Elana Gutmann:
Elana Gutmann was recently listed in ARTnews as one
of the top artist to watch. Reviewer Kevin Nance captures a sense of
her Tales of Enchantment works as follows: "Elana Gutmann’s
beguiling suite of abstract paintings brought to mind the weirdly vivid
but imperfect reconstructions of dreams one recalls in the morning."
The commentaries are consistent – evocative, dynamic,
synaesthetic. Of the series "La Passagiata" it is written: "Elana
Gutmann's paintings are sensory landscapes whose climate and topography
are mapped via color and gesture - her interest lies, as she says, in
"infinite arrangement, pairing, sequence. Does orange lie lightly on
cream, infringe on blue, incite red and if so, what happens?" One might
think of these images as flowcharts from a dream-state, or
choreographic notes for the imagination-- their imagery is full,
tangible, yet fugitive, buzzing with synaesthetic scent and tone. In
addition to numerous exhibitions in the United States, Elana's work has
been exhibited in Berlin, Paris, Düsseldorf, Valencia (Spain),
Stockholm, Saigon, and Pescara (Italy). Her work can be found in the
collections of the , Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, Wingspread
Foundation and the University of Chicago, as well as in corporate and
private collections worldwide. Her donation is worth over $800.
"The
collectors of my work are diverse – they’re scholars,
doctors, anthropologists, conservationists, designers, teachers,
architects, heads of industry, inventors, other artists…What
they have in common is their own curiosity, an openness—an
appetite for new experience, knowledge, ways of seeing – of
knowing life. I would like to believe that it is this appetite and
capacity that resonates and engages them with the work." -- Elana Gutmann
Michael Velliquette:
Michael Velliquette often uses sheets of
multi-colored archival card stock that are hand-cut then glued, working
from background to foreground, onto a paper backing in successive
layers. Narratives ranging from the intimate to the epic address
ongoing philosophical quandaries of the human condition including
questions of self, other, place, transformation and transcendence. The
flatness of the paper is countered by a dense layering of successively
smaller and more ornate pieces; bending, folding and rolling elements
coupled with the graphic qualities of the paper cut-out's edges create
dramatic spatial relationships. An intuitive use of color supports the
works’ handmade aesthetic. The intricately crafted constructions
are set in deep frames to heighten the works’
three-dimensionality. Mr. Velliquette was the recipient of an artist
residency and one-person exhibition at Artpace (San Antonio) TX in
2004. He has previously had one-person exhibitions at galleries in
Dallas and San Francisco and has been in included in group exhibitions
at Western Bridge (Seattle) and Deitch Projects (New York).
"I
try to be in the studio as often as possible for as long as possible. I
am a compulsive 'tinkerer'- someone who regularly needs long hours of
uninterrupted studio time to feel balanced and happy. Discoveries tend
to happen for me through a direct engagement with materials. I tend to
need to produce large amounts of work to feel
creatively sated. I also make significant breakthroughs just because I
was staring at something on the studio wall. I think the key is just
being there." -- Michael Velliquett
Carrie Ann Baade:
Carrie Ann Baade's imaginative portraits and
narratives are informed by both religion and mythology. Gods, rulers,
demons and monsters play out the complexity of the human condition in
works that incorporate, quote and interpret forgotten paintings and
references. She has traveled around the globe in search of inspiration;
her works reinterpret historical paintings into an entirely original
vision, rich with the confluence of various cultures and time periods.
Carrie was nominated for a 2007 United States Artist Fellowship. Her
work is featured in Metamorphosis, a book released in the spring of
2007 featuring the top contemporary Surrealists. In 2007, she had solo
exhibitions at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art and The Ningbo
Art Museum in China. She has solo exhibitions scheduled in Berlin and
London for 2008. Baade is currently an Assistant Professor of Painting
and Drawing at Florida State University.
"As
an artist and subject in my work, I consider myself to be steward and
ax man to the legacy of art history. Created out of ‘the anxiety
of influence’ and its effects on one’s artistic identity,
these portraits develop from incongruous sources forced into an
uncomfortable whole. Nearly every subject in my paintings
receives an additional set of eyes. The superimposed eyes are like a
mask, thus providing the opportunity to role-play, hide or act out."
-- Carrie Ann Baade
Chet Zar:
Chet Zar is most well known for his work with the
band Tool in make-up effects & animations for live shows. Chet has
also had an successful career in the motion picture industry, having
done special effects for movies such as-- The Ring, HellBoy, and Planet
of the Apes. He has been featured in Juxtapoz Magazine and has
exhibited at several top Pop Surrealism galleries throughout the world.
