Suspend disbelief for a moment and join me in the lobby of the Millworks restaurant.
Imagine a chorus line of their in-house artists fully engaged in a musical production moving wildly to the boisterous tune of “Galop Infernal.” You have never heard it, you say?
From the turn of the century, the 20th that is, it is instantly recognizable as the music played at the Moulin Rouge for their cancan dancers circa Paris 1899. Toulouse-Lautrec painted the scene that was all the rage back then. He would drink absinthe into the wee hours of the morning until its celebrated doors closed for the evening. Ooh la la! Millworks may be a far cry from Paris and the demimonde that ruled the notorious nightclub. And yet there is a common bond between the two establishments.
A pyramid of beer cans featuring art by Millworks artists (photo: Jana MacGinnes)
Moulin Rouge literally translates to mean “Red Mill” and, of course, Millworks history speaks to the building’s original purpose housing the Stokes Mill. It dates to the 1940s when it manufactured trim and wood products. The cancan fascination exists between the two in a much different format. The Moulin Rouge cancan dancers lifted their skirts to reveal split leg bloomers while the creatives at Millworks lift their cans (beer) that hold their special brand of “art and ale.” Their designs adorn the cans brandishing their vision on the aluminum containers—ooh la la! Over 40 in-house artists have basked in the limelight as their art resides in the restaurant’s cooler. Highlighting a current top-10 available for purchase depends on the rotation through the brewery. The picture reveals the 10 when this frame was shot, engineered by P.D. Murray and staged by RLo, both of Millworks fame with can pyramid by Jana MacGinnes.
Linda Benton McCloskey’s beatific landscapes venture forth to new vistas while compatriot, fine artist, Paul Gallo’s work is pastoral as well, with windmills and a cow in tribute to the Dutch countryside. Marjorie Taylor’s easily identifiable butterflies, moths and bees land on the aluminum canvas fluttering about as Rebecca Adey’s 3-D Mod Sew creations of lovable creatures pop off the can’s surface. Recently departed from the studio, Carrie Shusta’s stained glass reflects the light, just so, even in the dark, while Pamela Black’s signature style, with her ever-changing palette of poetic paintings constantly in flux. Tina Berrier’s luminous label speaks to the permeability of worlds yet to be charted and cultures melded as one. Elaine Elledge has an edge geometrically speaking as her deftly designed can holds the elements of architecture meeting art. Studio mates Reina R76 Wooden and the Huckle Buckle Boys (HBB) topple convention with boundless bewilderment. For Reina, the Pennsylvania Keystone State outline and 1787 adorn her making an historic reference to statehood as one of the original 13 colonies. Zack Rudy and Garrett Dorset (the HBBs) have always been known for the characters they create. They are far removed from those we meet on the avenue of everyday life. In fact, if you came across them anywhere, you may want to cross the street. Alter egos or just part of the gang—you decide. No matter the time of year, you can count on Millworks cooler case being chock-a-block stocked with the latest libations (seasonal brews) artfully packaged in one of your artist’s favorite fantasies. And in a balancing act that defies the Moulin Rouge dancers’ high leg kicks, see how many cans you can stack without spilling their contents. Ooh La La!
RLo’s Adventures
Having moved on from Millworks Studio 215, Richard L. Hernandez, better known as RLo, has set his sights on the wide-open spaces of Wisconsin. Fortunately, art lovers who have marveled at his outsized charcoal masterpieces can take heart, as he will remain a vital part of Midtown’s art scene through the end of summer. If one can liken RLo to a spirit animal, then William Blake’s metaphorical poem, “The Tyger,” captures his true essence. In the poem, the phrase “burning bright” alludes to the tiger’s bright yellow fur, glowing as it roams the forest at night. RLo’s images burn bright day or night, and talent cannot be caged so, this fall, RLo will become a Wisconsin Badger’s boon companion.
This work by RLo is currently showing at Maryland Art Place in Baltimore.
Anyone who has stood before a masterwork feels the humility and awe that pervades the human psyche. They are something ever-present when viewing RLo’s charcoal catalog. In rare instances, a light every few thousand years shines brighter than others…in the universe we know it is a beam burning incandescently, a brilliant example of expression for the ages. In the vein of the great masters, Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo, RLo has taken his rightful place among them with his charcoal treasures. From old world monuments to modern day perfection, his work defines the medium. As part of the recent exhibition, “Embodiment,” at Maryland Art Place, MAP in Baltimore, his work is featured depicting a scene that bubbled over in a charnel house of human desire, caught up in a sepulcher of souls. I labeled his work, “The Agony and the Ecstasy.” Like his other outsized drawings, it showcases the breadth of his mastery. Look for RLo in art events and pop-ups locally throughout the coming months or contact the artist at [email protected]
3rd in The Burg’s Hot Ticket for April
Julia Mallory’s art on the February cover of TheBurg
As an artist in Harrisburg, what do you do next to top having your painting featured on the cover of TheBurg? You open an art gallery! That is exactly what February’s featured cover artist, Julia Mallory, did. John Lennon penned the song, “Julia,” in 1968 and wrote of “an ocean child with seashell eyes.” How did he know that Julia Mallory would write a series of books under the banner of black mermaids? And now she has opened the doors to her studio and gallery titled Ten Oh! Six at, of course, 1006 N. 3rd Street, just a block up from TheBurg. Come out and meet Julia Friday night from 5 to 8 p.m. Digital portrait pop artist Cody Burt is the gallery’s featured guest star for the month under his moniker, Codeture.
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