Jeremy McKane

New Photographs and Video Installation

Opening Reception May 12, 2012, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Exhibition dates:  May 12 – June 16, 2012

Cohn Drennan Contemporary presents the latest series of photographs and video installation by Dallas photographer Jeremy McKane.  Dallas is well acquainted with Jeremy’s body of commercial and fashion photography, and he was instrumental in developing the collection of Dallas art for the Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel, working directly with all of the artists associated with the endeavor.  And now with the Omni project completed, Jeremy has been devoting his energies to present the latest in his series of underwater photographs.

Jeremy’s collection of underwater photographs has evolved over the years from a culmination of earlier tests to create contemporary baroque imagery, to reflecting the reciprocal influences of art and fashion photography.  The cooperative contributions of designers, stylists, models and photographers required for successful fashion campaigns is noticeably altered when water is brought in as a creative element and partner in the process.  Water is as unpredictable as the people involved.

When Jeremy is underwater in a weightless environment, the orientation of the subject often gets confused.  “It is a challenge to simulate how amazing it is to see this unfold before my eyes,” says the artist.  “Since you cannot be in the water with me I do my best to disorient your perspective so that you look at it over and over to try to determine what you are looking at.”   Sometimes the best way to see what he sees is for him to flip the image which causes the viewer to question which way is up, or down, and to be drawn in to the process of positioning the image.  The utilization of similar techniques will be incorporated in the photography and video installation at the gallery in order to enhance the viewers’ perceptions and experiences with Jeremy’s body of underwater work.

For more information about Jeremy McKane or for more information about Cohn Drennan Contemporary, please go to   www.cohndrennancontemporary.com or call 214.708.8051 or e-mail cohn@cohndrennancontemporary.com.  The gallery is located at 1107 Dragon, Dallas, TX and hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Summer 2012 Group Exhibition

Michelle Brandley, M. Kate Helmes, Joshua King and Drew Merritt

Opening Reception June 23, 2012, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Exhibition dates:  June 23 – July 28, 2012

Cohn Drennan Contemporary brings together four artists to mark the 2012 edition of the gallery’s Summer Group Exhibition, the annual presentation of new artists who have not exhibited at the gallery.  Michelle Brandley is a recent MFA graduate from TCU whose paintings address self-image and physical acceptance in a celebrity driven culture.  M. Kate Helmes is also a recent MFA graduate, from UTA, examining questions of identity and human connection/disconnection through clothing sculpture and installations.  UNT graduate Joshua King uproots banal objects and imagery from the everyday to re-work them with elegant, modern formal gestures, while Drew Merritt’s paintings present contemporary allegories of life and lives around him, imbuing his subjects with a deep empathy for the audiences that engage his paintings.

Michelle Brandley, Trunks are for Elephants, 2012, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches

Michelle Brandley grew up in Glendale, Arizona.  She attended California State University in Fullerton, California and Hope International University where she received her BA in art.  She moved to Fort Worth in 2006 and began participating in classes at Tarrant County College, moving to the TCU graduate parogram and participating with the DFW art community.

M. Kate Helmes received her BFA in fine art photography at Northern Kentucky University in 2009.  During her time there her work was exhibited at several galleries including a film screening at The Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati and a solo show at The Carnegie Arts Center in Covington, KY.  She is currently living and working in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area where she has participated in site specific-installation events such as Sustenance and Living Amongst Others.  Since moving to the DFW area her work has been shown at The Kessler Theater, 500X Gallery, TWU Gallery and at Culture Candy’s annual wearable art show Uncommon Thread.  Her work has also been reviewed in Art Lies and D-Magazine.

M. Kate Helmes, 2012, fabric installation

Joshua King is a visual artist, photographer and curator who transferred to Dallas from Lubbock. King made a strong entrance into the Dallas art community as one of the founders and organizers of 2011 Aurora, the largest art, light and sound exhibition to be presented in the Dallas Arts District.  “Everything has an energy to it and a life cycle,” says King. “It evolves aesthetically from the infancy of a piece, to its maturity when it is at the gallery.  I see my work as being rooted in society, and the biodiversity of our earth.”

Drew Merritt, Eviction from Eden, mixed medium on canvas, 64 x 99 inches

LA resident Drew Merritt aspires to earn the title of artist, and he works hard to convey a broad spectrum of feelings.  Feelings like loneliness, vanity, and even contentment. His paintings pave a highway into the emotional world by creating empathy in the viewer.  The use of vivid colors, and his approximate graphic style, creates a visual biography around the subject, showing who they are, and where they’ve been.  His evolving body of work utilizes a vast array of mediums and textures, while putting classic subjects in a contemporary setting.

For more information about the Summer 2012 Group Exhibition or for more information about Cohn Drennan Contemporary, please go to   www.cohndrennancontemporary.com or call 214.708.8051 or e-mail cohn@cohndrennancontemporary.com.  The gallery is located at 1107 Dragon, Dallas, TX and hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Gallery A

E I R

Student Work from Abilene Christian University                               

Opening Reception May 3, 2012, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Exhibition dates:  May 3 - 26, 2012

E  I  R  is a selection of student work from Abilene Christian University (ACU), Art Department’s Professional Practices course.  The eight artists represented in this exhibition are Morgan Hallmark, Jay Hendrick, Kimmy McNiece, Stacy Olsen, Anna Pinson, Leah Rama, Lauren St. John and Katie Stumbo.  This exhibition is the first in a series of gallery collaborations with university students and professors to advance the development of the next generation of artists and art professionals. 

The Art program at ACU encourages and sponsors study abroad programs for all students. Members from this group have studied in France, Ireland, Italy and the UK, bringing with them a broad perspective of insights and experiences. Please join us at Gallery A to support this educational initiative and the students who have participated.

For more information about E  I  R, Student Work from Abilene Christian University or for more information about Cohn Drennan Contemporary, please go to   www.cohndrennancontemporary.com or call 214.708.8051 or e-mail cohn@cohndrennancontemporary.com.   The gallery is located at 1107 Dragon, Dallas, TX and hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Gallery A at Cohn Drennan Contemporary

Rusty Ayrton Chapman, Erecting Monuments to the Gods

Opening Reception June 23, 2012, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Exhibition dates:  June 23 – July 28, 2012

Rusty Ayrton Chapman will screen her video, Erecting Monuments to the Gods, in Gallery A at Cohn Drennan Contemporary.  The video is a narrative about two warring aliens factions seeking power and raw materials.  The artist is a recent recipient of the 2012 Clare Hart DeGolyer Memorial Fund Award presented by the Dallas Museum of Art. 

Her innovative stop-motion videos explore issues concerning the consumption of beauty and perfection.  By removing objects from their original context, she creates works that question the status and functionality of the objects.  With the DeGolyer Award funds, Chapman will build a tabletop city out of meat and other food products and photograph the “city” to create a virtual Google-Earth style interactive map.  Chapman received her B.F.A. in Photography from the University of North Texas in 2011.  Currently, she is an independent artist in Denton.

For more information about Rusty Ayrton Chapman or for more information about Cohn Drennan Contemporary, please go to   www.cohndrennancontemporary.com or call 214.708.8051 or e-mail cohn@cohndrennancontemporary.com.  The gallery is located at 1107 Dragon, Dallas, TX and hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.