Chet Zar is one of 50 Artists featured in the Beinart International
Surreal Art Collective's publication entitled Metamorphosis.
"My
paintings are really just extensions of my doodles. I like to work that
way because when I am doodling and not really thinking about what I am
doing, it allows me easy access to my subconscious. I try not to get
too specific with their meanings, yet I do see a theme of anxiety and
vulnerability running through them. Many of the characters I paint are
very ugly and freakish on the surface, yet they also have a sort of
innocence about them, kind of like the way I see humanity. Above all,
they do feel to me like they are simply portraits of us." -- Chet Zar
James Zar:
James Zar was born in San Pedro, California in 1941
and came from a family of hard-working fishermen. The vitality of
strong workingmen set against the background of the eternal sea’s
enchantment was the influential environment where he learned about
life. James creates paintings that allow the viewer to travel to
another world. A place full of vibrant color and lively beings. His
work is marked by a bold use of color, mastery of composition, and
playful spirituality. They offer the viewer the perfect visual escape
from a long day at work. Zar has been involved with major movie studios
where he worked professionally and became friends with Arnold
Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. He also befriended Frank
Sinatra, Jack Palance, Don Rickles and Hal Holbrook. His paintings have
been displayed in their private collections. Mr. Zar has remained
humble even though he has had great success with his art. One of his
paintings hangs in Governor Schwarzenegger's office. James has donated
two preliminary drawings. Each are valued at $500.
"It
is most important to be true to your vision, your passion about the
subject matter that you’re drawn to. And remember most art
critics and gallery owners do not necessarily appreciate good art." -- Chet Zar
Josephine Gibbs:
Josephine instructs all the mediums within
printmaking at Yavapai community college. Born in England, she now
lives and teaches in the USA. He work can be found in several private
collections. Josephine's artwork is interdisciplinary. She combines
materials and explores the possibilities of them while creating. The
main theme of her work is to stir up the viewers sense of imagination
and promote a feeling of wonder. Subjects that influence her work are
Eastern Indian and Native American Art, transpersonal psychology, and
comparative mythology.
"Spirituality
plays a huge part in my art. I have spent most of my days here on the
planet critiquing life and studying transpersonal psychology. Along
with this I have experimented with mind altering substances. I believe
these have added to my spiritual wanderings and to my work." -- Josephine Gibbs
Ray DiCecco:
Throughout his productive career Raymond DiCecco has
experimented with practically ever painting medium and has perfected
his technique with alarming results. His series 'Madonna with Child'
and 'New Madonnas' are considered (by some) to be his most
controversial work. However, Mr. DiCecco is no stranger to controversy
(observe his site). Mr. DiCecco's 'New Madonnas' series shows the
mother and child relationship in a contemporary light. These images
contain and transcend the religious/spiritual aspects of this classical
theme's historical origins in order to reveal the unspoken, darker,
psycho-emotional concerns of the mother and child; i.e., not all
heavenly happiness, but expressions from the gamut of human emotion
that, when communicated, form the foundation for all human relations.
These paintings and photographs reveal the fears, tears, and hard core
reality of human beings entering the world- the blood and sweat, the
angst of the modern mother. They are not about God or some form
of spiritual awakening... they are about the conflicts of our lives.
Ray is represented by KFMK gallery in NYC.
"Some
people think I’m religious because lately I’ve been delving
into classic religious themes. But look at the work. I don’t
think you’ll find God there. You will find human conflict. Maybe
I can say I have this weird kind of faith in humankind." -- Raymond DiCecco
Sabrina Small:
Before moving to Berlin, Germany in September of
2002, Sabrina Small made her home in Sarasota, Florida. She has
exhibited extensively throughout the state of Florida, as well as in
San Francisco, New York, London, Budapest and Berlin. She has been
involved with several major art fairs, including the Bridge Art Fair.
While her earlier work is mainly painted on wood and paper, Small
recently began experimenting with hand stitchings on material such as
felt, velvet and wearable fabric.
"I
try to focus on creating work that excites me and not spend too much
energy thinking about what will sell or what's hip at the moment
(technically or thematically speaking). By the time you figure that
out, the art world will have moved on to something else. And anyway,
everything seems to come back. It's all, in my mind, a regurgitation of
the past. There's a good chance that whatever I'm making at the moment
will at some point be relevant - if not now than in the future perhaps.
