Work in progress: Alexandre Arrechea handmade paper pieces

Handmade paper components for forthcoming work by Alex Arrechea
Work continues in Magnolia's paper studio this week on a series of handmade paper works by Alexandre Arrechea.

Handmade paper components for forthcoming work by Alex Arrechea

Handmade paper components for forthcoming work by Alex Arrechea
The artist has devised a unique composition strategy for creating his trademark mask shapes, comprised of photographic imagery of the corners of Cuban buildings, using handmade paper created at Magnolia Editions' paper studio.

Handmade paper components for forthcoming work by Alex Arrechea
Handmade paper is formed in large custom shapes which are printed using UV acrylic ink and then 'floated' together within a frame to create a composite, collaged image with an unusual degree of dimensionality.

Handmade paper components for forthcoming work by Alex Arrechea

Snapshot of a completed Arrechea work, showing the layered "floating" collage approach
The results of Arrechea's experiments with Magnolia, as well as a survey of the artist's mask works, will be exhibited at Galeria Nara Roesler in New York City (opening February 20, 2019) and at New York City's Armory Show at Piers 92 & 94 in March.

Also check out the artist's colorful Instagram account for previews!


More art by Alex Arrechea from Magnolia Editions

Kiki Smith "Woodland" at Timothy Taylor Gallery

Kiki Smith tapestries installed at Timothy Taylor Gallery, London. Photo by Timothy Taylor Gallery
Timothy Taylor Gallery in London recently exhibited all of Kiki Smith's tapestry editions to date in a show titled "Woodland."

Kiki Smith tapestries installed at Timothy Taylor Gallery, London. Photo by Timothy Taylor Gallery
The tapestries are published by Magnolia Editions in limited editions of ten; each measures nearly ten feet in height. Two bands of textural imagery run along the top and bottom of each tapestry, suggesting the natural realms of sky and underground – a compositional device borrowed from the medieval Apocalypse Tapestry, a major influence on Smith's woven editions.

Kiki Smith tapestries installed at Timothy Taylor Gallery, London. Photo by Timothy Taylor Gallery

Kiki Smith tapestries installed at Timothy Taylor Gallery, London. Photo by Timothy Taylor Gallery
The gallery writes:

"Produced in collaboration with Magnolia Editions, the tapestries are rich with allegory, conflating Smith’s confrontation of subjects such as identity, mortality and women’s liberation with visual metaphors in the form of mystical creatures and nude human forms."

Kiki Smith tapestries installed at Timothy Taylor Gallery, London. Photo by Timothy Taylor Gallery
Please stay tuned for a forthcoming catalog, coming soon from Magnolia Editions, collecting Smith's tapestries and featuring an in-depth interview with the artist.

For now, check out this interview Vogue Magazine conducted with Smith about her tapestries on the occasion of their exhibition in "Woodland."

Kiki Smith tapestries installed at Timothy Taylor Gallery, London. Photo by Timothy Taylor Gallery

Kiki Smith tapestries installed at Timothy Taylor Gallery, London. Photo by Timothy Taylor Gallery

Kiki Smith tapestries installed at Timothy Taylor Gallery, London. Photo by Timothy Taylor Gallery
More art by Kiki Smith from Magnolia Editions

'Magnifying Magnolia and Mildred,' April 19th in Richmond

Mildred Howard - The Other Side of the Coin, 2014
Pigmented inkjet and acrylic on Awagami Japanese paper, 30 x 22 in. Edition varié of 10
On Sunday April 19th, 2015, join Magnolia director Donald Farnsworth and artist Mildred Howard from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm at the Richmond Art Center for a special conversation: "Magnifying Magnolia and Mildred."

Presented as Howard's terrific exhibition "Spirit and Matter" hangs in the gallery, this discussion will touch on the ideas and techniques that Howard and Farnsworth have drawn upon in developing print editions like Howard's 2014 The Other Side of the Coin series.

Even poker-faced San Francisco Chronicle critic Kenneth Baker was moved by the powerful and elegantly curated body of work on view at Richmond Art Center.

In today's review of "Spirit and Matter," Baker muses: "Racial politics and Dadaist feminism filtered through modern art legend in a key of worldly-wise humor — who but Howard could do that?"

Thoughtful and urgently topical, Baker's review of Howard's show is well worth reading in full.

Also keep an eye open for Howard's new permanent installation at SF General Hospital's Urgent Care Center, a monumental, layered landscape printed on glass through the wizardry of Magnolia Editions and the glass experts at Lenehan Architectural Glass (pictures below courtesy of Dorothy Lenehan):

A new permanent installation by Mildred Howard at San Francisco General Hospital, printed at Magnolia Editions; photo courtesy of Lenehan Architectural Glass.

A new permanent installation by Mildred Howard at San Francisco General Hospital, printed at Magnolia Editions; photo courtesy of Lenehan Architectural Glass.

A new permanent installation by Mildred Howard at San Francisco General Hospital, printed at Magnolia Editions; photo courtesy of Lenehan Architectural Glass.

A new permanent installation by Mildred Howard at San Francisco General Hospital, printed at Magnolia Editions; photo courtesy of Lenehan Architectural Glass.

A new permanent installation by Mildred Howard at San Francisco General Hospital, printed at Magnolia Editions; photo courtesy of Lenehan Architectural Glass.