Arts & Culture
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B2 February 25, 2014 Arts & Culture www.TheEpochTimes.com/Arts COURTESY OF DACIA GALLERY COURTESY OF DACIA GALLERY “Perspec- “Off tive II” by Balance” Victoria by Erin Selbach, Anderson, acrylic on oil on canvas, 51 copper, 9 inches by inches by 35 inches. 12 inches. In a landscape dominated by pop, A Gallery Where Artists abstract, and conceptual art, Dacia is one of a handful of galleries Are the First Priority in the city focusing on contemporary figurative art. Lee Vasu’s unique vision for Dacia Gallery By Christine Lin He actively helps artists get larger percentage off if I can get Epoch Times Staff into other galleries. an artwork into an important “Not many galleries do that— collection because it helps the ‘Why would I give my artists artist in the long run,” he said. NEW YORK—They were sup- away?’—I don’t look at it like The press and auction houses posed to celebrate the open- that,” he said. “I want them to can push a young artist to diz- ing of their group exhibition gain full exposure everywhere. zying heights. But to ensure that Be Seen at Dacia Gallery on Feb. 13, but It doesn’t help me or anyone an artist’s career doesn’t fizzle a snowstorm whited out their else if they just have one solo out with the changing fash- plans for the evening. Gath- show a year.” ions requires a slow and steady in the City’s Most ering instead a week later, the Last year he sent the works approach based on patron- exhibiting artists who attended of 27 artists on a three-month age and building relationships Discerning Arts Section introduced their paintings, tour across France, Germany, between artists and collectors. each one fresh off the easel. and his native Romania. If a Vasu said Dacia has attracted Their audience—mostly painting sold along the way, the a younger group of collectors • Our arts coverage is coveted by serious friends and fellow artists— buyer wasn’t allowed to have it since he started showing art- and sophisticated art lovers spilled out from a white-walled until the whole tour concluded. ists in their 20s and 30s. furnace of a room onto the When it comes to collec- “All these younger people • Place your ad next to vibrant, insightful editorial sidewalk, filling the block with tors, he sometimes finds him- started to come check it out,” • Reach over 150,000 New Yorkers per week excited chatter. As the speeches self turning people down— he said. “Once they’re hooked, began, voices dropped to a hush. not because their offers aren’t people keep coming back. We email [email protected] today. What followed was no exer- good, but because their collec- have a good group of support- cise in customary self-intro- tion might not be the best home ive collectors.” ductions and thank-yous— for an artist’s work. artists launched straight into “I would rather sell it for a See Gallery on B5 sharing their inspirations, musings, unresolved artis- COURTESY OF LEE VASU tic conundrums, and work- ing methods. They were often self-effacing, thinking out loud, backtracking, and drew peals of sympathetic laughter from their listeners. Dacia Gallery is a sliver of a space on Stanton Street on the Lower East Side, where hun- dreds of galleries have sprung up over the last few years. In a landscape dominated by pop, abstract, and conceptual art, Dacia is one of a handful of galleries in the city focusing on contemporary figurative art. The uncommonly collegial atmosphere here is bred from owner and curator Lee Vasu’s distinct vision for his gallery. Watching Artists, Not Markets At the most basic level, art galleries function to connect artists and collectors. How to negotiate between the interests of the two groups is up to each gallery owner. From Dacia’s inception four years ago, Vasu www.TheEpochTimes.com has tipped the balance almost completely toward the artist, and it’s working. Lee Vasu at an exhibit at Dacia Gallery, September 2012. B5 Arts & Culture February 25, 2014 www.TheEpochTimes.com/Arts James Cameron Says ‘Avatar 2’ Is ‘Going Very Well’ AP PHOTO/20TH CENTURY FOX, FILE By Jack Phillips manifests itself in very differ- Epoch Times Staff ent ways.” Sam Worthington, Zoe Sal- dana, and Stephen Lang are Director James Cameron starring in the movie to reprise recently talked about his pro- their roles. gress on “Avatar 2,” saying pro- Cameron added, “That’s the duction is in the “early stages.” great thing about Avatar, it’s “We’re still in the early stages. such a rich world, I can explore Right now we’re developing any theme or any idea that I the