Grava Gallery occupies a long and narrow space with a high ceiling inside the Historic Third Ward's Marshall Building, perfect for showcasing art on the first floor. The warm taupe walls highlight the drawings and paintings, even frequently jewelry, and come alive with owner Michael's astute and individualistic style. The artists often become his personal favorite people and friends after exhibiting there over the years, or personally framing their work. This January through February 22, Grava Gallery hosts the show: “Jason Fricke: New Works.”
The life long artist Fricke graduated from college with an English degree and French minor. He worked for 39 years as a screen printer developing special inks for Brady Corporation until he decided on early retirement, which then allowed him to pursue his art full time while also participating in approximately18 summer art shows every year.
Along with the outdoor art schedule, Fricke and his wife annually travel to Europe, often Italy and France, where the French minor helps him enjoy the trips although he depends on his wife who is fluent in the language. On these foreign sojourns, his ink drawings may capture two coffee cups similar to a work in the exhibition titled Espressi, 2010, with the stain in the cups colored with real coffee. Or rendering intertwined bicycles encountered on a Paris Street.
Fricke's fluid pen and ink drawings or prints frequently incorporate emotion and movement especially portrayed in Fricke's impressions of the Milwaukee Ballet, Chicago's Joffrey Ballet, and the Louisville Ballet, a new venue he begins working with this September. His images framed in lustrous gold wood impart their own elegance and offer extremely affordable original art or prints for collectors. At the Winter Gallery Day reception on a sunny January afternoon, Fricke explains his passion for the ballet.
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What inspires you to putting these dancers on paper?
I believe ballet is the most beautiful art from in the world, and one of the oldest. The images…they're happy, peaceful and hopeful and are needed in this world. I see the images [the dancers] as a refuge, comfort and simple beauty.
Do you draw from life or photographs?
All my ink images are drawn during rehearsals in the theatre, from life. In fact, all my work is drawn from life. I have permission [from the ballet companies] to come in for a few hours and draw the dancers while they practice, and sometimes a performance. Sometimes they schedule an extra day or an afternoon in their schedule, especially for me to watch them dance, and do my drawings.
How did you happen to connect with the Louisville Ballet?
The director came to one of my summer art shows, and discovered my drawings, and liked them. He enjoyed them so much he invited me to come and visit the ballet this October, to create some drawings from their rehearsals.
Are your drawings ever of specific dancers?
Yes, sometimes they are. In this exhibition there are drawings of the Milwaukee Ballet's Jeanette Hanley, who appears as The Shepherdess. The Flamenco Dancer was drawn in a European courtyard we were eating in. They [the drawings] each have their own energy and usually the title tells the partial story, who the dancer is or from what ballet the image is taken from. I'm excited to travel to Louisville this fall and begin drawing the ballet there.
(Visit Grava Gallery to view Jason Fricke's artwork at 207 East Buffalo Street or call 414.277.8228 to make an appointment. Framed and unframed work is available, and Michael will be happy to help with a personal selection.)
