Our Second Art Staging at the Economy League

The Economy League's office at Broad & Locust streets

Earlier this month we made our second installation of artwork at the offices of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia as part of an on-going art staging program for them. The Economy League is a non-profit think tank offering expert analysis of the regions resources and economic policies. Our initial art staging at the Economy League was in August. We would like to thank Christopher Scoville at the Economy League for coordinating both stagings.

Ryan McMenamin

www.economyleague.org

Annette Cords’ Latest Artwork

To borrow a phrase from Robert Venturi, Annette Cords’ most recent artworks belong to the world of “Both-And”; they are hybrids. The 14 pieces on view in her current solo exhibition at AxD Gallery are both paintings and monoprints. They are paintings in the sense that they employ paint (hand-mixed acrylics). The are prints in the sense that the paint is not applied with a brush, but rather in the manner of block printing – with the paint being applied to a variety of found objects that in turn are used to “stamp” the paint into the canvas or panel surface. Occasionally paint is also dripped, either as individual drops or in threadlike skeins.

Selected works by Annette Cords at AxD Gallery

Ms. Cords’ work is also “Both-And” in its simultaneously inhabiting the worlds of order and chaos, the controlled and the serendipitous. Seen from a distance or as a small reproduction, Ms. Cords’ work appears to be digital – evoking the pulsing instrumentation of oscilloscopes or thermal imaging machines. Seen in person, up close, the works are very sensual and diverse. While patterning exists on a macro level, intimacy with the work reveals no exact repeats. It is as though we are looking through a microscope with one eye, admiring the crystalline uniqueness of each snowflake, while also taking in the beauty of a whole glittering winter landscape simultaneously.

Ed Barnhart, AIA

Diversity in Practice

One of the touchstones at Always by Design (AxD) has been seeking diversity as a means of nurturing inquiry and growth, both personally and professionally. This flies in the face of “standard practice” which encourages market focus and specialization. Indeed, as we’re discovering, diversity certainly isn’t an easy concept to “brand”. Maybe it’s just luck, but on the architectural practice side, our practice has achieved a diversity of clients and project types beyond anything we had anticipated. In this past year alone we have worked on restaurants, a library, an auditorium, government offices, a church, a boutique salon, industrial infrastructure, and several residences.

While, on the art gallery side of AxD, the ability to select artists and artwork is wholly within our control, it’s still gratifying to look back and see the range of artists represented and artwork we’ve shown thus far. Media has included various forms of drawing, printmaking, painting, photography, collage, and sculpture. Subject matter has encompassed non-representational imagery, abstractions, landscapes, portraiture, details of nature, sci-fi and fantasy imagery, and gay erotica.

A selection of art exhibited at AxD

We’re confident that the lineup of artists we’ve scheduled for 2009 will continue our commitment to artistic diversity. Similarly, with our architectural practice on the verge of signing an agreement with a major hotelier, we’re looking to welcoming in the new year further diversifying our clientele as well.

Ed Barnhart, AIA