Keith Mosier's MIAMI CENTERFOLD opens at PHD this Saturday, 6-30-12

Please join us
Saturday, June 30, 2012 from 7-10PM
for the opening reception of

MIAMI CENTERFOLD
Silver Gelatin, Architectural Photography by
KEITH MOSIER
http://phdstl.com/miami_centerfold.html

"...a series of carefully considered black-and-white, silver gelatin photographs"
~ Mark Fischer, Riverfronttimes
http://www.voiceplaces.com/miami-centerfold-st-louis-1616879-e/

Come for the photography, stay for the MIAMI NIGHTS STREET PARTY with refreshments and music by the SAXQUEST JAZZ ENSEMBLE
http://phdstl.com/special_events.html

(Your $10. donation benefits FOOD OUTREACH)

***
If buildings could pose for the camera, Keith Mosier’s photographs would be centerfolds!  In them he captures the glamorous Streamline Moderne buildings of Miami’s Art Deco District.  Even when these gorgeous, wedding-cake concoctions are shabby and neglected, they’re sleek, modern, and undeniably sexy in Mosier’s photographs.  More than 20 prints are on view from June 30 - August 11, 2012 with an opening reception for the artist on Saturday, June 30, from 7-10PM.  

“Miami Centerfold” is Keith Mosier’s first solo exhibition.

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St, Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-6644
http://www.phdstl.com

Eleven Magazine 11/11/11 Street Bash on Cherokee

Time	Friday at 3:30pm - Saturday at 3:00am
Location	Eleven Magazine Cherokee Street Saint Louis, MO
More Info	Come celebrate the biggest day of the century (yes, actually) with Eleven Magazine on Cherokee Street! As November's Cherokee Stroll, there will be food, drinks, and live entertainment in businesses along the street all afternoon and evening - most of it FREE. It's Veterans Day - what else do you have to do?? *** Check out... *** 2720 Cherokee Aisle 1 Gallery ... All Along Press Apop Records ArtMonster The Archive Black Bear Bakery Drew Henry Salon & Gallery Firecraker Press FOAM Fort Gondo I Scream Cakes Off Broadway / STL LOUD 3 Paper Boat Studios PHD Gallery STL STyLehouse food trucks - complete list TBA *** ... and more! *** *** Listen to... *** 18andCounting Arthur & the Librarian Bear Hive Beth Bombara Caleb Travers The Campfire Club FIRE DOG Funky Butt Brass Band The Hobosexuals Jon Eric "Electric Banjo Man" Justin Torres Loop Project Kid Scientist Last to Show First to Go Mikey Wehling PALACE The Reeling Gilly Rockwell Knuckles Stank Nasty Superhero Killer Volcanoes *** ... and more! *** *** Consume... *** Flowers to the People arrangements The Tin Can food Urban Chestnut beer *** ... and more! *** Shows on-going from 4pm. Schedules and maps available on the street! The celebration kicks off in the afternoon at Eleven's office in The Nebula, 3407 S. Jefferson, St. Louis, MO 63118.

AUNIA KAHN: "Film Noir" opens at PHD Gallery

Opening at PHD Gallery on Saturday, June 25, 2011
"AUNIA KAHN: "Film Noir"
http://phdstl.com/aunia_kahn.html.

Join us for the opening reception
Saturday, June 25th
7-10 PM
PHD Gallery

(TOM of FINLAND: Original Drawings also on view)
http://phdstl.com/tom_of_finland.html

(Gay Pride Weekend)

Your $10. donation benefits
Tom of Finland Foundation

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-6644
http://www.phdstl.com

TOM of FINLAND Original Drawings at PHD Gallery...

Opening at PHD Gallery on Saturday, June 25, 2011
"TOM of FINLAND, Original Drawings."
http://phdstl.com/tom_of_finland.html

This is a very rare opportunity to see (and own!) actual graphite on paper originals by the iconic
TOM of FINLAND.

