Like the Spice is pleased to present Civil Union, featuring the individual and collaborative works by Jenny Morgan and David Mramor. To someone encountering their individual works, Morgan's meticulously psychological portraits and Mramor's intuition driven photo/paintings would not appear so perfectly complimentary. And yet, once combined, they fit so precisely, each artist making the other stronger.

Morgan's portraits are tightly controlled photorealistic renderings of people known very well to the artist. She often scrapes away areas of the figures, revealing both the layers of technique and the metaphorical flesh of her subjects. Morgan's works are at the very pinnacle of planning, discipline, and control in the service of emotional clarity, tied quite specifically to the individuals she depicts.

Mramor's hybrid paintings are alchemical combinations of photography and painting. Reacting to digitally manipulated imagery printed onto canvas, Mramor "corrects" the images by adding layers of intuitive marks in many media, recently even including collage. The marks have a wild quality, seeming almost random at first encounter, but there is a deep formal intelligence and perverse beauty to Mramor's works; they are absolutely fearless.

Worked by each artist in several turns, the collaborative works are built in layers of intervention and invention. The Apollonian Morgan and Dionysian Mramor inform each other's input while respectfully resisting each other's positions. The artists talk of these collaborations as an exercise in trust, giving up personal ego and control, as well as a way to use each other as a tool, performing a partially-outsourced creative act.

Jenny and David met in graduate school at the School of Visual Arts in New York during the fall of 2006. Having studios next to each other, they found comfort in each other's artistic process, Morgan in the looseness of Mramors innate strokes and line, and David in Jenny's flat symbolic masterful portraits. After grad school they merged studios and while both working on their own paintings sporadically produced multiple collaborative works. "Both of our work has totally transformed as a result of that first collaborative piece we did, and continue to change with each piece we make together".

Jenny Morgan was born in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1982. She had her first solo show in New York at Like the Spice Gallery in January of 2009, and has exhibited nationwide in solo shows at the Plus Gallery and the Pirate Gallery in Denver, Colorado. Ms. Morgan has participated in group shows at Columbia University, The LeRoy Neiman Gallery, Smithsonian Institute's National Portrait Gallery, and multiple galleries in Colorado, Florida and New York City.

David Mramor was born and raised in Cleveland Ohio in 1984. Mramor has exhibited nation wide in group and solo exhibitions in such galleries as Massimo Audiello in New York City, Plus Gallery in Colorodo, and Texas Fire House in Queens NY. Both Jenny Morgan and David Mramor work at Marilyn Minter Studio and currently live and work in Brooklyn, NY.


http://www.likethespice.com

Dean's characters appear from the dotted background as though it were a transformative limbo, never knowing a beginning or an end, just an eternal continuation, like an elegant outsider. Join us on October 9th for opening night! Visit our website for more. likethespice.com

Last Friday, Like the Spice slipped out of its gallery garments and donned its silk stockings for a sexy little dinner party in honor of Reuben Negron: Dirty Dirty Love. Nothing's hotter than the attraction of opposites, and we were treated to a fusion-style meal catered by Brooklyn's best Chinese kitchen, M.Shanghai and the Mediterranean themed Malta. We savored a ménage à trois of juicy, bite-sized dumplings and a tasting plate of paellas, finishing with an indulgent dripping trio of chocolate fondues.

If that doesn't have you hot under the collar, remember that the entire sinful meal was served in surroundings that would have the Marquis de Sade trembling in his breeches. Negron's series of technically masterful watercolors are sexy yet sweet, piercing but tender, and were a truly thought-provoking complement to the wine and Perrier that kept us lounging, rosy and sated in the gallery, until well past our bedtimes.

"Dirty Dirty Love" is still waiting for you at Like the Spice. Even if you missed the dinner, perhaps you crave the titillation and raw physical honesty that "Dirty Dirty Love" has to offer? Don't forget - next Friday we'll be presenting a selection of utterly fascinating artifacts designed for your pleasure.

Come.


We'd like to, but there's just so much going on! Let's discuss.

Next Friday, May 29th, at 8:00pm, we've got our next installment of the Monthly Dinner Series: F**K Dinner, featuring artist Reuben Negrón. As always, we're serving family-style in the gallery itself. And you know how great previous dinners were, right? If you don't, plan to come out and learn! Make your reservation without hesitation because we often fill up fast, and there's already a line forming. You don't want to miss the surprise we've got planned!

Then get ready, because on the night of Friday, June 5th, LtS has a brand new BFF! We're welcoming wine.woot.com for a very special advance tasting of their upcoming white, and you'll have a chance to be among the very first palates that will enjoy a taste. Wine.woot is very excited to be joining us in Brooklyn, so we want to give them a warm welcome. Plan now so you can be here then!

Finally, have you been paying attention to 44 Berry Street, at the corner of Berry and North 11th? For those of you who haven't, get ready, because Like the Spice and aptsandlofts.com are working together to present APT 44B, an art exhibit designed to show how beauty begins at home. Highlighting the traditional role of the loft in the history and romanticism of the New York art scene, Like the Spice Gallery has solicited work from local artists that pursues unexpected interpretations of the varied accoutrements of modern living. Artists have been encouraged to use the rooms, the architectural/industrial details, and the fabric of the living spaces to weave their personal statements and pieces into apartments that are currently for rent. If you've ever wondered how you could make your personal life a bit more artistic, this is the show for you. Apt 44B starts up on Thursday, June 4th and you'll love it.

