Poetry: Shallow End

Shallow End

Our Community Illusion

has built primitive houses for homeless egos.

Random consciousness insists on using all the wrong tools.

Obligation to dreams

only exists

to remain stubbornly objective.

See, this underlying structure

barely supports our ideas.

Whole dirt lots wait in precious reality.

Information is collected in tiny envelopes.

Envelopes that are mailed out in mass to those who wait -

hands open,swaying to music.

Far away, our distinction has no relevance.

Unapproachable elite intuition

wastes ink on personal perception.

Individual feelings become variation,and cannot be argued away.

Preference has preformed a tricky joke on the evidence collectors.

The shallow end is forever envious of shadows.

Artwork: Dain Quentin Gore

Dain Quentin Gore "Orobouros, Leviathan and The Eternal Champion" Ink on paper, from a sketchbook

Notes From The Studio: Canvas

New canvas stretched, waiting for gessoing. 36" x 40"

Artists: Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Giuseppe Arcimboldo "Winter"

 

After lapsing into obscurity for centuries after his death in 1593, Arcimboldo was rediscovered in the early 20th century by artists who relished his proto-surrealistic imagery.

From The Archives: Heartfelt July 4, 2008

Artwork by Jimi Girdner and Annie Lopez

Deus Ex Machina was formed after the multimedia arts venue the Paper Heart closed. In July of 2008 Deus hosted Heartfelt, an exhibit of  Paper Heart alumni. This was the original press release from the time: 

HEARTFELT
THE PAPER HEART ALUMNI SHOW
It's been 6 months since that eclectic cultural hot spot, THE PAPER HEART, had to close its doors. Besides all the music, dance and indie film gigs that took place there, the Paper Heart was also about the visual arts. Painting, sculpture, freaky media, THE HEART pushed the envelope with its exhibitions bringing cutting edge, contemporary, urban art to Phoenix.

"The Paper Heart was instrumental to the growth of the arts in Phoenix," says Richard Bledsoe, member of Deus Ex Machina. "The Heart's owner, Scott Sanders, labored for years, both as a board member of Artlink and as a business owner, to build the network that has become First Fridays. He brought people together. There is no telling how many personal and professional relationships had their start at the Paper Heart.

"Scott was open to the new and untried. He gave literally hundreds of artists, rookies and veterans both, the opportunity for their creativity to be seen. Validated by their Paper Heart experiences, artists continued to work, and  in many cases, even went on to open their own venues. The Paper Heart planted a lot of seeds."

It has been said with every door that closes another opens. Grand Avenue continues to grow as a local art destination. DEUS EX MACHINA/Improbable Art opened on Grand the month The Paper Heart closed. Picking up the torch in the cultural marathon that is the ever changing Phoenix art scene DEUS EX MACHINA joined the race. It's not as large as The Paper Heart was, but in a short time the space has already presented seven exhibitions and four alternative theatre performances. To date it has served as a forum for painting, collage, sculpture, photography, mixed media, installation, video works, alternative sound performances and spoken word.

"We want to continue the Paper Heart's tradition of keeping the arts growing in Phoenix," states Bledsoe. "Hosting the artists who made the Paper Heart their venue of choice is a great honor."

For July, DEUS EX MACHINA brings back a few of the artists whose works frequently graced the walls of The Paper Heart. Inventive, innovative and unusual - the work by these
artists continues to challenge and amaze the art audiences of Phoenix

FEATURED ARTISTS :

• Michele Bledsoe
• Richard Bledsoe
• Jeff Falk
• Denise Fleisch
• Jimi Girdner
• Steve Gompf
• JA Jurewicz
• Annie Lopez
• Natascha Payton
• Greg Pentkowski
• Wayne Michael Reich
• Scott Sanders
• Randy Zucker

 Artwork by Jeff Falk, JA Jurewicz (on wall behind sculpture) and Randy Zucker

Steamy July 4 Opening-visible on wall artwork by Michele Bledsoe, Wayne Michael Reich, Richard Bledsoe, and Jeff Falk

 

Artwork: Michele Bledsoe

Michele Bledsoe "Rest" acrylic on canvas 7" x 5"

Notes From the Studio: Storage

There is also storage space in the rafters of Deus Ex Machina. Here Jeff Falk's oversized skull mask looms over the gallery.

Artists: Maxfield Parrish

Maxfield Parrish "Enchanted Prince"

"The hard part is how to plan a picture so as to give to others what has happened to you. To render in paint an experience, to suggest the sense of light and color, of air and space." -Maxfield Parrish

Artwork: Richard Bledsoe

Richard Bledsoe "Re-entry" acrylic on canvas 24" x 30"