Join us for the opening reception
Saturday, June 25th
7-10 PM
PHD Gallery
(through August 6th)

(Gay Pride Weekend)

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-6644
http://www.phdstl.com

“Perspectives” — PHD Gallery’s 1st Annual Artist Showcase

Time	Saturday, May 7 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location	PHD GALLERY 2300 Cherokee Street St. Louis, MO 63118
More Info	“Perspectives” PHD Gallery’s 1st Annual Artist Showcase! Featuring Abstract Acrylic Paintings by Deanna Chafin, Oil Paintings of Faces by Dennis DeToye, and Fantasy Ceramics by Ruth Reese. ... May 7 through June 11, 2011. Opening Reception is Saturday, May 7, 2011, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. “Perspectives,” PHD Gallery’s first annual artist showcase, highlights the work of three artists with a unique point of view. Functioning as three solo shows in one, “Perspectives” affords artists an opportunity to exhibit a singular body of work representative of their current career arc. Three artists will be designated annually. The three artists chosen for this year’s “Perspectives” are: Deanna Chafin, Dennis DeToye, and Ruth Reese. “Perspectives” is on view May 7 through June 11, 2011 with an opening reception on Saturday, May 7 from 7 to 10PM. ********* About the Artists Deanna Chafin: As a long-time admirer of abstract expressionist painters such as Jackson Pollock, Arshile Gorky, and Mark Rothko she developed her own style and creates vivid, large-scale works which utilize heavy bodied paints and a vibrant palette. The artist, a St. Louis native, holds a B.A. from Webster University and currently lives in Webster Groves with her husband and young son. After spending fourteen years as an educator working with children and families with special needs, Deanna now devotes her time to the studio creating new pieces. Dennis DeToye: Using oil on canvas, DeToye paints giant faces, some as tall as feet! He chooses ordinary subjects whose faces he finds interesting: “Mostly, I look for a face that I like for reasons that I can’t exactly explain. I like glasses because of the reflections and shadows on the face. I like people of color because of the rich skin tones. I like older people because of the lines and folds. I prefer not to paint celebrities or beautiful people and I almost never pick a subject based on his or her personality or because I know the person.” ~ Dennis DeToye DeToye received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Western Illinois University, and completed his Masters Degree at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He worked as an editorial cartoonist and a teacher and was Chair of the Department of Fine Arts at Edwardsville High School when he retired. Ruth Reese: Working primarily with red earthenware, Ruth’s work is an expression of the richness of the medium. Her pieces are layered with drawings and reliefs giving them a dreamy and wistful atmosphere. Whether creating functional pots or sculptural works, she combines engobes, majolicas, slips and decals into narratives that float across the surface. Her work can be described as ceramic forms with graphic illustrations, which seek to be both challenging and beautiful. Within the ceramics community she has exhibited locally and nationally. Ruth Reese holds an MFA in Sculpture (2002) from Washington University and a BA (1997) from Loyola University. She has taught at Maryville University, St. Louis Community College, St. Charles Community College, Jefferson College, Lewis & Clark College and East Central College.

"fine print" opens at PHD Gallery, Friday, March 18

"fine print"

Opening in conjunction with the SGC International Conference
Hosted by Washington University St. Louis and part of "Cherokee Night"

monoprints by

Amy Rosen Firestone
Joe Chesla

http://phdstl.com/fine_print.html

Join us for the opening reception
Friday, March 18th 7-10 PM
PHD Gallery
(through April 212nd)

"fine print" showcases two printmakers who create monoprints using very different techniques. Rosen creates monoprints using waterless lithography and seriography. With a nod to Jim Dine's robes, Rosen
uses women's vintage slips as the subject of her work. By contrast Joe Chesla creates process directed, "mineral" prints incorporating nontraditional techniques to impregnate fine printmaking paper with a
recording of the corrosive process of metal. He takes this process one step further by adding dissolved salt to the mineral bath, which re-crystallizes on the paper diffusing and distracting from the underlying imagery. Encaustic techniques enrich the visual depth and physical presence.

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-6644

FEATHER, LEATHER, LIPSTICK opens at PHD Gallery Jan. 22nd

Please join us
Saturday, January 22, 2011
7-10PM
for the opening reception of:

"FEATHER, LEATHER, LIPSTICK"
http://phdstl.com/feather_leather_lipstick.html

jeff KAPFER
jerry MILLER
mark FLORIDA

An unlikely synergy of 3 media...

