This Blog is on hold through F 2012.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Spaces You Should Know
ARTIST ORGANIZATIONS//COLLECTIVES
**this is an open post-Please feel free to add for your Peers**
VOX POPULI
319 North 11th Street, Philadelphia (3rd floor)
http://www.voxpopuligallery.org/
Founded in 1988, Vox Populi is an artist collective that works to support the challenging and experimental work of under-represented artists with monthly exhibitions, gallery talks, performances, lectures, and related programming. For over 20 years, Vox has played a unique role in the cultural life of Philadelphia by bringing our audience a diverse range of programming and providing a supportive environment in which artists can take risks and gain valuable professional experience.
***Also Check out Copy Gallery (http://www.copygallery.org/), AHN VHS (http://ahnvhs.com), and Tiger Strikes Asteroid (http://www.tigerstrikesasteroid.com/), Progressive Sharing (http://progressivesharing.com/) and Marginal Utility (http://www.marginalutility.org/)… all at 319 North 11th Street
________________________________________
SPACE 1026
1614 Latimer Street, Philadelphia
http://www.printcenter.org/
Space 1026 has been a 7 year experiment. It has developed from a handful of founders to dozens of co-conspirators. Together we are becoming Space 1026. Space 1026 is a common excitement for making, producing and creating, not for some outside world of aficionados, but for each other, for our own kind. Space 1026 is two floors of a building at 11th and Arch. That‘s in Philadelphia. It is a network of dozens of artists who‘ve had studios at the Space, past and present. It is dozens of artists who‘ve had shows at the Space over the last 7 years. It is dozens of artists who come to our events, and participate in our community. Space 1026 is a community - a creative community - not an institution.
________________________________________
Crane Arts Building
1400 N. American St., Philadelphia
**The Crane Arts building is home to other galleries including the giant Ice Box (http://www.cranearts.com/)
________________________________________
Fabric Workshop and Museum
1214 Arch Street, Philadelphia
http://www.fabricworkshop.org/
The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) is the only non-profit arts organization in the United States devoted to creating new work in new materials and new media in collaboration with emerging, nationally, and internationally recognized artists.
________________________________________
Flux Space
3000 N. Hope Street, Philadelphia
http://www.thefluxspace.org/
FLUXspace developed alongside the growth of the artistic community at Art Making Machine Studios. The founding artists saw a need and opportunity to provide a service—in addition to affordable studio space and facilities—to the art community of Philadelphia. Since its inception, the mission of FLUXspace has been to provide a venue for experimental and groundbreaking work that might not find a site elsewhere in the city. Founded in February 2007, FLUXspace has endeavored to support innovative, bold, and thought-provoking exhibitions and projects.
________________________________________
Philadelphia Institute of Advanced Study
1712 North Second Street, Philadelphia
http://www.pifas.net
Don't be fooled by their 90's-esque website. Click the About tab and watch the magic.
GALLERIES
Bridgette Mayer Gallery
709 Walnut Street
http://www.bridgettemayergallery.com
Locks Gallery
600 Washington Square South
http://www.locksgallery.com/
Fleisher Ollman Gallery
1616 Walnut, Suite 100
http://fleisher-ollmangallery.com
Larry Becker Contemporary Art
43 N. Second Street Philadelphia 19106
LGTripp Gallery
47-49 N. 2nd Street
http://www.lgtrippgallery.com
Pentimenti Galleryhttp://www.pentimenti.com/
Seraphin Gallery
1108 Pine Street
http://seraphin.squarespace.com
My House Gallery
2534 S. 8th street, Philadelphia
http://myhousegallery.wordpress.com
PAGEANT SOLOVEEV
607 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia
http://www.pageantsoloveev.com
Bambi
1001-13 N. Second Street, Philadelphia
http://www.bambiproject.com
Little Berlin
119 West Montgomery, Philadelphia
http://littleberlin.org/
Rebeckah Templeton
173 West Girard Ave., Philadelphia
http://www.rebekahtempleton.com/
Extra Extra
2222 Sepviva Street, Philadelphia
http://www.eexxttrraa.com
Tiger Strikes Asteriod
http://www.tigerstrikesasteroid.com/
Part Time Studios
2031 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia
http://parttimestudios.com
Piranha Bettys
2472 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia
http://www.piranhabettys.com/
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Oil Painting Solvent Comparison Chart (from Gamblin Paints)
Oil Painting Solvent Comparison Chart
| SOLVENT TYPE | Turpentine | Mineral Spirits | Odorless Mineral Spirits | Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits | Solvent Substitute | D-Limonene |
| TRADE NAME | double rectified English Distilled | Various Hardware Store Brands | Turpenoid, Thin-ex & others | Gamsol | Turpenoid Natural | |
| BASE | Pine | Petroleum | Petroleum | Petroleum | Not Disclosed | Citrus Peal |
