COMMUNION and LAMENT

Reader's Art ends April 15TH. Call for an appointment. COMMUNION by Jon Coffelt opens with lots of events April 18. Stay Tuned for details. Meanwhile, preview the waxing and waning shows below.

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This large gingham pattern blouse is a early piece from Lily Pulitzer. It is so typical of its time with its loose fit to be used as a coverup as much as a blouse. It was bought in 1956 when Jon's mom was only seven years old.
1996

LAMENT by John J. Hensel
Beautifully drawn, Hensel developed a difficult, thought provoking story of survival. What would you do to survive? And how would you process the moral questions presented by the situation? The character in this tale must consider those questions.

And tonight''s post is...

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With it’s pointed collar and placket front, this garment also has long cuffed sleeves with a straight hemline. Originally made in 1986, this fabric is an excellent example of a 1980’s surface screen print made of 100% cotton. The original garment seemed to be oversize but was typical of the looser clothing of the time.This fabric may still be available but usually used in quilting.
1995 By Jon Coffelt, coming to Minneapolis is April.


Green Scriptory by Ellen Wiener, currently showing in Reader's Art 9. Ellen's work is an extraordinary addition to the show.

Jon Coffelt's perfect impossible clothes

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This is from one of Jon'sgreat aunts. It is a pajama top made of a poly cotton rayon blend and would have kept her warm on a winters night. Notice the large rounded collar and how the sleeves are wider and more open as to enable much movement of the wearer.
1999

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One of Jon's very first commissions was for Gerda Carmichael and she was married in this short version of a sari in India. This garment was very worn and frayed and I was so afraid to cut into it at first. This is one of the pieces that he began to realize could effect people is such a myriad of ways. She cried upon seeing it for the first time and she told Jon she pictured her wedding day back in 1935. Her husband passed in the 1980’s.
1994

John Akre's Perfect Impossible Book

John Akre is a local filmmaker who made the Perfect Impossible Book, on view at Susan Hensel Gallery during Reader's Art9. These 4 stills just give you a taste of the frenetic goofiness as people tell the camera what their perfect impossible book would be. The use of text, while seizure enhancing, is brilliant!

Newsletter available in pdf form

The Susan Hensel Gallery emails out a newsletter on no schedule in particular. I seem to write one when the news reaches a critical mass: That time is now! If you want to receive the newsletter before anyone else, get on the email list. Otherwise, click here to download the newletter in pdf. form.

Miniatures and more miniatures

Another miniature book with money issues:
36 Ways to Lose Money by Anne Alexander.

And now, more previews of COMMUNION by Jon Coffelt
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This is the chronological first piece Jon did for Shawn after he wore the shirt almost completely out. Jon decided to miniaturize this 100% linen original as a keepsake for him. If you get to notice, on the back is the actual front pocket of the original shirt. Jon no longer leaves complete parts intact but does continue to utilize existing hemlines and other parts like the points of collars and significant detailing as much as possible.
1993

By the way, you can now download a Susan Hensel Gallery brochure in pdf form.

An Early Shirt

Reader's Art continues to have visitors. Tara O'Brien's bookis especially popular right now, what with all the economic news! My response is,"Who knew fine binding could be made so small?" It even have leather doublures!

In other news, I just learned Friday, that Jon Coffelt will be coming out from New York for the opening of Communion, barring family emergencies .
Today we begin showing you a few of the miniatures that Jon Coffelt will be bringing here in April.17
Interestingly, Jon Coffelt was able to see the selvage on this particular original and found out that it was made in 1952. He actually made two shirts from this garment. The other has long sleeves for whatever reason. Both are 100% screen-printed cotton. This example has a button-down collar.
1997

Plan ahead!

Opening April 18. Stories will be told! Jon Coffelt does far more than make tiny clothing. He tells stories. The title Communion encapsulates the collaborative process between Jon and the person commissioning the piece of clothing, melding clothing with memory. Communion also expresses the sense of the community that is generated by seeing all the pieces displayed at the same time. "Each piece represents a person. Many of those people have passed, and so the piece of clothing is a fragment. The pieces are just fragments of ourselves—people that we may have been at one time, or will be at some point."

A new show for September and April news

Andrea Miller will be presenting an installation based on a performance enititled HOW TO BUILD AN IGLOO. She and I met last Friday to nail down the dates. We had originally scheduled her for sometime in May, but real life intervened for both of us and we could not find an appropriate date. So...watch this space for details. Right now the reception for the installation is set for September 18.
the week following the opening of COMMUNION, Susan Hensel Gallery will be partnering with the new-to-our-street Van Brabson Gallery to present a papermaking weekend, April 11 &12. Bonnie Brabson will be handling the details...more info to follow.

Reader's Art gets reviewed

Many thanks to Susannah Schouweiler for a good review on MinnPost.com. http://www.minnpost.com/artsarena/2009/03/11/7292/readers%E2%80%99_art_show_

It is cold today in a way that only Minneapolis can be in March! The front windows are frosted up to the very top. We began yesterday with rain and very wet snow. By this morning, it was below zero again and all that humidity froze on the windows. When the sun hits the windows this afternoon, we may be able to see the artwork in the windows again!

Meanwhile, Zach sent over his picture of the early moments of the opening and a couple very nice shots of the show.

Reader's Art 9 opened with Reading

The white gloves were donned and the intense readers arrived. I've never had such a quiet opening...as in so little talking! They were reading deeply. There will surely be more pictures on Monday when Zach downloads his camera. Zach, my Monday salvation, does a better job of photographing the openings than I. These were the only photos I remembered to shoot. I get so caught up with the clients that I forget about my camera. I'll be interested to see what he caught on "film." He had to run out and manage an opening as a favor for ArtSpace at Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church.

Reader's ARt 9 opens tonight

Reader's Art 9 opens tonight. Here you can see most of the show as it is set up.



Collage by Kate Van Cleve, Minneapolis
The Way to Be Empty by Sun Young Kang,Pittsburg, PA
Nature's Details by Jill Timm, Wenatchee, WABlue History by Ellen Wiener, Southold, NYPast Matters by Judith Westergard, Minneapolis, MN

Reader's Art previews

Miniature History of Buttons by Maryann Riker, NJ
Haunted Spaces by Maddy Rosenberg, NY

Reader's Art 9 previews

Ah, The Red, The Gold by Johanne Renbeck

Pocket Books by Riki Kölbl Nelson

Setting up Reader's Art9

Small, smaller, smallest? It is more than 80 books and not all of them have arrived, yet. Deliveries have been severely delayed, no matter the service...USPS,UPS,FedEx. So, artists out there, BEWARE! When first class takes 8 days, we must ship way earlier than we have had to in the past. The gallery is not exactly large, but it might as well be the size of a cathedral! The tiny books are dwarfed by the space. I will be arranging and rearranging as the lingering books arrive.

Zach got the windows done yesterday after we stripped the gallery of his show, filled the holes,painted every wall and replaced light bulbs.

Messes happen before order is restored.

previews, again

Four Dollar Book by Tara O'Brien, PA
Some Specimens by Jody Williams, MN