Guest contributor Kurt Piazza provides this review of artist Allen Hampton’s latest work. -MV >>

Installation view of work by Allen Hampton.
“I feel like I’m not able to connect to most people. Eventually they disappoint you,” says Allen Hampton. I met up with Hampton recently to talk about his new work, which deals primarily with [...]

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Sheree Rensel. Twingo. Copper and mixed media on wood. 11-3/4″ x 11-3/4″ x 3″. Artist’s statement: “Twingo” is the unique and original tweet language of Twitter Tweople. Bio: BFA, MFA, Detroit artist born, NOW living and loving my art life in the real and virtual Universe.
If you’re following St. Petersburg artist Sheree Rensel on [...]

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Denis Gaston. Little Boxes. Mixed media on masonite, 20″ x 16”. Pictured below: Denis Gaston. Ground Control To Major Tom (Grab ‘n Go Art Collection). Ink on paper, 7″ x 5″. Images courtesy of the artist.
If it’s summer, it must be time for the Cool Art Show. Any other time of year, the region would [...]

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Us I abús (Use and abuse, 1990) by Pere Noguera with texts by Carles Hac Mor. Tin box containing two glass bottles with stoppers and an instruction manual.
When does a “book” consist of a pair of vials in a metal tin, a triptych of glass “pages” or a cardboard box filled with pamphlets, drawings [...]

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Cone of the past, point of the present. Diran Lyons’ Goodbye Victoria Artifact 5: Notes Written In Gilles Deleuze Text, a photographic print from Five + 5. To watch scenes from Lyons’ Deleuze-influenced movie, to go http://www.youtube.com/user/LYONSPOTTER.
Good things are afoot at [5]art.
The West Tampa exhibition space — synonymous with the quintet of artists who [...]

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Flocas 2008 opens tonight in Tampa, and I’ll tell you—my reaction to this project (the consortium of Florida university masters degree programs) is like, why didn’t someone think of this sooner? Best. Idea. Ever.
We have some really talented graduate students in the state, and it breaks my heart when they leave after graduation. We need [...]

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Jamey Grimes. Merge IV, 2007. Mylar, acetate, transparency film, thread. Courtesy DFAC.
This week in Creative Loafing:
These days, it’s hardly an exaggeration to call the evening news the stuff of nightmares. Between the implosion of Wall Street and the prospect of the other guy winning the election, the current state of national affairs might be enough [...]

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Donna Box of Valrico taking part in a class at the Big Draw Studio.
Did you know that Ruskin, Fla., was founded by people inspired by the social theories of art critic and Victorian intellectual John Ruskin? And here I’ve been thinking “tomato” every time I hear Ruskin for the last twenty years…
In honor of [...]

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USF grad student Ariel Baron-Robbins teaches a class at the Big Draw Studio in Ruskin last week.
Have you heard about the Big Draw?
Out in Ruskin, a group of artists is working to stage a month-long celebration of drawing (that most intimidating of artistic exercises) that will culminate with a party and mural unveiling on [...]

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Neil Bender. Borders. Mixed media on paper, 2007, 30 x 22 in. Courtesy Bleu Acier.
Neil Bender is Randy.
Check out his opening tomorrow night at Tampa gallery Bleu Acier.
Click here to read the feature in Creative Loafing.

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Janae Easton
Golden Locks that Moss Grew, 2008
Floral foam, dried plant material, wrapping paper, Mylar, found paper, pen, colored pencil and polymer clay
Courtesy of the artist
If you haven’t been to see the exhibit Drawing Beyond the Plane at the Tampa Museum of Art, I urge you to drop everything and head over today (Saturday) to catch [...]

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Louise Nevelson. North Floral. 1976.
Wood painted black, 1061⁄4 x 168 x 171⁄4 inches
The Ovitz Family Collection, Los Angeles
Photo Courtesy PaceWildenstein, New York
©2007 Estate of Louise Nevelson/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
I haven’t been good about blogging recently– and I’ll admit it’s because I haven’t seen anything lately that really made me feel great about the [...]

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