Greg Weaver Art Show at Hava Java!

Fellow blogger and Allentown historian Michael Molovinsky tells me that from 1972-1982 there was a cool art scene happening at Greg Weaver's studio in downtown Allentown. Weaver opened his doors to artists, performers, musicians, and all sorts of hipsters making the scene. There were lots of parties, man. That former hippie MM was there making movies and taking photos. Greg started this scene and was an inspiration to many local artists. Greg also had a band and he played guitar. The Allentown Art Museum has some of his work, and he had a sculpture in the Rose Garden. Weaver showed his work at the Allentown Art Museum, and at galleries in NYC and in the Lehigh Valley. Unfortunately Greg suffered from kidney disease and lost his sight in 1987, but he continued to paint until his death in 1994.

The collection of around 20 pieces at Hava Java is a good representation of the various styles of Weaver's work. There are several abstracted cow paintings, done in different media, some with heavy impasto (thick) paint and bright colors. There are no large scale paintings (and Weaver tended to work large scale) in this show due to the small space of the room. Some of his cow paintings remind me of French artist Dubuffet http://www.artchive.com/artchive/D/dubuffet/cow_with_subtile_nose.jpg.html There are mixed media paintings with tin foil and glitter and other found materials. Some of his abstract paintings without figures remind me of color field painting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_Field

Weaver's fun and folksy subject matter of cows, ducks, and fisherman for example, crosses over into the realm of fine art, and this is what makes his work really special, and accessible to everyone. Here is the artist's statement:

"I see my painting as urban American folk art; that is, an art that comes from responding to the tensions of national urbanization. My art is a translation of cultural energy that I feel, into a language that speaks to those with no special knowledge of art, as well as to the knowledgeable. I like the visual intensity and commercialism of neon lights, television, billboards, postcards, comics, photographs, metallic and iridescent cars. I need the contradictions and paradoxes of modern American culture."

Sounds a lot like Pop-Art to me, and that's my personal fave.

This is important and meaningful art. Please go see this show at Hava Java coffee shop on 19th St. in Allentown across from the Theatre. It will be up through July 31.