Jeff Kapfer, Jerry Miller, and Mark Florida combine their talents in "Feather, Leather, Lipstick," PHD Gallery's first show of 2011. Jeff Kapfer paints a new flock of flamboyant fowl like peacocks, cockatoos, and woodpeckers. Also on view are the hand formed, leather masks of Jerry Miller whose brightly decorated disguises range in style from Commedia dell'arte to Mardi Gras. The final element in the mix is the backstage drag photography of Mark Florida which captures in glorious black and white, the frenzy and transformation backstage as the "gurls" prepare to perform. "Feather, Leather, Lipstick" not only showcases these three artists, but celebrates fantasy, masquerade, and disguise. The exhibition is on view January 22 through March 5, 2011 with a free opening reception on Saturday, January 22 from 7-10PM. Costumes are encouraged!

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
Noon to 4PM, Thurs. through Sun.
(314) 664-6644
http://www.phdstl.com

"GIFTED 2010" Original Art for Holiday Giving opens at PHD Gallery...

"GIFTED 2010"
Original Art for Holiday Giving
The 2nd Annual Holiday Gift Show at PHD Gallery

December 4 - January 8, 2011
http://phdstl.com/gifted2010.html

Please join us for
the Opening Reception
Saturday & Sunday,
December 4 & 5, 2010,
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Featured artists include Mark Weber, Marsha Sanguinette & Susan Nanny, Jim Sabo, Ruth Ann Reese, Casey Rae, Nick Prinster, Michelle "Mike" Ochonicky, Janet Mueller, Kevin Lurton, Noel Leicht, David Lancaster, Raymond Houston, Carrie Gibbs, Mark Florida, and Jerry Breakstone.

ALIVE MAGAZINE RAVES: "Skip emptying your wallet at the big box stores and give a truly unique, handmade gift this holiday season. PHD Gallery's second annual holiday gift show features the work of over a dozen artists at 'recession friendly' prices. Find locally produced original oil paintings, textile art, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, photography and limited-edition prints. To add to the holiday cheer, 'GIFTED' opens in tandem with the 27th Annual Cherokee Antique Row Cookie Spree, where local merchants at each store feature unique surprises and a delicious variety of holiday cookies" ALIVE Magazine, December 2010

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street,
St. Louis, MO 63118
Noon to 4:00 pm,
Thursday - Sunday
(314) 664-6644
http://www.phdstl.com

PHD Gallery Hosts "Bird's Eye View" and "Salvaged"

Please join us
for the opening reception
of two new exhibits:

******BIRD'S EYE VIEW**********
http://phdstl.com/birds_eye_view.html

Jerry BREAKSTONE
Michael JOHNSON
(large format, B&W silver gelatin prints of Midwestern landscapes
paired with wire and ceramic avian sculpture)

*******SALVAGED****************
http://phdstl.com/salvaged.html

Cathy BARANCIK
(mixed media/ found objects)

Saturday, September 25, 2010
7-10 PM

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
Noon to 4PM, Thurs. through Sun.
(314) 664-6644
http://www.phdstl.com

A Lifetime of Color benefitting MCC hosted by PHD Gallery

Please join us this Friday, August 27th at 7PM
for the opening reception of

A LIFETIME OF COLOR
The artwork of James Riddle
http://www.phdstl.com/lifetime_of_color.html

hosted by PHD Gallery
with 100% of all sales of Riddle's work benefiting
The Metropolitan Community Church
of Greater St. Louis (MCCGSL)

"Sometimes life feels bland, colorless, same-old same-old... What you 
need is an infusion of vibrancy, of playfulness, of loud, showy, 
colorful color — and the upcoming exhibition at the phd gallery has 
just the punch of pigment you crave." ~Alison Sieloff, RIVERFRONT TIMES
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/events/james-riddle-a-lifetime-of-color-1061127/

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-6644
http://www.phdstl.com
Noon to 4PM
Thurs-Sun.