And what's after that? You'd except us to answer "we sit down for a bit", but no! Rest is not part of the Like the Spice way! Instead, we'll be chasing down The Northside Festival from June 11th - June 13th. We'll have some band infomation for you later, but save those dates... for rock!

We work so hard for you, but what's the point if you're not here to enjoy it? Plan now to come and have some fun with us during these early summer days. We're looking forward to your smiling faces, because that makes it all worthwhile. And don't forget to make that dinner reservation right now!

Rachel Beach, our art star's solo show, Towers & Portals, opens with a Sneak Preview on Friday, March 6th and a Grand Opening on Saturday, March 7th. She is such a perfectionist that she's making her own lighting scheme. Where's the team of white mice and pumpkin coach to sweep her away?



We adore Rachel as a person and even more as  an artist. These shots of her newest pieces should give you a great idea why.



Rachel's sculpture plays with space in a way that photos cannot totally capture. We know the dimensions of our gallery almost by heart and she still has us doing double takes. If you were here for her last show, you know how amazing her stuff is. If you weren't here, for Heaven's sake, don't miss out twice in a row!



Rachel asked us to save a few surprises, so keep in mind that we're deliberately avoiding some pieces in these shots... You'll be pleased that we did when you see them for the first time. Some things really are best witnessed in person.



Be here this Friday and Saturday for the Sneak Preview and Opening Night of Towers & Portals! And RSVP now for the March 13th Artist's Dinner with Rachel herself! Go ask your fairy godmother, she'll back us up.

LTS Assistant Leia can print pricelists and press releases with margins meticulously even. She can plate ritz crackers in an attractive semi-circle for openings. She can enfold oil paintings in the gentle embrace of bubble wrap, and securely affix sticky-labels to walls and postcards alike.

What Assistant Leia cannot do is take a digital photograph that is in any way legible or compositionally appealing. Fuzzy blobs hover in front of what may or may not be art. Darkness reigns over crowds with orangely glowing eyes. Heads are excised with abandon.

So, I wanted to write this gorgeously illustrated blog post about how awesome last night's opening was. Instead, I'm forced to give you this:

Just to clear things up, this was an opening at an art gallery. There were beautiful photographs and prints. Pretend that there's art in this photo, and that people are looking at said art rather than staring somberly en masse at a blank wall. How I managed to capture an exact moment where EVERY SINGLE ART PIECE would be blocked by a body is a mystery of physics.


This is supposed to be a picture of a good-looking couple admiring one of Khalid's prints, but it's mostly a picture of an empty doorway.


On the plus side, this picture has both people and art. Yay me! On the downside, it looks like one of those night-vision nature documentaries about the habits of unsettling nocturnal predators.


I'm proud of this one.

Make sure to RSVP to our upcoming artist dinner, Du-Licious! You'll be happy to hear that assistant Leia will be serving hors d'oeuvres, while a more qualified intern operates the camera. It's not like I've been demoted, really. Marisa says that she wants to DIRECT my skills to where they'll be more useful. If I do okay, she says she'll think about letting me pour wine (white only)! Wish me luck!

Valentine's kisses!

LTS.A.L.

Presented by Like the Spice Gallery
in conjunction with Mezze
February 13th to March 1st, 2009
Opening February 13th, 6:30- 10:00
Artist Dinner- February 20th 2009
RSVP Required
Hosted by Like the Spice Gallery


       
       Mezze
       970 Kent Avenue, Ste 707
       Brooklyn, NY 11205
       www.mezzeart.com/646.427.4992

Like the Spice Gallery and Mezze are proud to present Dubai Underground, an exhibition featuring seven artists from Dubai whose works reveal the hidden complexity of this glitzy Persian Gulf city. The artists featured in Dubai Underground are Hind Mezaina, Sheikha Bin Daher, Jalal Abu Thina, John Hollingsworth, Mohamed Somji, Khalid Mezaina and Reem Al Gaith.

Palm tree shaped islands, the world’s tallest building, opulent hotels and the extravagant lifestyles that go along with it- these are the first images that come to mind with the mere mention of Dubai. But beyond this superficial image is a city steeped in contradictions and paradoxes. Dubai Underground explores these contrasts as portrayed by this group of artists, some of which are Emirati (nationals of the United Arab Emirates), and others who represent the city’s international complexion, coming from Tanzania, Libya and the UK. Their works reflect the myriad realities coexisting in Dubai, from juxtaposition of the wealthy elite’s conspicuous consumption against the hidden plight of the laborers, who are quite literally building the city brick by brick, to the challenges young Emiratis face in defining and retaining their cultural identity when they have become a minority, making up just 15 percent of the city’s population.