| EVAPORATION RATE | Fast | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Very Slow | Fast |
| HARMFUL VAPORS | Yes | Yes | Moderate | Moderate | Not Disclosed | Yes |
| PEL (Permissible Exposure Level) | 100 | 100-200 | 200 | 300 | N/A | 30 |
| ABSORBED THROUGH HEALTHY SKIN | Yes | No | No | No | N/A | Yes |
| FLASH POINT | 90ºF | 104ºF | 125ºF | 145ºF | N/A | 116ºF |
| KB VALUE (Solvent Power) | 56 | 36 | 28 | 28 | N/A | N/A |
| USES FOR SOLVENTS | ||||||
| DILUTING PAINT | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| DISSOLVING ALKYD RESINS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| DISSOLVING NATURAL RESINS | Yes | Some | No | No | No | Yes |
| MAKING MEDIUMS | Yes | Yes (for mediums w/o Damar) | Yes (for mediums w/o Damar) | Yes (for mediums w/o Damar) | No | Yes |
| CLEANUP | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| COMMENTS: | Use with extra caution due to high evaporation rate and low PEL. Turpentine is absorbed through healthy, unbroken skin. | Cheapest form of petroleum distillate. Stronger solvent than odorless varieties. | More expensive than mineral spirit because harmful aromatic solvents have been removed. | Safest form of OMS, slower evaporation rate, and higher PEL. | Not a true solvent because less than half of it evaporates. Only suitable for clean up. | EXTREMELY LOW PEL. Regardless of pleasant odor, this solvent is suspected of being a liver and kidney toxicant. |
N/A = Information not available
Studio Safety (from Gamblin Paints)
Disclaimer: This is taken from Gamblin Paints, and therefore promotes Gamblin Artists Materials.
______________________________________________
GAMBLIN Studio Safety
Managing solvents is the key to studio safety. Oil painting studios are immediately safer when artists remove strong solvents, especially turpentine, from their painting processes.
Our goal is to advance oil painting by making oil colors with no or very low toxicity. We do not make paints that contain lead, arsenic or mercury. Because there are complete arrays of lightfast pigments available, we have no reason for making toxic paints. When we started to make oil painting mediums, we extended our philosophy of protecting our workers' health and our customers' health to making mediums. Because artists must use turpentine or other strong solvents to dissolve damar crystals, we decided not to base Gamblin painting mediums on natural resins. Odorless mineral spirit is not strong enough to dissolve natural resins or to extend natural resin varnishes. Using OMS will cause the varnish to cloud. Painters who choose to use natural resin varnish as a component of mediums must use turpentine.
Solvents in history.
Painters have been using turpentine for hundreds of years because it was commonly available. Pure 100% odorless mineral spirits (OMS) is an innovation of the late 20th century so it is no wonder that many painters are just beginning to understand how safe and available OMS is.
Too bad artists of 50 years ago did not know that before they created huge canvases of oil colors that were diluted with turpentine. It is not surprising that these artists experimented with, then later switched to water based media. Turpentine, a known respiratory irritant, has a fast evaporation rate and a low permissible exposure level. It causes nausea and lightheadedness, dermatitis, kidney and bladder disease, and asthma. Turpentine is the only solvent commonly available to painters that is absorbed through healthy, unbroken skin. Turpentine is toxic.
Rembrandt used no painting mediums. He did not need mediums because hand made paints are thin and very fluid. Since the 19th century and the invention of the three roll mill, oil colors have been made into stiff pastes. Using these luscious pastes lead to the dominance of direct painting in the 20th century. Painting mediums are used only to increase fluidity of oil colors when using this technique. Extending oil colors with only solvent can lead to failure of the paint film. Adding more than a small amount of linseed oil can increase the tendency of oil paint films to wrinkle. Recently more painters are interested in creating unusual surfaces and optical effects so there is more interest in different kinds of painting mediums.
Gamblin painting mediums are formulated for safety.
Once Robert Gamblin decided to formulate our painting mediums with 100% pure odorless mineral spirits, he chose alkyd resin to replace natural resins. First made in the early 1930's, alkyd resin is the polymerized oil of the 20th century. Like 19th century stand oil, alkyd resin is made by heating oil until it polymerizes. Alkyds have been formulated for use in artists' materials, most successfully as an oil painting medium because alkyd resin as a binder cannot hold the high pigment load of linseed oil.
Galkyd painting mediums speed the drying time of oil colors and increase their flexibility. Galkyds will not yellow over time. Galkyd painting mediums are formulated for different painting techniques. Galkyd is like a medium made from stand oil so use Galkyd to level brush strokes.
