The streets of SoHo are lined with art galleries. And one of my favorite, just so happens to be, AFA (formerly, Animazing Gallery). This lovely gallery is on at the corner of Greene and Broome St. Its focus: illustration and animation art, in the world of Fine Art. Read their explanation here and enter the two websites of the former and current galleries.
Yesterday, I popped in to look around and also to look at the prices for some art books (particularly Nicoletta Ceccoli’s and Daniel Merriam’s). Currently, there is no exhibition, however, selected works by their permanent artists are featured on the two floors. You can check out the works of the artists here. I am particularly huge fan of Nicoletta Ceccoli and Daniel Merriam. Ceccoli is known for her dreamy yet eerie paintings. At first glance, her works appear innocent and charming, but upon closer inspection, they become unsettling. As for Merriam, he is a famous watercolorist. His works are magnificent, beautiful, grand, and detailed. His architectural background seeps through his paintings. His attention to intricate details and varying palette of colors combined with his painting subjects create a fantasy-like, mystical, magical, some sort of awe-inspiring word, setting and narrative.
Tim Burton’s film art is displayed here as well. (I love Tim Burton! I just bought his colossal and heavy book, The Art of Tim Burton. Well worth its cost.) There are also works that most children are familiar with, including some paintings of Winnie the Pooh and friends, Snoopy (in paintings by Tom Everhart, “the only artist licensed to use the Peanuts characters in his art”), a retrospective on Maurice Sendak (author and illustrator of the classic Where the Wild Things Are), and paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures by the widely popular Theodor Giesel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Another classic is the work of the Frouds, famous fairy artists and conceptual designers. Chances are, you have already encountered their works in the entertainment sphere. I certainly did. Their goblins, trolls, and fairies creeped me out when I was younger and they still do now.
Other fascinating works of art that caught my attention were, Kirk Reinert grotesque portraits, Lin Esser’s whimsical yet macabre tableaux, and some really cool pieces of mechanical design/clockwork. Sadly, I don’t remember the artist’s name anymore. But, all the more reason to visit in person and not just Google the work.
So, if you’re a fan of animation art and happen to be around nearby, drop in. The gallery is not particularly big (you can go really inspect everything in about an hour or walk through it quickly in about 15 minutes, depending on yours style), however their collection is really top notch for anyone interested in these classic and popular works of illustration and animation.
photo credit: animazing.com
