Book on Art in Central Florida Shows Breadth and Depth

BRUNSWICK, Maine - Sept. 8, 2014 - PRLog -- Flip through the pages of the new book by art historian and writer Egberto Almenas, and you quickly see the vitality, richness, and variety in the visual arts coming out of Central Florida. Almenas' book, Art Capsules: The Contemporary Art Scene in Central Florida and Beyond, offers insights into the work of some 40 contemporary artists whose work is rooted in the culture and character of the Sunshine State.

One of the artists whose work is discussed in the book is the mathematically-oriented digital artist Nathan Selikoff, whose work "anchors the desultory by-products of a new era to a higher order of existence and beauty." Then there is Doug Rhodehamel, self-described as someone who "makes stuff" such as paper bag mushrooms and plastic bottle jellyfish; Almenas notes that Rhodehamel "excels . . . by harking back to the forgotten indulgences of childhood." Another important artist is Brigan Gresh, who calls herself a "sensationist." Almenas says: "[Gresh] assumes creativity as an overarching duty concerned above all with what sways from deep within and transfigures the aleatory into hopeful ambits of possibility."

To establish a historical context for the current art scene in Florida, Almenas considers the varied contributions of artists like El Greco, Francisco Goya, Salvador Dali, Maxfield Parrish, and Herman Herzog. Dali, for example, was a powerful contributor because he realized that "In America, art had exhausted an age of objective exploration and discovery. It was now time to push toward frontiers traced deep within, and in such regions freewill madness becomes all the more urgent. All geniuses bear the blot of insanity, to paraphrase Seneca. Dalí had become a monstrous assurance for this assertion."

Art Capsules has already garnered powerful comments of enthusiasm from the art community in Florida. Lindy T. Shephard of the Orlando Weekly has said: "The top-notch catalog [of capsules] tells all and is a marvelous way of re-introducing the relevance of [the local contemporary art scene]." Ava Goble, of the publishing company Thames & Hudson, remarked, "This is an intriguing and beautiful project . . . your subject and writing style are compelling."

Art Capsules provides a summary of the ideas that burst forth from contemporary artists in Florida, and it also provides a measure of nourishment for those mindful of the impressive contemporary art scene in Central Florida. This volume is a keepsake for those with a keen interest in contemporary visual arts, particularly art connected with Florida.

Art Capsules: The Contemporary Art Scene in Central Florida is available from Shanti Arts Publishing, several online booksellers, and it will soon be available in various museum shops and bookstores in Florida.

For more information and purchase options, go to http://www.shantiarts.co.
Available September 15, 2014

Shanti Arts Publishing (2014)
ISBN: 978-0-9885897-5-9
$65.00