Gallery owner and artist Jonathan Ferrara, from the Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in New Orleans, is pushing the city’s creative forces to the edge while relying on the strong foundation he has built for over a decade. While allowing young artists to exhibit their individual voices, Ferrara’s gallery is speaking volumes nationally with sales reaching 80% out of state. The gallery is currently showing Camouflage by artist Sidonie Villere, whose minimalist paintings are a portrait of self-preservation. The all-white collection reflects ideas of blending in and masking oneself, which is relevant in a time where privacy seems to be near extinction. Villere’s background in ceramics and years spent in New Orleans may be what leads her work to generate an ethereal atmosphere.
We had the opportunity to speak to Ferrara, who shared his thoughts on the NOLA art world, his role, and the affects of Katrina. In Ferrara’s words, “New Orleans has always had one foot in the past, one foot in the present, and a toe in the future.” The gallerist explained that the city is “late to the party and sometimes never gets to the party” – but he and other established creatives are changing all that. And while Katrina may have been a set back, companies with strong foundations like his have managed to push through the wreckage. Ferrara’s gallery and others like find themselves representing the strength, beauty, and the future of the city across the country.
Today’s economy seems to have dimmed the lights on those art markets with inflated prices and saturation of galleries. But, Jonathan explains, the quieter scenes like NOLA which are lucky to have “a bubble around [them]“, are safer from the price and economic fluctuations. That may be why the creative aspirations coming out of NOLA seem to shine a bit brighter than the rest. Travelling to New York for the Armory show then to Marfa, Jonathan will be representing the authentic artists whose work speaks for the past, present, and future.
- Contributed by Ashley Waghorne
Facebook
Twitter
Digg
Reddit
StumbleUpon