Dubai is the city and Emirate that forms one of the seven members of the union of the United Arab Emirates, formed in 1972 on the tip of the Middle Eastern peninsula. The city has been grabbing headlines in recent years for its ambitious architectural projects, creation of world-class enterprises and also very recently as a new hub for the emergence of the visual arts in the Middle East. The recent arrival of all the major auction houses, art fairs, a growing number of galleries and intent of museums such as the Guggenheim and Louvre to establish themselves in the neighboring Emirate of Abu Dhabi, have signaled a new awareness and interest in the way art and culture influences the shaping of this city.

Upcoming News
From March 6th until April 1st, Like the Spice will present their second solo show of Rachel Beach’s painting/sculpture hybrids. Pitting 2D illusion against 3D reality, her works frustrate the boundaries between perception and rationality.
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcVWBgA_tjE

I made a small trailer like preview for Rachel Beach's show Towers and Portals opening here at Like the Spice Gallery Saturday March 7th 6:30-10:00pm and running through the 29th of March. By playing painted illusion against sculptural reality each sculpture/painting by Mrs. Beach creates a crisis of perception.

The Lucky #7 of ARTmostfierce's The Current State of the ART Market Series goes to Marisa Sage, Gallery Owner of the Like The Spice Gallery in Brooklyn, NYC. Marisa has some interesting concepts and approach to the gallery business. Let's see what she is sharing with us!

Ruben Natal-San Miguel- Please tell us about your Gallery...Location? Type of gallery?


Marisa Sage-I opened Like the Spice Gallery in June of 2006 with the aim of fostering the careers of emerging artists by allowing them to show in public group and solo exhibitions. I exhibit both Digital formats as well as traditional methods. Our artists push their medium; our paintings are fresh and our digital art is not just about the pixels, as stated in our mission statement. I would say that my artists primarily create works with a very specific marriage of technique and aesthetic prowess, as well as a compelling conceptual agenda. Each artist has learned to balance their technical mastery with a sound conceptual statement. We are a commercial gallery with roots in the Williamsburg neighborhood, Over 80% of our artists make work within 15 miles of the gallery.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW BETWEEN MARISA & RUBEN!


Above, "a digital photograph from the series “Held Back,” 2006, by Dubai artist Reem Al Ghaith". Reem will be one of the artist featured in the next group exhibition Dubai Underground, here at Like the Spice Gallery. Opening Friday February 13th 2009. 6:30-10:00pm.
Reem also featured further in ‘An Oasis in the Desert’, an article in this months Art News.  

COURTESY THE ARTIST
Governments in the United Arab Emirates are spending billions of dollars in an ambitious, unprecedented effort to create cultural districts with world-class museums—along with a support system of creators, dealers, and collectors. But many Western art professionals wonder if this massive undertaking, launched at a dizzying scale and pace, can be successful
by Sharon Waxman


CLICK FOR FULL ARTICLE on artnews.com.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PRESS FOR DUBAI UNDERGROUND AT LIKE THE SPICE GALLERY.


Domestic Attempts
The Weekly Picks, One Day Late
Our third pick of the week comes to us from Like The Spice Gallery in Brooklyn, NY.  This piece has the potential to offend some of you, and if it does, I apologize. I believe that art should be challenging, and serve to open up dialogue between people. The purpose of art is not just to be pleasant to look at - artists have a responsibility to address issues, which in this case, is religion.

CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

LASTLY GREAT NEWS!!!

Like the Spice Gallery Owner Marisa Sage was chosen by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. Ms. Sage will be seated on stage to represent Like the Spice Gallery and the other Williamsburg Galleries as one of 40 noteworthy Brooklynites, during Mr. Markowitz's State of the Borough Address.

Two Year Anniversary Show & Auction
July 11th, 2008
Doors open at 6:30pm, Auction starts at 8:45pm


Alison Edge, John 2002 Watercolor on Paper. 12" by 8 3⁄4".


Come help Like the Spice celebrate two exciting years with a special one day auction! Nearly all of our artists are donating small works to be raffled off, so it'll be easy to go home with something nice. Take a look at these examples, and check back now and then, because we'll be adding more! We'll also have some surprises you'll have to come see in person as well as a few special prizes we're keeping under our hat for now. But who doesn't like free framing?


Sean Flannigan, Birdcloud Watercolor & Charcoal on Cradled Board. 12" by 12".


Nora Herting, Spirit 226 Artist's Proof.


Ross Racine, Subdivision: Greenfield Lakes. 31 1/2" by 23 5/8". Digital Drawing.

Tickets are $50 at the door and $45 if purchased in advance. This is a great chance to get a great piece from your favorite Like the Spice artist. Not to mention you'll get to enjoy an afternoon of live music. And we'll have drinks and party fuel too!

Click here to read some of our press over the last two years!

Come on July 11th at 6:30pm and help us celebrate the first two years... of many!

Peter Feigenbaum11" x 14" DIGITAL PRINT, 2005

Max Liboiron Dirty Taxidermy (Elephant)
Drypoint, 6" x 8", 2006.

Dirty Taxidermy (Giraffe)
Drypoint, 6" x 8", 2006.

Steven Tabbutt, Mixed Media

Grace Yung Ting Teng, When This Cruel War is over

Darren Lee Miller, 4000 and Counting, 2007, Archival Ink Jet