Flower Power in Full Bloom at Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery
Attention former and future Flower Children: the Age of Aquarius is
more than a musical relic from days of yore; indeed, it is a movement that is
as relevant today as it was in 1965 when Beat Poet, Allen Ginsberg advocated
using “masses of flowers” as weapons of peaceful protest to be handed out to
policemen, the press and spectators. He called his action plan “Flower Power,”
and an entire subculture based on Art, Peace, Love, and Rock and Roll was born.
In the first Jerome
Artists Cooperative Gallery exhibition of the new year, JAC artists Christy
Fisher and Christine Ryback invite all peaceniks (and everyone else) to revisit
the time of the Flower Children as they pay homage in their art to the ideals
of the time.
The “Flower Power,” exhibition opens on
January 3rd in conjunction with the First Saturday Art Walk of 2015 and will
run through March 4th. Opening
night hours are 5-8 pm. Refreshments will be served, and the house will be
rockin’!
Providing entertainment
for the evening will be the very popular music duo, The Black Forest Society.
William Schwab and Dave Rentz bring a unique original music experience of vocal
and instrumental storytelling which they describe as “musical Soul Food.”
Christy
Fisher – designer seamstress and jewelry maker for some of the most beloved Rock
and Roll icons of the 60’s and 70’s will showcase her popular clothing and
jewelry designs inspired by the avante-garde /psychedelic art, symbolism and
Rock N Roll stylings of the times. She dressed musicians Eric Clapton, Jimi
Hendrix and Frank Zappa, has designed a line of knitwear for Macy’s and created
jewelry for the Smithsonian and Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Using the rich vivid colors inherent in the art of the late 60’s, Christy
draws from such artistic influences as Heinz Edelmann (art director for Yellow
Submarine), Milton Glaser, Peter Max and Dr. Seuss.
“I
believe there are three things that will never go out of style: Peace, Love and
Music; those were the backbone of the Flower Power movement…but things have
been brought into the 21st century. This is Flower Power 2.0,” says Christy.
“You will see dresses inspired by bumper stickers and digitally
engineered fabric prints using pop festival poster illustrations and photographs.
My new jewelry designs explode in rainbow colors using titanium coated crystals
and colorful recycled glass.”
For Christine Ryback, Art and Peace come from her love of the natural
world. On the opposite coast from the birthplace of Flower Power and following
many years as a drapery/window treatment alteration seamstress, Chris took
advantage of the diverse New Jersey flora surrounding her, and, before
relocating to Arizona, began casting leaves in concrete.
“My love of nature gets me outdoors and I am always on the lookout for
leaves to cast. Each finished piece shows all the veins and markings of the
real leaf, so each one is unique.”
Chris recently completed several very large hanging pieces, including a
huge flower – a special nod to the Flower Power theme. The artist continues to
add new works to her collection and in the exhibition, she will be showing her latest
addition, wearable ‘minis’ fashion and hat pins. “I also have a few 3-D pieces
–something new in my collection, and a new birdbath as well as another
surprise. Come to the show and see!”
