Mark Gmehling – Analog Artist Digital World

Snap! Orlando has opened a new gallery downtown at 420 E Church St, Orlando, FL. The opening exhibit featured g artists in z galleries. As part of our ongoing mission to boldly increase the visibility and appreciation of art in our community and beyond, Snap has expanding to the Downtown / Thornton Park neighborhoods.

The largest gallery featured Mark Gmehling, ‘Nu Werks’ – Exhibit curated by Holly and Patrick Kahn. Mark is a German artist who has an elastic view on life. He makes fine art prints from 3D renderings of abstract characters and bizarre scenarios, all illustrated in a playfully fluid manner. The aesthetics of each of his figures are highly polished though and resemble beautiful, glossy ceramic pieces. Gmehling was introduced to the US by Snap! in 2014, and has garnered international press including the cover of Orlando Weekly, front page of Orlando Sentinel, Hi Fructose Magazine, and Der Spiegel in Germany.

Also in the front gallery, were sculpted rings by Rebecca Rose, ‘New Sculpturings,’ which are beautifully created pieces redefined beyond their traditional sense, each piece with unique form and storytelling, blending luxury with urban activism relevant to current social issues. Rebecca sketches, assembles, carves, invests, kiln fires, and casts her own work in her studio.

In the middle gallery was work by Chris Robb, ‘Continuum’. Coming from a background of graphics and printing, Robb’s work has evolved over the past 30 years into an expressionistic abstraction. Color is central to his dynamic compositions. His grasp of the formal properties of color––hue, value, intensity, and temperature, permits him to layer multiple colors without overpowering the structure of his compositions.

The back gallery featured the edgy urban work of Earl Funk, ‘Seasons Change’ This exhibit was curated by Gina Bernadini. Orlando illustrator and tattoo artist new works are inspired by the changing of the seasons, as well as the idea of being open to changing ourselves.

Artists were present on opening night. Catering, craft cocktails by The Courtesy Bar, music by DJ Nigel John and DJ Ken Sherry.

On June 16th I went to Snap! Space, to sketch German Muralist Mark Gmehling as he worked on a huge five story high mural. I had also visited on Friday the 13th, but he had just painted the whole area grey using a roller on that day. The mural depicts Mickey Mouse gloved hands clutching oozing gooey brain matter.

As I did this sketch, an angry line of fire ants marched in line into a crack in a blue grey wall. Patrick Kahn, Snaps founder offered me an umbrella to block the sun. I felt a little guilty being pampered because Mark was five stories up in the lift wearing a black TShirt in the 90s plus humid Florida heat. He didn’t need any shade. Since I have had skin cancer before, I accepted the offer and helped him tape the umbrella to the telephone pole I was leaning against.

Several people stopped to look and take pictures. Two time lapse cameras were set up to record every stage of the mural’s creation. When Mark came down for a break, we spoke for a while. He is a teacher and he does most of the painting using spray paint. He likes the greys that are in the Montana Gold spray paint being used for this mural. The forms combine hard edges and soft edges as he builds up the form. He works quick. The mural will be complete in less than a weeks time and he worked entirely alone. Local artist Chris Tobar did help paint some of the grey base coat paint lower to the ground floor. A tattoo shop is opening up right behind Snap! Space. I imagine one of the first requests will be to tattoo Marks melting brain image onto someones arm.

Mark Your Calendar! The mural will be completed before the “Snap! Attacks!” opening on Friday June 20th from 6pm to 10pm at Snap! Space, in the historic Cameo Theater, 1013 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando, Fl. The show will be a cutting edge contemporary and figurative art show from the combined curatorial forces of Snap! Orlando and Art Attacks featuring photography, painting, illustration, mixed media, sculpture and video installation with internationally renowned artists in attendance. Guest curators Art
Attacks is an online art resource for contemporary arts,
providing a curated digital gallery, in depth interviews, and art event
coverage. After four years of showcasing the best in contemporary art
and creative inspiration, Art Attacks Online is pleased to announce its
very first gallery show!

On Saturday June 21st from 2pm to 4pm there will be a free artist panel discussion at Snap! Space so you can meet the artists and learn more about their work.

Snap! Downtown Opening.

Snap! Attacks! to Open at Snap Space!