrence Charity, Dudley Charles, Tafadzwa Chiriga, Ayn S. Choi, Ed Clarke-Cobat, Greg Coates, Miriam Costanza, Cleaster Cotton, Adger Cowans, Cedric Cox, Diane Davis, Paul Deo, Robin Feld, Glenn Fischer, Veronique Gambier, Donald Giovany, Sheila Goloborotko, Garry Grant, Cheryl Green, Dick Griffin, Sarah Hall, Whitney Harris, Kathleen Hayek, Carl Hazlewood, Linda Hiwot, Musa Hixson, Tomas Hull, Gerald Jackson, Jamillah Jennings, Al Johnson, Anders Knutsson, Norman Lewis, Julian Lorber, Miguel Martinez-Riddle,  Barry Mason, Melissa Matthews,  Julie Mchargue, Damali Miller, Al Miller, Louis Mims,  Lisette Morel,  Tomo Mori,  Charlotte Mouquin,  Michael Mut, Adedola Olugebefola, Donovan Nelson, Ba Djibril Ngawa, Tony Papa, Lawrence Philps,  Amalia Piccinini,  Sherry Rader, Mike Rader, Dennis Redmooon Darkeem, Kristin Reed,  Roderick Richardson, Amber Robles-Gordon, Terry Rosenberg, Kendall Shaw, Linda Shere, Gabriel J. Shuldiner, Diane Smith, Atanaska Tassart,  Lawrence Terry, Thurston Randall, Sidney Peter Turner, Shenna Vaughn,  Cullen Washington Jr.,  Arlington Weithers,  Jack White,  Frank Wimberly, Kennedy Yanko, and Art Zamora.

For inquiries please contact:

Oshun Layne at olayne@ruchphilanthropic.org (Rush Arts Gallery)

Che Baraka at cbaraka@gmail.com (Skylight Gallery)

Nancy Grove at ngrove@liu.edu (Salena Gallery)