The Lucore Gallery, Montauk, shows Charles Waller til April 25th

F I N A L      W E E K E N D

P R E S E N T S Charles Waller's COMPLETE BRIDAL SUITE

& Other Ingenious Assemblages 10am-5pm Through April 5th, 2023    @ The Lucore Art Gallery Montauk, NY

& Other Ingenious Assemblages A look into the legacy of Charles Waller’s creative mind. A unique opportunity to view “The Complete Bridal Suite” not seen since it’s debut in 2004. The “Bridal Suite” collection is the marriage of vintage victorian wedding dresses and antique found objects. Creating a series of indelible images that are thought provoking while dispelling popular notions of purity, virginity and delicacy associated with bridal decorum. The works effectively communicate the magnitude and frailty of matrimony in true Waller form. The remaining body of work illustrates Charles Waller signature wit often enhanced by his exquisite draftsmanship. Playfully satiric and skillfully crafted. This show is a true retrospective with more than 20 works on display, It will take your breath away.

“ I call it sarcastic folk art, you can’t call it folk art because it’s not cute. Sarcasm plays a real big part in my work. I think humor is the best way to make a point”                                                                                - Charles Waller

POSITIVE IMPACT

It is my hope, the proceeds from this exhibit will create a positive impact for many great non-profits from the untimely and tragic death of Charles Waller.                                                                                          -Geralyne Lewandowski.

All net proceeds derived from the sale of art will be donated to  The Montauk Artists Association. Any individual who purchases a piece of art may also nominate an additional non profit of their choice. EXPLORE MONTAUK THIS WEEKEND

The following organizations have already received donations: Ellen Hermanson Foundation • Maureen's Haven • Wings over Haiti East End Hospice • Parrot Rescue NY

A very special thanks to Christopher Lucore of Lucore Art  for making this event possible.

87 South Euclid Avenue Montauk, NY 11954 (217) 341-9344  10-5pm daily Through April 5th, 2023  SHOW DATES: MARCH 18th to APRIL 5th #thelucoregallery#fieartmagazine#fineartfun

AS a fan of Flat File Fridays at the Morgan Lehman Gallery!!!

FLAT FILE FRIDAY New artworks from Morgan Lehman's flat files in your inbox every Friday morning Paolo Arao Peach Kiss, 2020 Sewn cotton, canvas 16h x 20w in 40.64h x 50.80w cm $ 3,500 Click here to inquire Paolo Arao is a Filipino-American artist working with textiles. He received his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Arao has presented solo exhibitions at the Columbus Museum (Columbus, GA); Morgan Lehman Gallery (New York, NY); David B. Smith Gallery (Denver, CO); and Western Exhibitions (Chicago, IL); among others. Residencies include MacDowell (Peterborough, NH); Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts (Omaha, NE); The Museum of Arts and Design (New York, NY); the Millay Colony (Austerlitz, NY); the Studios at MASS MoCA (North Adams, MA); Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT); Lower East Side Printshop Keyholder Residency (New York, NY); NARS Foundation (Brooklyn, NY); Wassaic Project (Wassaic, NY); BRIC Workspace (Brooklyn, NY); Atlantic Center for the Arts ( New Smyrna Beach, Florida); and the Fire Island Artist Residency (Long Island, NY). He is a 2021 recipient of an Artist Fellowship from The New York Foundation for the Arts. Arao’s work has been published in New American Paintings, Maake Magazine, Artmaze, Dovetail, Harper’s Magazine, and Esopus. Paolo Arao is a 2021 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Painting from The New York Foundation for the Arts. He lives and works in West Shokan and Brooklyn, NY. www.morganlehmangallery.com | 212-268-6699 | Gallery open by appointment in August  ‌  ‌  ‌ #morganlehmangallery#fineratmagazine#fneartfun

Iranian Artist’s Exhibition Responds to Oppression & Denial of Rights, with Freedom of Expression and a Call for Awareness

“Outcast”, Pencil on paper, 2023 The works of Raoof Haghighi, who was raised in a family of 8 artists under authoritarian regime in Shiraz, Iran, convey his belief in the importance of truth for the future of his nation, particularly the freedom of Iranian women. Raoof’s mid-April London exhibition, “Painting is Like Breathing for Me” explores his poetic, no-holds-barred response to the restrictions and domination of his fellow nationals and barbaric treatment of women. After experiencing decades of denied free-speech, his drawings respond by communicating as freely as possible, focussing on banned subjects. By expressing what those still in Iran are prevented from saying, Raoof’s works have become a beacon of the Persian tradition of poets, artists and philosophers.

“Woman, Life, Freedom”, Pencil on paper, 2023 Since the Iranian government’s September ’22 ban of Instagram, where Raoof has 223,000 followers, he doubled down: Raoof dedicated his portrait of a tattooed woman toying with her hijab at the Royal Institute of Portrait Painters to “all the brave women in Iran who are currently fighting for their freedom”, painted a portrait of actress and activist Golshifteh Farahani, hashtagged a drawing of a woman’s loose hair turning to wings with #MahsaAmini, the woman who died in suspicious circumstances after being jailed for not covering her hair.

Raoof also added to his “Adam & Eve” series, exposing the hypocrisy of forced veils:

“Adam and Eve”, Pencil on paper, 2022 The exhibition’s window-piece, titled “Just Take Them and Leave Me Alone” touched on the most raw-nerve at the centre of the Iranian Women’s Rights movement. It depicts a surreal image of a woman who, as her breasts and groin have been removed, is left free from the abusive constraints or demands placed on her because of the male response to those parts of her body. This drawing went viral, being shared 40k+ times on Facebook and getting 36k+ likes on Instagram. It was placed on the front cover of Reddit where it received 2.6k comments such as “This is haunting. Thinking the other night how I wanted to walk somewhere, but then changed my mind because we’ve had a lot of sexual assault in the area recently” and “Being reduced on your superficial sexual characteristics is sad, you are more than just appearance of skin, muscles and forms of your body”.

“Just Take Them and Leave Me Alone”, Pencil on paper, 2022 Raoof’s uncompromising attention to expressing his truth and its often cathartic effect on others, is testament to what we miss when the right to speech is taken away. Through Raoof Haghighi’s dedication to confronting the constraints and hostility of present reality, he hopes awareness will spread from his paintings, and perhaps some more of us may be able to breathe. Request image use or to interview Raoof Haghighi by emailing: fraser@agallery.uk Exhibition: “Painting is Like Breathing for Me” Artist: Raoof Haghighi Date: 6 – 15 April, 2023 Gallery: A Gallery Location: 2 Motcomb St, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 8JU  Web: www.agallery.uk