Calder Kamin & Dmitri Koustov: RUBBISH RHAPSODY

May 14 - July 02,2022

From Anya Tish Gallery: "Anya Tish Gallery is thrilled to present Rubbish Rhapsody, a two-person exhibition featuring intricately crafted sculptures by Calder Kamin and Dmitri Koustov’s chromatically dynamic abstractions. Kamin’s critters, scurrying throughout the gallery, paired with Koustov’s bombastic colors dancing along the walls, create a captivating experience for the viewer, while simultaneously addressing our increasingly complex and fragile relationship with the natural world. Ground-breaking Austin artist, Calder Kamin, transforms found materials into mesmerizing creatures such as: foxes, bears, wolves, deer, critters. She hand-cuts, weaves, glues, and crochets a myriad of discarded plastics (straws, spoons, bottle caps, etc.) creating a recycled environment of “fake nature”. Her “subjects” are animals that actually thrive in a human world, particularly urban dwellers, who eat the food we leave behind as trash: “I scavenge for my materials, just as those animals do.” The artist's intent is to not only bring awareness to the overabundance of waste in the world but also to inspire the individual to think more consciously about their use of plastic/recycling and their relationship to these urban creatures. By making the art accessible and attractive, she reaches an audience of all ages giving them courage to create a brighter and cleaner future. Texas-based, Russian-born, painter and sculptor, Dmitri Koustov’s creative output was drastically affected upon his arrival to Texas. The artist discovered an abundance of inspiration from his new surroundings: vast open spaces, sunny, blue skies, and lush vegetation; he started utilizing radiant hues, encouraging works filled with gestural patterns of captivating surfaces. This lyricism finds expression in abstract compositions where luminosity is derived from the interplay of light and the layering of hues. The artist allows the observer to imagine and identify shapes through their own personal anamnesis, similarly to that of a Rorschach test, by painting flat from a vantage point of view and not defining the orientation of the painting. Through his unique technique, Koustov creates compositions riddled with movement and texture, orchestrating a symphony of intoxicating colors and textures that emphasize the distinctive character of Texas terrain, climate, and sunlight. About the Artists: Artist, advocate, and educator, Calder Kamin, holds a double BFA in Ceramics and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri. Kamin’s creative reuse art projects have traveled to museums across the states, including The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art American, Bentonville, Arkansas; The American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York; The i.d.e.a. Museum, Mesa, Arizona, and the Galveston Arts Center, Galveston, Texas. Plastic Planet, her 2016 solo exhibition at Women & Their Work, Austin, Texas, was the subject of an episode for the PBS series Arts In Context. Kamin recently partnered with Disney to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Little Mermaid to inspire their audiences to transform trash into art. She sculpted a portrait of Ariel and appeared in two promotional commercials on the Disney Channel. The artist has been invited to participate in a variety of artist residencies, such as: Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City, Utah; San Antonio’s Children’s Museum, San Antonio, Texas; Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, amongst others. Dmitri Koustov came to Texas in 2000 after receiving his BFA in Art Design, Painting and Drawing from Ivanovo Art Institute, Ivanovo, Russia in 1987. His work has been shown globally and can be found in various collections throughout the United States and Europe. Koustov has completed several commissioned works for public spaces, including Kingwood United Methodist Church, Kingwood, TX; Easterwood Airport, College Station, TX; the Arts Council of Brazos Valley, College Station, TX, among other institutions. Currently, the artist is a professor at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, teaching art and design and participating in workshops/presentations at Texas A&M Art Galleries; George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, College Station, Texas; Texas A&M University College of Architecture Research Symposiums, among other places."

On View: May 14, 2022 | 1-5 pm

Anya Tish Gallery 4411 Montrose
Houston, TX 77006
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