Gallery Opening: Marty Balogh & Thomas Ramey
MARTY BALOGH – BLIND EXPLORATION
On an any-day Monday in 2019, I had a stroke.
Everything looked different. And I set out to capture it with a camera.
The shock that Marty endured in his early 50’s sent him on a journey. Initially he screamed at the world through expressive paintings created without inhibition but they failed to satisfy his search for answers. From there he dug deeper utilizing specialized photography equipment that catapulted him into mystical spaces, vibrant landscapes, and mysterious entities – as if he was discovering unknown places.
Marty begins an evening photo session with the declaration, “Show me something that I can’t see.” He describes his photographic journey as an archeological dig – blind exploration as he does not know when he takes a photograph what it will reveal if anything until he downloads it to his computer.
For maximum intensity and depth, Marty prints his photos on metal plates with a high gloss finish. The energetic colors awaken the senses. The eerie mists and clouds shroud the unknown leaving one on edge. The flash of fire or streaks of light suggest beings in motion or ritual flames. The works are transformative, taking the viewer through apprehension into beauty hidden to the human eye until discovered by the photographer’s lens.
THOMAS RAMEY
Thomas is a metal artist who builds everything from larger than life sculpture, to furniture, and high end architectural projects. Thomas has been working with metals for over 25 years. Starting as an apprentice for an Indy car racing machine shop in high school. There he started building odd sculptures with the leftover pieces of steel around the machine shop. After spending a year at Herron School of the Arts in Indianapolis, he walked away from art to spend the next 10 years as a touring musician. Thomas returned with a vengeance. He began turning the sketches he had been doodling with into reality. In 1999 Thomas opened a sculpture studio in the historic Stutz arts and business center, in Indianapolis. Working there, he attracted the attention of local interior designers and architects that wanted him for large scale projects. Thomas began working in the upscale neighborhoods of Indianapolis and Chicago. After working with various metals, from aluminum, brass, copper, bronze and mild steel, Thomas feels most at home with mild steel. “It’s such a malleable material that I can’t stop going to it”. In 2003, Thomas’ sculpture and furniture work with recycled materials, got the attention of a group that was doing a TV show about art and building high-end furniture from used aircraft parts in Los Angeles. Thomas was hired to be a supporting cast member/ metal artist, for Discovery Channels original series, “Wingnuts” The series ran for the fall season of 2004, with 10 episodes. In Jan. of 2005, Discovery Channel called on Thomas to do another TV show, “Monster House”. In April of 2005, Thomas found himself again on television, showing the world what he does best, awesome metal work. The episode, “Monster Club” was filmed while remodeling the famous Sunset Strip nightclub, The Cat Club, owned by Stray Cats drummer, Slim Jim Phantom and Guns and Roses guitarist, Gilby Clarke.
By this time Thomas was living and working full time in Los Angeles while continuing to do projects in the mid-west. Working with galleries and architects from Los Angeles to Chicago. Some of Thomas’ private architectural clients have included TV stars, Hollywood producers, Rock stars and professional athletes.
Soon after the Discovery Channel work was finished, Thomas opened a studio in Los Angeles which had an art gallery space in the front of the building. Thomas curated art openings with area artists who were not showing in the bigger galleries in town. This Do It Yourself style of artists doing their own shows, is a direct reflection of the music era of Thomas’ life as a performer.
In 2010 Thomas was awarded his first major art commission for the Dehaan Sculpture park of Indianapolis Indiana. Thomas’ sculpture, “The Gathering” is a 7 piece installation. All 7 pieces stand 16 feet tall, each weighing over 2000 pounds. Fabricated from Corten steel. The project took over 8 months to complete. With a budget of $200,000.00
In 2012 Thomas moved his studio to downtown Sacramento CA. to escape the rat race of Los Angeles and focus more on his sculpture work. 2014 found Thomas again on television with the FYI Network and a show called, “Red Hot Design”. Thomas was not only a cast member, but the lead fabricator/art director and project manager for the series which ran 7 episodes airing in the fall of 2014. One of the main focal points of the show, which Thomas pushed for, was to highlight the growing art of Northern California which centered around Sacramento. Thomas has been actively showing sculpture around the United States through galleries and major art fairs. From Art Chicago, SculptMiami, Art Miami, Art Hamptons in New York, Sausalito Art Fair, Palm Springs CA and many more since 2001.
