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March 12, 2014
Caro

Opening Night: Erik Jones and Tran Nguyen’s “New Works” at Thinkspace

Last weekend, Thinkspace Gallery debuted "New Works" by Tran Nguyen and Erik Jones, who both treat the classic human form with abstract elements. Although separated by choice of color and medium, this exhibition seamlessly merges their illustrative styles. The new work of Brooklyn-based Erik Jones clothes his nudes in highly saturated patterns and geometrical shapes. The happy, bright colors of the foreground seem to mask a melancholy expressed by Jones’s subjects. This tension is intentional; Jones offers the idea of opposing visual relationships by merging beautifully rendered portraits with mixed media “fashions." With fashion serving as an inspiration, his “models” convey the indifference of one caught off guard or a moment in time. In some cases, the figure disappears completely. Read more after the jump.

Erik Jones with his work.

Last weekend, Thinkspace Gallery debuted “New Works” by Tran Nguyen and Erik Jones, who both treat the classic human form with abstract elements. Although separated by choice of color and medium, this exhibition seamlessly merges their illustrative styles. The new work of Brooklyn-based Erik Jones clothes his nudes in highly saturated patterns and geometrical shapes. The happy, bright colors of the foreground seem to mask a melancholy expressed by Jones’s subjects. This tension is intentional; Jones offers the idea of opposing visual relationships by merging beautifully rendered portraits with mixed media “fashions.” With fashion serving as an inspiration, his “models” convey the indifference of one caught off guard or a moment in time. In some cases, the figure disappears completely.

Where Jones’s subjects don’t know they are in front of an audience, Tran Nguyen’s look straight at the viewer with raw emotion. Her portrayal of smiling faces and anguished tears are all part of a shared realm of experience. Interested in the therapeutic possibilities of art, Nguyen explores a variety of psychological themes and symbols. Even in the most cheerful portrait, To My Deep-seated Abyss, her subject is consumed by dark, unsettling shapes. In the project room, Alex Yanes lightens the mood with his playful 3D mixed media portraits, “Better Than Yesterday.” “New Works” by Tran Nguyen and Erik Jones exhibits at Thinkspace Gallery March 1 through March 22, 2014.

Paintings by Erik Jones.

Painting by Erik Jones.

Gallery goers look at Tran Nguyen’s work.

Paintings by Tran Nguyen.

Painting by Tran Nguyen.

Paintings by Tran Nguyen.

Erik Jones and Tran Nguyen in front of Tran Nguyen’s work.

Alex Yanes’s install in the project room.

Topics

art, painting, Thinkspace

Karen Ann Myers, painting, Realism

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Based in Charleston, South Carolina, painter Karen Ann Myers uses the bedroom as the backdrop to each of her works, both idealizing the space and offering vulnerability and strength with each subject. Specifically, the bed used as reference in each piece belongs to Myers, while the rooms are retrofitted with new styles, adored objects, and context. The result is a singular personality, with her own elegance and character.

The Worlds of Illustrator Chrigel Farner

Chrigel Farner, illustration, painting

July 23, 2019

Illustrator Chrigel Farner has a knack for chaos. His enormous scenes move between writhing armies of characters or solitary giants. The Berlin artist's practice encompasses editorial illustration, comics, and gallery art. Farner’s style recalls both the wild characters of classical animation and the detailed world-building of Moebius.

Whimsical Paintings of Bizarre Underwater Scenes by Philip Giordano

painting, Philip Giordano

December 5, 2014

Italian-born, Japan-based artist Philip Giordano paints humorous animal characters with textured, impressionistic brushstrokes — an unusual juxtaposition of traditional techniques and a cartoon-like style. Giordano is a children's book illustrator by trade and his personal work retains similarly whimsical qualities. His latest series of paintings depicts a gigantic cat in a place that could either be in the thick of the forest or underwater. Sea creatures float in mid air while the cat examines a variety of surreal characters and object that seem to be its playthings. One wouldn't necessarily describe the narratives in Giordano's paintings as adventures because his fictional world seems neatly arranged and unmoving, almost like a still life. Take a look at Giordano's latest work below.

Preview: “Endangered Visions” Group Show at ManilART

endangered visions, gromyko semper, painting

October 10, 2014

Curated by artist Gromyko Semper, "Endangered Visions" is a group show with a wide breadth of artists but a short longevity. Set to premiere at ManilART, the Philippines' largest annual art fair, October 15 through 19, the show features dozens of Filipino and international artists who work with surreal imagery, albeit in vastly different ways. "'Endangered Visions' seeks to counterbalance an art world driven by a rapacious market with something more contemplative, subtle and challenging," said Semper in an email to Hi-Fructose. In addition to organizing the show, he will be one of the exhibiting artists alongside Jana Brike, Teiji Hayama, Kirsten Stingle and many others. Take a look at our preview below.

Opening Night: Erik Jones and Tran Nguyen’s “New Works” at Thinkspace

Revisiting Bedroom Views by Karen Ann Myers

The Worlds of Illustrator Chrigel Farner

Whimsical Paintings of Bizarre Underwater Scenes by Philip Giordano

Preview: “Endangered Visions” Group Show at ManilART

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