STUDIO-ONLINE

by Los Angeles filmmaker Veronica Aberham

David Buckingham’s background fuels his current work. Graduating from Loyola University in New Orleans in 1984 with a BA in Communications, David naturally gravitated to a career in advertising, where he served as a writer and creative director from 1985 to 2005.

It was during his time in New York when he ran into the Rivington school gang and their founder, Ray Kelly. “It was funny, I just ran into Ray by accident and he took me to his basement on Broom Street and gave me a five-minute welding lesson. We were both smoking, Ray was drinking, and I thought we’d get blown sky-high, but we didn’t.”

This rudimentary lesson led David to a whimsical form of furniture design. His pieces started resembling folk art, in fact. His current art practice started with his move to Los Angeles in 2000 during his final battle with drug addiction. “I really didn’t intend to move here. I just came on vacation from Australia and got busted.”

Obstacles along his route to recovery form the man he is today, and, in turn, his work both as artist and as humor writer. He also met Mark Caplan, master welder and friend, during a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and ended up apprenticing for him. David reflects, “He’s a real good friend and a very good welder. I learned more with Mark in six months then I was able to teach myself in fifteen years.”

Buckingham values such connections and when asked how the advertising world influenced him David notes, “[It's] just being around smart people doing creative things, the cutting edge of type and design, the ideas, the talking to people, and looking at things. Being teachable as well. I’m not a certified welder by any stretch of the imagination, but every time I meet another welder, I’m always learning something and, if I can help out too, I will.”

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David has two scheduled exhibitions:

Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful
at the Cain Schulte Gallery,
251 Post St., San Francisco, CA 94108
It opens September 2

I Speak as I Please
at the Jonathan Ferrara Gallery,
400A Julia Street, New Orleans LA 70130
It opens October 2.

For more information please visit Buckingham’s website.

Knot, 38″ x 60″, 96 x 152 cm, mixed media on paper. © Anki King

This exhibition will showcase new works by Julian Rozzell (curator), Anki King, Diana Schmertz, Ajamu Kojo Chioke Walker, John Bonafede and Louise Brooks.

Anki King, a studio-online featured artist, is one of the 15 finalists in the the London International Creative Competition.  She will receive the LICC Awards unique trophy and certificate of achievement at the September 12, 2010 awards ceremony in London.

Opening Reception: September 10, 2010, 7:00PM—10:00PM

Under Minerva Gallery,
656 5th Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11215

A valley-wide tour to the private studios of 30 San Fernando Valley fine artists during the weekend of October 2 and 3, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meet the original artists and get an rare inside look into the artist’s studios with the opportunity to purchase original art from the source. This self-guided tour will showcase artworks in a variety of media. Discover how original fine works of art are created.

Press Contact: Thelma Starr, M.A. Ed
San Fernando Valley Arts Council
Tel: 818 591-0619
sfvarts2@yahoo.com

Anindita Dutta, while in Japan as Artist in Residence at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (FAAM) has created a large-scale performance work together with Fine Arts Department student from Kyushu Sangyo University. This work was videoed and photographed for the current exhibition.

Anindita Dutta, studied sculpture at the Visva-Bharati University in India, sculpture and ceramics at the Purdue University and the University of Iowa in the US.

To read a review/interview please visit Studio International

For additional information please visit the Fukuoka Museum