BEYOND XY: Opens Saturday 6-26-10, 7PM at PHD Gallery

BEYOND XY:
Four Photographers Explore the Masculine Continuum
http://phdstl.com/beyond_xy.htm

• David Vance (Miami)
• Trix Rosen (New York)
• Loren Cameron (San Francisco)
• Joshua McVeity (Calgary)

Join us for the opening reception
this Saturday, June 26th 7-10 PM
PHD Gallery
(through August 7th)

"Rather than defining male as 'not female,' the exhibit disrupts the idea that male has a universal meaning and instead explores the spectacular diversity of male embodiments. " Alexis Ruth Matza, Ph.D., Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Washington University in St. Louis

(See the P-D video preview here: http://videos.stltoday.com/p/video?id=15031432)

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-6644

Opening this Saturday, May 15th, at PHD Gallery

"HELLO MODERN ART"
Leslie Holt

Opening Saturday, May 15, 2010
7-10 PM at PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee St
314-664-6644
http://phdstl.com/hello_masterpiece2.html

... From the RFT ARTGASM...

Do you love kitchsy Japanese cartoon cats? Do you also love the spare realism of Edward Hopper? Well, you're in luck this weekend as Leslie Holt's Hello Modern Art debuts at phd gallery. Her miniature replicas of classic art pieces, updated with the adorable bow-adorned Hello Kitty in the mix, are in St. Louis after a national tour.

Forty miniature oil paintings replicate the great masterpieces of modern art, with the addition of Japanese pop icon Hello Kitty. 

Opening reception from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 15. Starting May 8, Thursdays-Sundays. Continues through June 12, free admission. phd gallery, 2300 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314-664-6644, http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2010/05/artgasm_this_weekends_art_open_5.php


In the Portfolio Gallery................

  "WEARABLE OBJECTS"
Jillian Palone

Opening Saturday, May 15, 2010
7-10 PM at PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee St
314-664-6644
http://phdstl.com/primal_adornment.html

Jillian Palone, A Master of Fine Art candidate at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) presents her MFA exhibition of wearable objects and sculptural jewelry in PHD's Portfolio Gallery. 
Bright, colorful sculptural forms are beautiful to see but are intended for interaction.  They are touched, held in hand, and draped on the body.  Twenty (20) of Palone’s works are on view May 8 through June 12, 2010, with an opening reception for the artist Saturday May 15, 2010 from 7:00- 10:00 PM.

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee St.
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-6644
Noon to 4PM,
Thurs-Sun.
http://www.phdstl.com

PHD Gallery explains The Birds & the Bees...

Please join us
at PHD Gallery
Saturday, March 13, 2010
7:00 - 10:00PM

for the opening reception of

THE BIRDS & THE BEES
http://www.phdstl.com/birds_and_bees.html

Jeff Kapfer
Karen Woodward

###

Just in time for Spring!  The Birds & the Bees pairs painting by Jeff  Kapfer with elfin sculpture by Karen Woodward to create a waggish display at PHD Gallery.

On view are more than 24 of Kapfer’s clean edged, acrylic on canvas paintings ranging in size from one foot square to four feet by three feet.  Clustered around the brightly colored and tightly composed bird paintings are dozens of 1-2 inch high glass bees by artist Karen Woodward.  The interspersed bodies of work create a comical and playful dialogue and a humorous fantasy environment.

Jeff Kapfer earned a BFA from Webster University with an emphasis in graphic design.  He is currently the senior designer and art director for the new Vital Voice Magazine.   Karen Woodward earned her MFA in sculpture from Washington University.  She specializes in the creation of flameworked glass sculpture and is Chair of the Glass Department at the Craft Alliance Education Center in St. Louis.

In addition to her flameworked bees, Karen Woodward’s more complex narrative works, whose properties utilize humor to make social commentary, are featured in PHD’s Portfolio Gallery.


PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-6644
http://www.phdstl.com

(become a "fan" of the gallery on FACEBOOK!)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saint-Louis-MO/PHD-Gallery/227137941790

PHD Gallery hosts WET PAINT: Susan Sullivan

From PHD Gallery:


Please join us for the opening reception of
WET PAINT: Susan Sullivan
at PHD Gallery

Saturday, January 16, 2010
7:00 - 10:00PM



Kansas City Art Institute graduate Susan Sullivan is aptly described as a "painter's painter.” Her work is a celebration of the very medium itself. For her latest oil on board work, the artist abandons the paintbrush in favor of the palette knife. Sullivan creates a contrast between delicate figures and chunky palette knife strokes.

The open spaces of her landscapes depict the artist's experience of a particular place and time with purposeful, selective marks. Sullivan's painted language is graceful and spare. Artist Leslie Holt notes that “a delicate, idiosyncratic line carved into a layer of paint can describe a carefully observed contour of where the land meets the sky.”

