A Photographic Series By Andy Gershon With Paintings By Fani Schifman, Opens May. Andy Gershon will receive a homecoming exhibit at Weinberger Fine Art in Kansas City, MO. The artist reception for “Photourist: A Monograph,” a photographic series by Gershon with abstract expressionistic paintings inspired by Gershon’s photos by Kansas City artist Fani Schifman, will take place at the gallery on Thursday, April 30, from 5:30-7:30 pm. Gershon will sign copies of the limited edition “Photourist” catalog, published by Jefferson Holt’s Daniel 13, at the reception.
The public opening will be held at Weinberger Fine Art on Friday, May 1, from 5:30-9:00 pm in conjunction with the Crossroads Arts District First Friday, an evening when the galleries and studios of this eclectic neighborhood open their doors to showcase local and national artists. “Photourist” will be the gallery’s sole exhibit for the month of May.
With “Photourist,” Gershon uses his camera to covertly document strangers using their cell phones to capture culture and nature. The series explores how we use technology to consume culture, and how it, in return, consumes us.
“It was a joy curating two bodies of work created using different artistic mediums but linked by subject matter,” said Kim Weinberger, owner and executive curator of Weinberger Fine Art. “I believe that the show will appeal to both the curator and the observer in all of us.”
Gershon, who was born and raised in Kansas City, has been a tastemaker in the music industry for the past 25 years, discovering and nurturing careers of artists such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Moby, and The White Stripes. Also an avid photographer, he has had several group shows in New York City. His work is currently collected by curators and collectors in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, including many of the musicians he has worked with over the years.
Fani Schifman used Gershon’s photographs as inspiration for the series of paintings that complete the exhibit. Born in Sweden, Schifman is the daughter of Holocaust survivors and came to the U.S. when she was five. A longtime Kansas City resident, she began drawing as a child and hasn’t stopped since. Schifman’s work has evolved over the years, but continues to be informed by nature, architecture and life experiences. In addition to her lifetime devotion to painting, she has channeled her artistic abilities into several related fields – including interior design, a partnership in an art gallery with her husband, Bill, and teaching art to Kansas City high school students. “Photourist” marks her first collaboration with Gershon, who is her nephew.
“One of my main inspirations growing up was album cover art – and one of my favorites was Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma, a picture of the band within a picture of the band within a picture of the band ….” remarked Jefferson Holt of Daniel 13. “When I first saw the voyeuristic series that became Photourist, I fell in love. Not just with the amazing colors, the people and the street photography, but also with how Andy utilizes the photo-within-a-photo technique to tease the brain, like an Escher drawing does. When I heard that Andy’s aunt was doing paintings of his photographs, I thought, ‘What could be more perfect?’ I hope everyone in Kansas City comes to Weinberger Fine Art with their iPhones in hand.”
About Weinberger Fine Art
Weinberger Fine Art is a thriving gallery in the heart of the Kansas City Crossroads Art District. It is committed to showcasing diverse and fresh work from both emerging and established artists. Weinberger Fine Art offers a wide range of services for the established collector or the first time buyer and aims to be the critical link between artist and patron.
