Variable Elements | Club Gallery | review by Carmen Smith

Ever attend an art show and fall in love with an artwork only to be heartbroken by its price tag? We’ve all been there. Don’t worry, because Curator and Art Advisor Amanda Baker is dedicated to bridging the collecting gap. She wants to make affordable art collecting a reality for all. This is the driving concept behind “Variable Elements,” on view now until September 17, 2022 at Club Gallery.

New to Miami and in a new space with a charming keyhole shaped entry, Club Gallery is situated inside The Citadel Miami. The gallery location allows for plenty of traffic. The Citadel attracts a diverse audience, perfect for expanding a collecting audience. Known as a local arts and artisan hub, and has grown over the last 5 five to include a food court, cocktails, sustainable goods, and rooftop bar. Side note, the last time I was at the Citadel was in 2016, it was located across the street in a musty old Miami vernacular style building. The new Citadel feels like Chelsea Market in Manhattan.

“Variable Elements” offers a variety of works from Miami artists. Each artist represents his or her signature style. And each artwork is priced affordably with 2D works starting at $125 and nothing over $2000. Most of the works fall in the $300-$500 range. The pricing reflects Amanda Baker’s goal to help beginning collectors and art enthusiasts to discover and acquire contemporary art. Shop available artworks in “Variable Elements” here.

Francisco Donoso

Some of the stand out artworks include the work of Francisco Donoso. Donoso spends his time between NYC and Miami. Donoso explores themes related to boundaries, un-documented persons, and belonging. His works are semi-abstract and contain strong symbology through the exploration of imagery relating to fencing and the landscape, or “fence-scape,” where the US border is located. By deconstructing and re-framing the fence, a possibility of transformation emerges. Through layers of paint and other media, the artist aims to exude a sense of optimism, playfulness and intrigue.

Kiki Valdes

Kiki Valdes is a first generation Cuban American whose works address topics of assimilating and blending cultures. He utilizes familiar iconography of Americana mixed with symbolic elements of his Cuban heritage. Through this technique, the works create deeper meaning. In the work “Caffeine Headache No. 2,” Valdes incorporates the cafetera (iconic Cuban espresso maker) because it relates to Hispanic culture. He juxtaposes the cafetera with American Pop reference Alfred E. Neuman, the fictitious cover boy of American humor publication Mad Magazine. He chose Neuman as a symbol from the era when his parents arrived from Cuba.

Alissa Alfonso

Alissa Alfonso embraces a deep connection to nature through her work. She dreams of idyllic landscapes, fluffy clouds, and kaleidoscope skies. She describes her creations as a mixture of emotions, memories and passions that preserve the natural world. The work highlights the beauty in nature without downplaying the destruction that human activity causes.

Magnus Sodamin

Another artist working in the realm of landscape in a very different manner is Magnus Sodamin. Sodamin’s practice employs a variety of techniques to obscure the (frontier) between abstraction and landscape painting. His typically immersive exhibitions begin with vibrant splashes of color painted on the walls and floors. He then complements the painted area with canvases or panels created with similarly emotive compositions. A product of his surroundings, his vivid tropical work exudes a strong Miami influence.