Galkyd Lite is like a linseed oil based medium so use Galkyd Lite for direct painting and techniques to leave brush marks.
Galkyd Slow Dry gives painters time to work wet into wet.
Galkyd Gel (G-Gel) creates transparent impasto. Most importantly using Galkyds means painters can remove turpentine entirely from their painting process.
Artists can now create huge canvases of oil colors diluted with Galkyds and Gamsol. Using Gamsol painters can work with pure odorless mineral spirits with a slow evaporation rate and a high permissible exposure level. See Gamsol MSDS.
Solvent alternatives.
We do not recommend painters use "alternative solvents" as ingredients in painting mediums. They are not 100% volatile and have not been tested by conservation scientists. Our Solvent Comparison Chart compares the properties and uses of several common solvents.
Once painters remove turpentine from their studios, good ventilation is the next issue. Good ventilation is essential for a safe studio. According to the recommendation of environmental hygienists, studio air should be changed ten times per hour. A certain percentage of this change is attained by natural diffusion through the building. Generally the older the building the greater the diffusion. The rest of the air exchange can be attained by opening the windows to increase diffusion and by inserting a fan in one window to blow air out. An excellent source of ventilation is a small box fan in a window. Robert Gamblin (in his studio) has blocked the window on both sides of the box fan so the air moves from his studio to the outside. The air moves between the painter and his painting table.
Painters who are using Gamsol and Galkyd do not need respirator masks or exhaust systems. Artists working in media requiring strong solvents or chemicals (printmaking or silk-screening for examples) or fixative sprays (pastels) should follow the recommendations of the manufacturers.
Recycling solvents
Gamsol can be reused until the solvent will not longer clear. Set up a simple system. After a painting session, pour dirty solvent into the first can. Let the solvent settle then pour off the clear solvent into the second clean can. Repeat the process and add another settling can if needed. Keep all settling cans completely closed. Once Gamsol will no longer settle, dispose with motor oil at a local recycling center.
Turpentine is toxic waste. Call the local recycling center for disposal instruction. Because Turpentine is a bio-hazard, DO NOT DUMP TURPENTINE INTO THE SOIL.
Sludge from recycling cans of OMS and artists' grade oil colors that do not have health warning labels on the packaging can be disposed of as normal household waste. Because linseed oil soaked rags can spontaneously combust, keep all rags, including paper towels, in closed metal containers.
To protect the watershed, no artists' materials, including acrylics, oil/water media and watercolors, should be washed down the drain.
Regarding toxic pigments, lead is the only toxic pigment still occasionally used in oil painting. As long as artists do not sand lead-based grounds or paints, the greatest risk to using lead-based paints (such as Flake White) or oil painting ground is quality. Lead pigments are no longer being made in Western Europe or North America. Currently, there are no reliable sources of pigment. Painters should not assume that they are buying genuine Flake White any more.
Do not sand lead-based paints because that releases the pigment from the binder. Dispose of solvent containing lead pigments with hazardous materials.
DO NOT DISPOSE OF LEAD-BASED PAINTS or SOLVENT CONTAINING LEAD PIGMENTS IN HOUSEHOLD TRASH.
Regarding other pigments and oil paints, the art materials' industry is the second most regulated industry in America. If you do not see caution labels, the materials are not toxic. For more information on health warning labels, contact the The Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI)
______________________________________________
GAMBLIN Studio Safety
Managing solvents is the key to studio safety. Oil painting studios are immediately safer when artists remove strong solvents, especially turpentine, from their painting processes.
Our goal is to advance oil painting by making oil colors with no or very low toxicity. We do not make paints that contain lead, arsenic or mercury. Because there are complete arrays of lightfast pigments available, we have no reason for making toxic paints. When we started to make oil painting mediums, we extended our philosophy of protecting our workers' health and our customers' health to making mediums. Because artists must use turpentine or other strong solvents to dissolve damar crystals, we decided not to base Gamblin painting mediums on natural resins. Odorless mineral spirit is not strong enough to dissolve natural resins or to extend natural resin varnishes. Using OMS will cause the varnish to cloud. Painters who choose to use natural resin varnish as a component of mediums must use turpentine.
Solvents in history.
Painters have been using turpentine for hundreds of years because it was commonly available. Pure 100% odorless mineral spirits (OMS) is an innovation of the late 20th century so it is no wonder that many painters are just beginning to understand how safe and available OMS is.
Too bad artists of 50 years ago did not know that before they created huge canvases of oil colors that were diluted with turpentine. It is not surprising that these artists experimented with, then later switched to water based media. Turpentine, a known respiratory irritant, has a fast evaporation rate and a low permissible exposure level. It causes nausea and lightheadedness, dermatitis, kidney and bladder disease, and asthma. Turpentine is the only solvent commonly available to painters that is absorbed through healthy, unbroken skin. Turpentine is toxic.