With a love for geometric design, Thomas feels most of his work is rooted in balanced perspectives. Meaning, “To find a natural flow that is derived from the organized chaos that is geometric form”. Thomas’ attention to detail and perfection, is embedded into his craft from the years as an apprentice with some of Indy Car racing’s best fabricators. The work of Thomas Ramey is that of an artist who knows no limit to his craft, and is always searching for the next idea to bring to life.
Exhibitions:
2024
Reno International Art Fair – Reno, NV
Art Around Napa – Napa Ca.
2023
Placerville Arts Association 57th National Show
2019
Art Palm Springs – George Billis Gallery – Los Angeles
Indian Wells Festival of the Arts – Indian Wells Ca.
2018
Wide Open Walls Opening Gala – Sacramento Ca.
2016
San Diego Fine Art Fair – San Diego Ca.
Malibu Art Festival – Malibu Ca.
Mill Valley Art Fair – Mill Valley Ca.
Sausalito Art Festival – Sausalito Ca.
2014
Red Dot art fair Miami Fl.
2013
L.M.N.T Gallery – Miami Fl.
Castlefitzjohns Gallery – N.Y.C. NY
Oakwilde Sculpture Ranch – Valley Springs Ca.
SculptMiami – Miami Fl.
MAC Gallery – Ft. Lauderdale Fl.
Blue Lamp Gallery – Sacramento Ca.
2012
SculptMiami- Miami Fl.
Oakwilde Sculpture Ranch – Group Show – Valley Springs Ca.
2011
SculptMiami – Miami Fl.
Red Dot Miami with Art Box Gallery – Miami Fl.
Art Box Gallery – Indianapolis In.
K street Gallery Group show – Sacramento Ca.
Art Hamptons – Bridgehampton New York
Poesis – Group show – San Francisco Ca.
Art Chicago – Chicago Il.
2010
SculptMiami – Miami Fl.
Kavachnina Contemporary Gallery – Miami Fl.
Artbox Gallery – Indianapolis In.
2009
Cannibal Flower – Los Angeles Ca.
ArtBox Gallery – Indianapolis In.
2006
Create:Fixate – Los Angeles Ca.
2005
Create:Fixate – Los Angeles Ca.
2003
Eastern Gallery – Chicago Illinois – Two man show
Stutz Artist open studio tour – Indianapolis In.
2002
Eastern Gallery – Chicago Ill.
Stutz Gallery open studio tour – Indianapolis In.
2001
Kurn Gallery – Cleveland Oh.
Private & public commissions and collections:
2023
ARY Place Lofts – Sacramento Ca.
The Jaquelyn Wine Bar – Sacramento Ca.
2022
Angela Reynolds Designs – Jupiter Fl.
Esplanade Estates Club House – Lincoln Ca.
- Elmets – Sacramento Ca.
2021
Muse Research and Development Center – San Diego Ca.
Brian Davis Estates – Pebble Beach Ca.
- Farley – Napa Ca.
2020
- Liebman – Lake Tahoe Ca.
Buffalo Creek Sculpture Garden – Gardnerville Nv.
2019
- Farley – Napa Ca
2018
- Popat – Houston Tx.
2017
- Grinzwitch – Saramento Ca.
2016
- Kennedy – Tiburon Ca.
- Browning – Sacramento Ca.
2014
Nicholas Pichotta – Southport Ct.
2012
Hasmit Popat – Houston Tx.
2011
Henry Davis – Omaha NE.
Dick & Gloria Anderson – Lake Quivira Ks.
2010
Christel House DeHaan sculpture garden – Indianapolis In.
2009
Gregory Jacobs – Studio City Ca.
2008
Rosenthal Estate – Sherman Oaks Ca.
Tom Leykis – Los Angeles Ca.
Sylvia White Gallery – Ventura Ca.
Junker Designs – Los Angeles Ca.
2007
Donner Estate – Woodland Hills
Thierry Merchand – Studio City Ca.
2006
Christa Miller/ Bill Lawrence – Malibu Ca.
Kevin Bright – Malibu Ca.
Noel Bright – Hollywood Hills Ca.
Junker Designs – Los Angeles Ca.
2005
Rodomski Estate – Brentwood Ca.
2003
Maggos Estate – Lake Forest Ill.
Deylan Architecture – Indianapolis In.
2002
Carlson Estate – Lake Forest Ill