(Read Holt's entire essay here.)

In another series inspired by old family photo albums she works with brush and palette knife, sometimes scratching through the paint down to the board. Figures and backgrounds shift selectively in and out of focus, achieving a haunting effect.

Sullivan's paintings engage the viewer with their combination of vigorous physicality and delicate touch. Her seemingly effortless gestures tap into universal themes of places, people and memory. In her latest figurative works, the artist has abandoned the traditional brush and canvas entirely in favor of the palette knife. Sullivan enjoys the contrast of her delicate figures with the rough wood boards and tough palette knife strokes.

Also on view, are the works of three painters: E. Gibbons, Mark Sheppard, and Mark Weber, and the vintage collage works of David Wallace. All four artists will be showcased in gallery three.

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-6644

"Gifted" at PHD Gallery

"GIFTED"
Original Art for Holiday Giving
December 3 - January 3, 2010


Please join us for
the Opening Reception
Saturday & Sunday,
December 5 & 6, 2009,
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Skip the malls this year and make your gift giving a unique expression of creativity! PHD Gallery hosts “GIFTED” original art for holiday giving.

Featuring the work of more than a dozen local and regional artists, the seasonal exhibition offers “recession-friendly” artwork priced to fit your holiday budget.

Included among the artworks, buyers will find original paintings, collage, sculpture, scrimshaw, ceramics, glass, jewelry, photography and limited-edition prints.

Featured artists will include Mark Weber, Susan Sullivan, Mary Beth Shaw, David Lancaster, Jimmy Liu, Jim Sabo, Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Eric Hoefer, Joe Chesla, Mark Sheppard, Leslie Holt, Charlie Houska, Jeff Kapfer, Noel Leicht, David Wallace, and Polly Saputo.

***

"GIFTED" opens in tandem with the 26th Annual Cherokee Antique Row Cookie Spree. Local merchants will offer a host of holiday surprises with each store featuring a variety of holiday cookies! Enjoy music, festivities and old-fashioned yuletide charm.


PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
Noon to 4:00 pm,
Thursday - Sunday
(314)664-6644

PHD Gallery Exhibit Reviewed in the Post

Read an article and artist interview on the PHD Gallery's latest exhibit, Vestiges, on the Post-Dispatch web site here.

Openings at PHD Gallery

Please join us at PHD Gallery
for the opening of
TWO NEW EXHIBITS
Saturday, October 3, 2009
7 - 10 PM

PHD Gallery hosts

VESTIGES: Found Wood Sculpture & Photography
&
MARK SHEPPARD: Bone Crusher Rat Rods

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-6644

**********

VESTIGES depicts the evidence of time’s passage & the beauty that can exist in the legacy left behind. The exhibit juxtaposes found wooden sculpture with photography. Susan Nanny & Marsha Sanguinette retrieve river wood & polish it, until it lives again in evocative biomorphic forms. David R. Hanlon's photographs record the fallen Monuments of Syria & Jordan. Jim Sabo reverses the notion of finding relics & instead digitally creates them. Mark Florida photographs contemporary urban decay. Dr. Ivy Cooper of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville observes that the works are: "captivating evidence — fleeting, tenuous, melancholy — of lives and structures once thought to be permanent and unchanging."

MARK SHEPPARD: Bone Crusher Rat Rods- With a nod to the West Coast "Kustom Kulture" of the 1950s & 60s, Mark Sheppard unveils 12 new "hot rod" ink drawings in PHD’s Portfolio Gallery. Inspired by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth’s grotesque caricatures, Sheppard creates an original crew of "creatures who won’t die driving cars that won’t break!" The artist has also released a limited edition print based on his ink drawings. Sheppard is an MFA graduate in painting from Washington University in St. Louis & works as an artist & instructor.

PHD Gallery Fall Open House

Join us at PHD Gallery for our FALL OPEN HOUSE!

This Saturday & Sunday, September 5 & 6, 2009, Noon to 5 PM

PHD Gallery hosts "Selections from the Gallery" through September 19, 2009.