software. I’m writing the want. Once you’ve got the char- scripts. We’re designing all the acters that an audience loves, creatures and characters and it’s great to surprise them and the settings, and so on. So, I’m make changes and turns that not actually directing yet, but they don’t expect.” I’m doing all the other creative “And you don’t have to spend processes that lead up to that. so much time of the movie set- It’s going very well. I think it’s ting up all that stuff, because going to be spectacular,” he told the audience will remember Slashfilm. from the previous film. I don’t He added: “You’ll see new get bored. It’s a great world. I worlds, new habitats, new cul- love being in the world of Pan- tures. The primary conflict dora.” between the human view kind The sequel won’t be in theat- of dominating nature and the ers until December 2016, and Na’vi view of being integrated “Avatar 3” and “Avatar 4” will into nature is the same, but it come out in 2017 and 2018. Neytiri (R), voiced by Zoe Saldana and Jake, voiced by Sam Worthington are shown in a scene from, "Avatar." ‘LEGO Movie’ Sequel Set for May 2017 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT, INC By Larry Ong cost $60 million to produce, Epoch Times Staff passed the $200 million mark in worldwide box office less than 2 weeks after its release. Still enjoying the top place at the The February blockbuster has box office, "The LEGO Movie" helped Warner Bros. stand out sequel is scheduled for May 26, in the animated film industry, 2017, Warner Bros. announced. where it faces stiff competition Jared Stern and Michelle Mor- from Disney, Pixar, and Dream- gan will write the sequel, reports works. The Wrap. Phil Lord and Chris- So far, the sequel is the only Emmet (voiced by topher Miller, who wrote and big animated film slated for Chris Pratt) in the 3D directed the original, return as May 2017. "Despicable Me 3" computer animated producers. and a new Pixar movie are June adventure "The LEGO "The LEGO Movie," which releases. Movie." A Gallery Where Artists Are Stone lithographic advertising poster detail, China, Ca. 1920 the First Priority COURTESY OF DACIA GALLERY Gallery continued from B1 A Learning Culture The next big thing on Vasu’s agenda is a field trip of epic pro- portions. He’s taking applica- tions from artists of all skill lev- els for a monthlong residency in Sibiu, Romania. They will paint and draw fig- ures and landscapes, visit cat- acombs and monasteries, and study ancient frescoes. Vasu bro- kered a deal with the Romanian government to let his group of intrepid artists sleep in Dracu- la’s castle. All participants are expected to break out of their comfort zones, Vasu said. “How many Prussian, Serbian, Turkish, or Greek artists can the average artist in the United States name? There’s a half a continent’s worth of work that we don’t know,” he said. “My idea is to take them out there and show them something dif- A selection from “Becoming” by Thomas Wharton, oil on linen. ferent, inspire them in a differ- ent way.” trend among these artists’ fig- A former art educator, Vasu ural works is bodies and faces has a teacher’s knack at encour- At this moment, turned away from the viewer, an aging people to explore and indirect or obscured gaze, a gen- express their ideas. if there’s one eral sense of emotional distance. Personal and artistic growth thing on the They say something about secret is always on his mind, and pains, isolation, and the modern being an artist himself, Vasu minds of these condition. understands that creative peo- Dacia Gallery’s current ple thrive on constantly push- artists, it’s a group exhibition, Motus in ing the limits of what’s possible. Figuris, closes on Feb. 28 He runs his business the same concern about and features the work of Erin way—staying involved with the problems Anderson, Janet Cook, Ste- questions each artist is grap- phen Early, Thomas Legaspi, Look into the East pling with in his or her artistic Stefano Losi, Osiris Rain, expression. with human Biata Roytburd, Buket Savci, “I don’t like to plan shows too connections. Carol Scavotto, Victoria Sel- At the gallery of Michael Ayervais far ahead because you never bach, Patricia Watwood, and Where Asian art comes to life in a magical setting know what artists will be work- Thomas Wharton. ing on in the meantime,” he said. it’s a concern about human con- At this moment, if there’s one nection, or more specifically, For more information, visit 40 West 25th St. New York #228-229 | 917-623-2571 thing on the minds of this group, the problems therewith.