Tom Pfannerstill - "One Man Group Show"

Several years ago I wandered into Galerie Hertz and found myself looking at work by local artist Tom Pfannerstill. At first, I must admit that I was not sure what I was looking at. An empty pack of cigarettes, a crushed paper cup from McDonalds, and other assorted trash that simply appeared to reflect refuse of the over-commercialized society in which we exist. Perhaps a nice sentiment, but one that I had seen many times before. This is an all too common initial perception of Tom’s work and I had fallen into the same trap that most viewers stumble through. In reality, there is no crushed paper cup. What there is however is an intricately hand carved and meticulously painted sculpture that exactly mimics any common item that one might see discarded on sidewalks or rustling through city streets.  When I say exactly, that’s precisely what I mean; they are exact!

In the last few years I have seen countless people walk right past these incredible pieces only to then ask “Where can I find Tom Pfannerstill’s art?” Perhaps this is the peril of creating work that mirrors its subjects so accurately. However, no artist should have to excuse his or her work on the basis that it was created too well. While Tom’s work might be all too quickly missed, his level of talent is not. On the contrary, once the viewer has been educated as to the process of creating these wonderful pieces Tom’s work then becomes as thunderous as a runaway freight train screaming through a dark tunnel. The first question the viewer then asks is “Who is this guy?”

Tom Pfannerstill is an artist whose work has been shown in galleries from Belfast, Northern Ireland, to New Britain, Connecticut. His collectors span from London to Bellarmine University right here in Louisville, and he is the recipient of numerous awards including the AI Smith Individual Artist Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council. More importantly, Tom is an artist whose impressive career has been documented for decades. While Tom understands the ever changing criteria of the art world, his emphasis is always primarily on the art. Tom writes in his artist statement “I am not particularly money-motivated or unduly influenced by the lure of sales, so I feel free to experiment with new concepts and ways of working and follow them as long as it is interesting”. With this philosophy firmly in hand, he then sets about creating work that is truly unique. Tom once stated “After seeing the work, many people have told me that they, too, began to notice interesting pieces of street trash. The fact that this work can slightly alter a person’s perceptions, (even if only for a short time), open their eyes, or make them view reality in a slightly different way is a very important aspect of what I do.” An artist can rarely ask for anything more than that.

Tom Pfannerstill’s show “One man group show” is now on display at Galerie Hertz and will run through Dec.31^st. Gallery Hertz is located at 1253 S. Preston. For more info call Galerie Hertz at 502-635-3727.

Defining Support - The Art of Buying Local by: Margaret Spivey & Tim Faulkner

One of the more popular motivational catch phrases making its way through the streets of Louisville these days is for us all to “Support Local Art” and/or to “Keep Louisville Weird”.  Although this is clearly a sentiment shared by every gallery, boutique, artist, and art related organization in the city, it seems to be losing momentum.  Perhaps the inundation of billboards, bumpers stickers and radio spots has created an atmosphere of complacency rather than compliance.  What exactly are we as a citizenry doing to follow this mantra?  One need only look at the I-264 exchange at Shelbyville road to know that we have yet to forego the Mall in search of that perfect gift.  Why, during this busy holiday season do we not avoid chain operations that offer nothing more than a conformist approach to giving? What about our own homes?  Are they filled with distinctive, original pieces that help define what is culturally unique to the city of Louisville or the homeowner?  If we truly want to keep art local, rather than simply sound supportive, then we had better do more to encourage “local” citizens to invest their dollars in more than your typical Wal-Mart print. Perhaps local denizens can be encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and experience some of the truly unique spots that Louisville has to offer on a regular basis, rather than only frequent these places on “special occasions”.  Art lives on

Market street

everyday of the week, not just on First Fridays.

Defining how one can support local art goes farther than a catchy slogan. How many of those Volvos driving around the highlands, sporting a buy local sticker actually own an original piece of artwork?  We all have décor adorning our homes, we all try to display a sense of ourselves on our walls and we have all purchased these items somewhere along the way.  Did we truly spend our money wisely?  Even if Art is not a major focus in our individual lives, each dollar we spend locally only strengthens our city’s economy, and therefore, these should not be wasted dollars. No one is suggesting that people not take vacations to other cities or make purchases outside Louisville.  However, when we do decide to buy, we should first consider our own backyard.

Many of the cities top local artists show outside of Louisville and for good reason, because only by doing so can they make a living, and therein lies the major problem.  Why should gallery / boutique owners in Chicago, Indianapolis or Cincinnati benefit from the toils of Louisville’s best?  We have a deep well of artistic talent here and those patrons (including Louisvillian’s) who travel, and spend their dollars in these other markets only perpetuate the problem, regardless of the bumper stickers they may sport on their SUV.  Supporting local art means exactly that!  Spend your dollars here. There isn’t a single gallery in Louisville that would not work diligently to find whatever “special” piece a client might be looking for.  There is no reason, other than vanity, to shop outside our own market.  Just because a painting sells in New York or San Francisco, does not inherently make it a better work of art.  Per capita, all of these major markets have a larger selection of mediocre work for sale than Louisville.  Lucky for us, Louisville is not a tourist destination

 for art buyers.  We have the privilege of creating an art scene primarily for the benefit for those who live here.  Make no mistake, we would like to become a center for regional art buyers, but that can only happen with a firm foundation created by local support.     

While the economy is certainly shaping up, one must simply look to places like Bardstown road to find vacant store front where once familiar local businesses resided.  This is what happens when we stop supporting local anything.  We have a major responsibility to ourselves and to the future of our city to ensure that Louisville does not become another cookie cutter community.  The next time you plan on going shopping, stay off the Watterson and head downtown to Market street, or Butchertown, or Bardstown road, or one of the many other pockets of deserving local business districts, then your bumper sticker is justified.