On view are more that a dozen artists including:

• Joe Chesla
• Dennis DeToye
• David R. Hanlon
• Leslie Holt
• Charlie Houska
• David Lancaster
• LeRoy Lottman
• Metra Mitchell
• Polly Saputo
• Mary Beth Shaw
• Susan Sullivan
• John Tuccillo
• Mark Weber
  

Jessica Baran of the Riverfront Times writes:

Selections from the Gallery - September has arrived meaning, among myriad other things, that the new exhibition year has begun. To mark the occasion, phd Gallery highlights some of the work by a dozen-plus artists that's been on display since late August in a wide array of media (from painting to photography to sculpture) at its fall open house, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, September 5 and 6 from noon till 5 p.m. at phd Gallery on Cherokee Street's antique row. Local artists will predominate; among others, the lineup includes Joe Chesla, David R. Hanlon, Charles Houska, Leslie Holt and Mark Weber. Not only can you admire re-creations of Old Master paintings invaded by Hello Kitty and hammered metal icons engraved with desperate pleas to God to reverse the artist's homosexuality, but refreshments will be amply served! The group exhibit will be on view through September 19 at phd Gallery.

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
314-664-6644

Philip Hitchcock of PHD Gallery on "Cityscape".

On today's KWMU "Cityscape" gallery owners Ronnie Greenberg (Greenberg Van Doren Gallery), William Shearburn (Willam Shearburn Gallery) and Philip Hitchcock (PHD Gallery) discuss the challenges of owning a gallery in these uncertain economic times, and their upcoming exhibitions.

Listen to audio of the program here.

PHD Gallery is located at 2300 Cherokee Street.

PHD Gallery hosts Tom Bianchi/David Lancaster

Please join us
Saturday, June 27, 2009
7-10 p.m.
(after Pridefest)
for the opening reception of

TOM BIANCHI:
MEMORIES OF FIRE ISLAND
Limited Edition Archival Prints from SX-70 Polaroids


From Paul Friswold of the Riverfront Times
Candid Camera - by Paul Friswold

"Tom Bianchi was not a professional artist when he began making photographs with a Polaroid SX 70 in 1976 — he was a young lawyer living a closeted life in New York and exulting in what he called an "invisible life in the gay paradise of Fire Island" on the weekends. Bianchi photographed fellow revelers, carefully keeping their faces out of frame. Being outed was career suicide in the real world, but those concerns were far away on Fire Island; there the homosexual population of the East Coast lived out fantasies of being who they really were. Skinny-dipping was accepted, nude sunbathing was common, but so were smaller achievements that perhaps mattered more: On Fire Island a same-sex couple could hold hands while strolling the beach. Bianchi photographed everything, compiling a historic record of a pivotal time and place in the gay revolution, and in doing so created art that celebrates the male physique with an eye as keenly appreciative as any classical sculptor.

"Tom Bianchi: Memories of Fire Island, a selection of 24 limited-edition archival prints from his collection of 9,000 images, opens with a free public reception from 7-10 p.m. Saturday, June 27, at the phd gallery (2300 Cherokee Street; 314-664-6644 or www.phdstl.com). Bianchi will attend the opening reception, and Memories of Fire Island remains up through Saturday, August 15. The gallery is open Thursday through Sunday."


.....In the Portfolio Gallery.....

DAVID LANCASTER
PLEASE GOD, MAKE ME NOT QUEER.
Oil on studded aluminum paintings and sculpture


DAVID LANCASTER:
"Please God, Make Me Not Queer"

"Give me chastity ... but not yet." St. Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo and one of the major figures of early Christianity, uttered this famous prayer in his struggle to gain mastery over his earthly desires. In the spirit of brazen honesty with which Augustine addressed his deity, David Lancaster proposes a collection of modern prayers, painted in oil on aluminum, designed to explore and question the nature of communication with the divine. Sad, bold, frank and funny, the prayers challenge our collective notions of supplication and gratitude -- what we should ask of an omnipotent God and for what we should give thanks -- and the very idea that prayer is a catalyst for divine action.

Ten of Lancaster's studded aluminum paintings and sculpture will be on view in PHD's Portfolio Gallery. The text of each prayer, rendered without vowels or word breaks (in the manner of early biblical manuscripts), surrounds the nude supplicant, painted in oil on aluminum, the whole nailed to a plywood substrate with brass escutcheon pins, reminiscent of Christian icon paintings and stained glass windows.

PHD Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-6644
www.phdstl.com