We shall see." -- Sabrina Small
Tristan Schane:
Tristan Schane jump-started his career in art during
his teens as a comic book illustrator- eventually working for major
labels, such as DC Comics and Marvel Comics. During those years he
illustrated popular characters: Wolverine, Ghost Rider, The Midnight
Sons... just to name a few. Since that time Tristan has worked to
develop his own imaginative art in both sculpture and oil painting. As
a sculptor he draws a lot of technical and visual cues from the
sculptural work being done in cinema special effects. It is that
industry’s trailblazing use of new techniques and materials, and
its exploration of radical new imagery, that has helped to fuel the
direction of his own sculpture. The painting style that he has been
developing over the past few years has gone through a metamorphosis.
When Tristan began working as a fine artist he was very influenced by
Surrealism. From that starting point, he began to develop a language of
imagery and a technique that he calls Subversive Realism. However, his
work continues to grow as he searches for an art that is true to his
own design. Tristan's work was recently included in 'Metamorphosis'- a
book containing the work of 50 surreal and fantastic artists- including
Carrie Ann Baade, Chet Zar, and Alex Grey.
"It
was around 1993 that I started doing fully painted work for the comics
industry. Up to that point, I never had any ambition to be anything
other than a comic book artist. Once I started painting, though, the
world of comics art started to seem very constraining and I became more
and more drawn to fine arts as an environment I'd prefer." -- Tristan Schane
Basil Alkazzi:
Basil Alkazzi has been an active artist and strong
advocate for the arts for several decades. His donations and awards
have benefited several artists and institutions. Basil actively
supports the Royal College of Art in London, the New York Foundation
for the Arts and the Marie Walsh Sharpe Arts Foundations that gives
some sixty studio spaces to young artists in New York. Mr. Alkazzi's
contributions to the art world have helped many artists, including-
Thomas Connolly, Michael Rich, Sandow Birk, Oscar Romp, Nana Shiomi,
and John Jacobsmeyer. These artists have went on to have great success
with their art. His donation is worth over $2,000.
"I
don't know if an artist has a specific role, each expresses himself or
herself in their own way, according to their own unlimited limitations-
and we all have limitations. For me, there is a need to create. A
compulsion if you like- An expression of the inner self." -- Basil Alkazzi
Bruce Samuelson:
Samuelson's interest with the figure reveals itself
more as an interest in, or an accumulation of shifting glimpses. Torsos
and appendages turn and twist as a result of Samuelson's search for a
formal resolution that seems determined to remain open to the flux of
process and discovery. One thing is certain, we end up in the presence
of human form and activity. Bruce Samuelson is a Professor of Painting
and Drawing at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia,
PA. He is represented in numerous public collections which include: the
Picker Art Gallery, Colgate University, NY; William Penn Museum,
Harrisburg, PA; Philadelphia Museum of Art; and Rutgers University, NJ;
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. Mr. Samuelson is represented by J.
Cacciola Galleries, Rosenfeld Gallery, and Wendt Gallery.
"My
work does involve destruction. My work usually begins in chaos, and
develops an organic structure by chance. This structure is often
destroyed and rebuilt again and again until there is nothing more that
I can do." -- Bruce Samuelson
David Brady:
"I am self taught as an artist and
have brought a host of influences as well as personal objects into my
work. Some of my work stems from personal experiences and my reactions
to them. I think it took some time for me to allow myself to actually
put personal and or intimate details out there for people to see and
react to them. Expressing past experiences and common themes in society
such as loneliness, addiction, protection and relationships requires
the work to be authentic. Blogging onto the painting and burying
artifacts into the surface are direct methods I use to reflect
experiences. People see this at times as voyeuristic when viewing, like
reading someone’s diary or finding personal photos." -- David Brady
Jesse McCloskey:
Jesse McCloskey has exhibited at Scope (New York)
several times. Jesse has appeared in many group and solo exhibitions,
and is an alum of Yaddo artists' residency in Saratoga Springs, New
York. His work has been reviewed and reproduced by the New York Times.
Jesse lives and works in New York City. He is represented by the
Christopher Henry Gallery, New York, NY.
"When
I'm working, I feel ok, even if I'm lying on the floor, freaking out, I
still feel worth something. As far as creation, I just make a
controlled mess and then loosen and tighten the form until it feels
right. For me, I don't think about why, that dilutes the message. The
most important and hardest part of being an artist is just doing it,
making art when no one cares." -- Jesse McCloskey