Rembrandt used no painting mediums. He did not need mediums because hand made paints are thin and very fluid. Since the 19th century and the invention of the three roll mill, oil colors have been made into stiff pastes. Using these luscious pastes lead to the dominance of direct painting in the 20th century. Painting mediums are used only to increase fluidity of oil colors when using this technique. Extending oil colors with only solvent can lead to failure of the paint film. Adding more than a small amount of linseed oil can increase the tendency of oil paint films to wrinkle. Recently more painters are interested in creating unusual surfaces and optical effects so there is more interest in different kinds of painting mediums.
Gamblin painting mediums are formulated for safety.
Once Robert Gamblin decided to formulate our painting mediums with 100% pure odorless mineral spirits, he chose alkyd resin to replace natural resins. First made in the early 1930's, alkyd resin is the polymerized oil of the 20th century. Like 19th century stand oil, alkyd resin is made by heating oil until it polymerizes. Alkyds have been formulated for use in artists' materials, most successfully as an oil painting medium because alkyd resin as a binder cannot hold the high pigment load of linseed oil.
Galkyd painting mediums speed the drying time of oil colors and increase their flexibility. Galkyds will not yellow over time. Galkyd painting mediums are formulated for different painting techniques. Galkyd is like a medium made from stand oil so use Galkyd to level brush strokes.
Galkyd Lite is like a linseed oil based medium so use Galkyd Lite for direct painting and techniques to leave brush marks.
Galkyd Slow Dry gives painters time to work wet into wet.
Galkyd Gel (G-Gel) creates transparent impasto. Most importantly using Galkyds means painters can remove turpentine entirely from their painting process.
Artists can now create huge canvases of oil colors diluted with Galkyds and Gamsol. Using Gamsol painters can work with pure odorless mineral spirits with a slow evaporation rate and a high permissible exposure level. See Gamsol MSDS.
Solvent alternatives.
We do not recommend painters use "alternative solvents" as ingredients in painting mediums. They are not 100% volatile and have not been tested by conservation scientists. Our Solvent Comparison Chart compares the properties and uses of several common solvents.
Once painters remove turpentine from their studios, good ventilation is the next issue. Good ventilation is essential for a safe studio. According to the recommendation of environmental hygienists, studio air should be changed ten times per hour. A certain percentage of this change is attained by natural diffusion through the building. Generally the older the building the greater the diffusion. The rest of the air exchange can be attained by opening the windows to increase diffusion and by inserting a fan in one window to blow air out. An excellent source of ventilation is a small box fan in a window. Robert Gamblin (in his studio) has blocked the window on both sides of the box fan so the air moves from his studio to the outside. The air moves between the painter and his painting table.
Painters who are using Gamsol and Galkyd do not need respirator masks or exhaust systems. Artists working in media requiring strong solvents or chemicals (printmaking or silk-screening for examples) or fixative sprays (pastels) should follow the recommendations of the manufacturers.
Recycling solvents
Gamsol can be reused until the solvent will not longer clear. Set up a simple system. After a painting session, pour dirty solvent into the first can. Let the solvent settle then pour off the clear solvent into the second clean can. Repeat the process and add another settling can if needed. Keep all settling cans completely closed. Once Gamsol will no longer settle, dispose with motor oil at a local recycling center.
Turpentine is toxic waste. Call the local recycling center for disposal instruction. Because Turpentine is a bio-hazard, DO NOT DUMP TURPENTINE INTO THE SOIL.
Sludge from recycling cans of OMS and artists' grade oil colors that do not have health warning labels on the packaging can be disposed of as normal household waste. Because linseed oil soaked rags can spontaneously combust, keep all rags, including paper towels, in closed metal containers.
To protect the watershed, no artists' materials, including acrylics, oil/water media and watercolors, should be washed down the drain.
Regarding toxic pigments, lead is the only toxic pigment still occasionally used in oil painting. As long as artists do not sand lead-based grounds or paints, the greatest risk to using lead-based paints (such as Flake White) or oil painting ground is quality. Lead pigments are no longer being made in Western Europe or North America. Currently, there are no reliable sources of pigment. Painters should not assume that they are buying genuine Flake White any more.
Do not sand lead-based paints because that releases the pigment from the binder. Dispose of solvent containing lead pigments with hazardous materials.
DO NOT DISPOSE OF LEAD-BASED PAINTS or SOLVENT CONTAINING LEAD PIGMENTS IN HOUSEHOLD TRASH.
Regarding other pigments and oil paints, the art materials' industry is the second most regulated industry in America. If you do not see caution labels, the materials are not toxic. For more information on health warning labels, contact the The Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI)
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