Historical Summer 2012 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
I. Tim Smith and His Work The gallery/studio at Four Corners now owned by Andy Cross was the site of an opening of a neighbor’s work on Friday, April 13. Tim Smith, a longtime resident on 61xx Westminster Pl. filled the walls of the studio with a variety of works.
There were line drawings and other compositions and a number of striking photogrraphs. Smith is known to some as the caricaturist holding court at Westminster block parties.
On this evening, a number of neighbors, family and friends as well as art lovers in general filled the studio and enjoyed the assembled work. Particularly striking to this writer were two photographs– Three Deer and Pont De Neuf.
The photo shows the right bank of the Seine and was taken from one of the baton mouche that ply the river, filled with tourists.
The reflection of sunlight makes the work special. II. “The Art of the Sign” and Bill Christman Bill Christman has long had a studio at 6014 Kingsbury.
In years past, visitiors could note a number of signs, often crafted by Bill. Using the Ars Populi gallery one door to the east, Bill and his fellow curator, Greg Rhomberg, have installed a fascinating assemblage of many different kinds of signs.
The opening night for this exhibition was also April 13 and many, many people made their way to Four Corners to see this special installation. Christman says this exhibit represents the golden age of American sign making.
The oldest sign ere is Visitation from 1880. Signs in the exhibit date from before the coming of computerization in the 1970s. Prominent in the exhibit is a fiberglass rendering of Sir John Falstaff, made to promote the beer of the same name. About lifesize, it is the only one known still to exist.
There are a number of one-of-akind signs on display. Christman has also produced “Signpainter’s Scrapbook.” This work represents 40 years of taking pictures of old signs.
It has his favorite 900 pictures from a collection of 6000.
This book is available for purchase when the galllery is open–every Thursday evening from 7-10pm and Saturday and Sunday from 1-5pm through June.
This exhibits surely demonstrates that signs are an art form that we should experience and remember.
Original photograph caption
Visitors at Tim Smith gallery opening. Descriptive caption supplied; individuals not separately captioned.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, Summer 2012.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2012_06.pdf, printed page(s) 7; PDF page(s) 7.
