See Ya Sundee...
No doubt about it, Thirteenth Street is getting awfully trendy. Nestled down the street from the very trendy El Vez, the not-yet-but-soon-to-be trendy Vintage Wine Bar, and the delicious Capogiro, you’ll find Absolute Abstract, a boutique art retailer (not gallery!) that “offers oversized loft-style art, small pieces, and unique sculptures.” And you’re definitely getting more bang for your buck: we’re getting used to the idea of $300 as “affordable” (we’re still in an undergraduate state of mind), but when you consider that lots of artwork will run you into the thousands (or, if you’re a collector, millions), suddenly it’s like you’re looking at the ramen noodles of the decorative world.
Absolute Abstract opened this past March and the owners, James McManaman and David White (who are life partners in addition to business partners), are dedicated to making art easy and long-lasting for their customers. The canvases are stretched on stretcher bars and UV coated to make for easy hanging and durability. Unframed art in direct sunlight? Ha! James and David laugh in the face of sunlight!
David is more on the artistic end of things—he picks most of the artwork featured at Absolute Art. James is on the business and advertising front. We recently had a chance to meet James on a very hot Saturday afternoon, and after, we were able to correspond about Absolute Abstract, Thirteenth Street, and this Saturday’s very cool-sounding “Work in Progress” event.
What kind of works do you focus on? What might someone expect when they walk into the gallery?
[We feature] large-scale art that stands out on the wall, because of the great colors and the unique stretched canvas. We specialize in images that are not found at large retailers, and therefore you won’t see them everywhere.
Where did you get the idea to start Absolute Abstract? Why Philly?
David has been in Art & Framing for some great Galleries, such as Wentworth Gallery at King of Prussia. He also worked for Foiliograph in Washington DC. We realized that there was nowhere featuring canvas exclusively, and frameless [canvas] on top of that. Finally we wanted to provide affordable, quality artwork that could fill someone’s walls without breaking the bank.
We chose Philly, because David's brother Gary has been here for ten years and we love the Philly vibe. We noticed all the Lofts being built and thought what a perfect match. Hence, the name of our 2006 Spring-Summer collection—“Loft Art.”
Beyond “why Philly,” why not in Olde City where all the “other” galleries are?
We don’t feel that we are a Gallery as much as an Art Retailer. We have prices on everything, so you don’t have to ask for a price list. We pride ourselves in great customer service, by offering chilled cold towels to every person coming in the door, no matter how they are dressed. We are low-key, warm and friendly, and nothing in our store is over $499. (Yes, we will [also] have warm towels in the winter!)
Those cold towels absolutely made Phillyist’s day. Is that something you do often? Where did you get the idea?
David and I lived in Thailand, Indonesia, and The Philippines for seven years. The guest service there, particularly in Thailand, is world-class. One of the things I really liked is the cold or warm towels you get as a welcoming touch by upscale places. It really does refresh you and relax you at the same time. I roll towels every night, and everyone gets one. I was a Hotel General Manager and we were always thinking of interesting points of difference in our properties. For David and I, this is a perfect thing for Philly.
When Phillyist visited Absolute Abstract, you mentioned that you wanted to get all of the business owners on Thirteenth Street together. Could you talk a little more about that?
I have formed a group of [more than] thirty owners to determine how we can work together to bring more people to our great street. We are working on a new name for the area. We are officially part of Washington Square West, but it is such a large area and we are so far off the square, we feel a little branding for our street and the streets around us was in order. The restaurants and lounges along Sansom have grouped together to do a fall event on September 23, along [the street] from noon to five p.m… as a result of our newly formed group.
What is “Work in Progress,” and when is the next one?
The idea came from me trying to figure out a way to keep the windows interesting and let people know that we have original Art in addition to Prints on Canvas. “Work in Progress” is held monthly to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Mazzoni Center. We take a local Philadelphia artist, station him in the window of [our storefront], ask him to create a work of art, and then auction off the finished piece. Bidding for the artwork will begin [as soon as the painting begins] and will continue for one week, in silent auction format. “Work in Progress” occurs on the second Saturday of each month, from noon to five p.m.
This Saturday, August 12, we’ll be featuring Darrin Bowers in our window. Darrin is a self taught artist and a Philadelphia native. He took up a strong interest in art at an early age, yet his professional career has taken him into the banking industry. He has taken the time, however, to develop his skills as an artist and his interest continues to expand. Darrin works with mixed media, acrylic and oil and his main focus is in landscapes and abstract impressionism. Although he is new to the Philadelphia art community, his work is spontaneous and exciting.
What's next for Absolute Abstract?
We would like to open a store In University City next, perhaps late this year or early 2007.
Absolute Abstract is open Mondays from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Wednesdays from 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sundays from noon-5 p.m., and Tuesdays by appointment.
For more information on Absolute Abstract or “Work in Progres,” contact James McManaman at (215) 733-0190, or by email. The shop is located at 141 S. 13th Street in Center City Philadelphia.
Photos by author.
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