"Welcoming The Magic Gardeners," upcoming show at Dalet Gallery

June 14, 2012 - PRLog -- Exhibition Two Days: Saturday, June 30, NOON – 9:00 PM
Sunday, July 1, 2012, from NOON to 5:00 PM
Artist’ Reception Sat. June 30, 6 - 9 PM

The Gardeners:

ISAIAH ZAGAR, paintings (It is new! Something different from Isaiah's famous mosaic! Must see!)

MAJID IRAEI (Iran), mixed media sculpture (Majie is Isaiah's talented disciple, but he will show work of his own: his "little devils" )

The Admirers:

IRENA GOBERNIK, wood sculpture (she just feels happy to let her small wood creatures travel through Isaiah's landscapes)

OLGA GOBERNIK-KON (Israel), stain glass (Olga is a distant admirer; having virtually visited Isaiah's fairy tales she expresses her respond, a little moody though...)
     
Isaiah Zagar Biography:  Isaiah Zagar is an award-winning mosaic mural artist whose work can be found on over 200 public Philadelphia walls.  Born in Philadelphia and raised in Brooklyn, Zagar received his B.A. in Painting & Graphics from Pratt Institute in New York City.  Zagar’s work is included in the permanent collections of numerous art institutions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art.  Through over forty years of creating public artworks, he has helped to shape Philadelphia into a thriving creative community.

Majid Iraei Biography:  Majid Iraei is a graphic designer, sculptor, photographer, and multi-media artist from Tehran, Iran.  He studied Graphic Design in University of Tehran and Azad University and worked for notable companies Nokia, L’Oreal Paris, ABB, and Hoyu-Bigen.  Iraei has apprenticed with Isaiah Zagar for nearly two years, helping Zagar to complete many of his large-scale projects and assisting with daily activities in the Zagar studio and Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.  During his time in the United States, Iraei has exhibited with IRUS Intercultural Collaborative Art program in Chicago, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, and Art on the Avenue Gallery.

Isaiah Zagar Dalet Gallery Artist Statement:

I walked out the door of the Magic Gardens when, sitting beside my stoop, there was a young woman—a traveler in green fatigues and a Lindbergh flying cap, complete with goggles. She was pretty. The woman had an unlikely and surprising companion on a makeshift leash—a beautiful auburn-feathered rooster. She looked up at me and spoke, “You must be one of the Magic Gardeners.”And so I received another honorary “title,” a fitting nickname to compliment my “Glass-and-Mirror Man” trademark.
There is another title for me that I have never announced, though I’ll share it with you now.  Between the years of 1960 until 1976, I considered myself a “Painter in Meadows.”  Meadows all over—in far flung places.  Every summer and even some winters, I would set up an eight foot by eight foot board in a secluded meadow for up to three months and paint on enormous canvases that covered the board. Each painting would take about six days. After completion, I would immediately roll it up and start another.  I was a plein air painter… a painter in meadows that lay fallow and fresh. Once thick forest, once farmland, once gardens, these meadows were a grand artist studio of sorts.  I painted and slept. I did yoga and got bitten by all sorts of flying creatures.  I cavorted with deer and snakes, I was a modern day Vincent Van Gogh, motivated by all the eyes of art history, and how did these summers of wet paint affect my mosaic work in the city of Philadelphia. Well it did for sure. I challenge you to figure that mystery out by coming to see my meadow paintings and three other Magic Gardener’s works.  

Majid Iraei “Little Devils” Wire and Hemp Demons Artist Statement

My “Little Devils” armature series has been ongoing project for several years. The “Devils,” comprised of wire, yarn, and found objects, reflect the characters and unique personalities which color my world. The sculptures are sometimes presented as the “stars” of my narrative animation projects.  This “Little Devils” collection reflects on people I’ve interacted with during my years in Iran, as well as my current experiences in America.  Isaiah Zagar has been a wonderful collaborator during my time here, including my Farsi and tile-painting techniques have worked into his mosaic works and inviting me to be a part of his artistic family.

About Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens

Philadelphia's Magic Gardens (PMG) is a mosaicked visionary art environment, gallery, and community arts center that preserves, interprets, and provides access to Isaiah Zagar's unique mosaic art environment and his public murals. The Magic Gardens site, Zagar’s largest artwork, includes a fully tiled indoor space and a massive outdoor mosaic sculpture garden that spans half a block on Philadelphia’s famous South Street. Inside, visitors can view folk art statues, bicycle wheels, colorful glass bottles, Zagar's hand-made tiles, and thousands of glittering mirrors. The installation pays tribute to Zagar's artistic influences, along with community and personal experiences.  
Open to visitors daily, PMG has become a unique Philadelphia destination, hosting year-round, low-cost public programs within its own distinctive venue and the surrounding community. PMG, a nonprofit organization, inspires creativity and community engagement by educating the public about folk, mosaic, and visionary art.  For more information, visit www.philadelphiasmagicgardens.org.