Art opening …

This Thursday night, at Dirty Frank's Bar, there is an opening for a new exhibition for the bar's Off The Wall Gallery. It is of work by my friend Felix Giordano, work I happen to admire.

It would be easy to identify Felix's work with Pop Art. But it would be wrong. Pop Art was to a large extent simply a coordination of art with advertising. Felix's work is something altogether different. It is grounded, as is that of every authentic artist, in how he sees the world. And what Felix has noticed from the start is how pop culture — movies, comics, and, yes, advertising — has shaped how we see the world. Hence, he has incorporated allusions to such in his paintings. This makes them as reflective of their time in their own peculiar way as Botticelli's are of his time. Which is another of saying that they are timeless. Bear in mind, this is someone who paints with color right on to the canvas, exactly like today's premier traditionalist, Nelson Shanks. In their very different ways, Felix and Nelson are both classicists. 

Anyway, the paintings are already up, I believe, so if you find yourself near 13th and Pine, stop in, have a brew, and take a look.

See also: Something to look at …