Beatriz Guzman Catena

Les Chaises Musicales

2024

The medium of choice for Do Byung-Kyu, born in Cheonan, Korea, is dolls: they are both his conceptions and his physical expression. At the same time dolls are also the perfect tool for communicating the artist’s inner self. Expressing himself by means of dolls liberates Do from the restrictions of the mundane world. By embodying in the form of dolls his actions and thoughts, dreams and desires, and even the instincts lying in the depths of the subconscious, he transcends the secular boundaries. Dolls are his alter ego, his other self that he can construct precisely the way he wants. Sublimating the experiences and memories from his youth into various subjects of desire, Do uses dolls to paint a descriptive picture of the ambiguous feelings of contradictions from his childhood when he would abuse and kill a plaything, for example a frog, then bury the body in solemn mourning over its death. These sexual or violent games from his childhood are not likely to be limited to Do’s experiences alone. Most of us can vaguely remember indulging in sadistic acts of sexual love against a doll. Rising above a child’s simple curiosity, it is an intuitive game of the senses we play by ourselves. In a number of Do’s paintings, sticky liquid can be observed dripping down a doll’s face. This brings back recollections of the life inside our mothers’ womb where we were also enveloped by mucous waters, like the amniotic fluid. It refuses contact with the anything, and nothing wants to touch it either. The shape of such a mucous liquid is a protective layer sheltering the intrinsic identity and desires of man. It is also a substitution that satisfies the ego’s instincts otherwise suppressed by social norms. The dolls’ eyes...

In a captivating new collection, Alex Guofeng Cao dazzles audiences with his unique twist on instantly recognizable images. Inspired by history and pop culture, Cao manipulates one iconic image to create another in his extraordinary large-scale works. From a distance, the pieces appear to be a singular image but as the viewer approaches closer, you find each work is a masterfully crafted compilation of minute detailed images layered next to one another, creating a mesmerizing and hypnotic optical illusion. Cao meticulously places each smaller image to form a dynamic gradient from dark to light which tricks the eye into seeing one image. This expertise in contrast is exemplified in all of his works, from striking black and white pieces to stunning explorations in high-definition color. He cleverly mirrors this visual contrast in his subject matter by subverting the main image and creating a dialogue between the macrocosm and microcosm. Take the piece, Ali vs Armstrong; here we see the iconic image of Muhammed Ali’s victory composed of thousands of tiny portraits...

The medium of choice for Do Byung-Kyu, born in Cheonan, Korea, is dolls: they are both his conceptions and his physical expression. At the same time dolls are also the perfect tool for communicating the artist’s inner self. Expressing himself by means of dolls liberates Do from the restrictions of the mundane world. By embodying in the form of dolls his actions and thoughts, dreams and desires, and even the instincts lying in the depths of the subconscious, he transcends the secular boundaries. Dolls are his alter ego, his other self that he can construct precisely the way he wants. Sublimating the experiences and memories from his youth into various subjects of desire, Do uses dolls to paint a descriptive picture of the ambiguous feelings of contradictions from his childhood when he would abuse and kill a plaything, for example a frog, then bury the body in solemn mourning over its death. These sexual or violent games from his childhood are not likely to be limited to Do’s experiences alone. Most of us can vaguely remember indulging in sadistic acts of sexual love against a doll. Rising above a child’s simple curiosity, it is an intuitive game of the senses we play by ourselves. In a number of Do’s paintings, sticky liquid can be observed dripping down a doll’s face. This brings back recollections of the life inside our mothers’ womb where we were also enveloped by mucous waters, like the amniotic fluid. It refuses contact with the anything, and nothing wants to touch it either. The shape of such a mucous liquid is a protective layer sheltering the intrinsic identity and desires of man. It is also a substitution that satisfies the ego’s instincts otherwise suppressed by social norms. The dolls’ eyes...

Sensational paintings of glass vessels come to life in this dynamic exhibition featuring new works by Korean artist Inkyeong Baek. Demonstrating an uncanny ability to capture her sub...

Sensational paintings of glass vessels come to life in this dynamic exhibition featuring new works by Korean artist Inkyeong Baek. Demonstrating an uncanny ability to capture her sub...

Cao meticulously places each smaller image to form a dynamic gradient from dark to light which tricks the eye into seeing one image. This expertise in contrast is exemplified in all ...

Archaic Hercules Skinning a Rabbit, 2019 Acrylic on canvas 53.14 H x 55.11 W in. 135 H x 140 W cm In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and his numerous far-ra...

Gyre acrylic, spray paint on canvas 80" x 96" 2022 Part of the New Minority Series Dennis Jones was first introduced to the use of a bidet while being extremely ill in Hurghada, Egypt. He has played the game of ‘Jenga’ with prostitutes in Phuket, Thailand. Once he hiked down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon from the North Rim and back in twelve hours. Jones has also visited fifty US National Parks. The work of Dennis Jones is growth oriented. There is diversity among his oeuvre and much risk in such an approach. Eschewing a ‘signature style’ that he considers to be boring, creatively limiting and market driven, he prefers to consider how method and expression intermingle and form a conceptual basis. A cursory glance may consider his prodigious output to lack focus, but a deeper reading reveals that he remains true to himself and allows his work to take him where it needs to go. There has always been the presence of a figure in his work, either implied, or directly visible. One can trace several years of development from his interest in figurative and cartoon-like imagery in, Toyland (2006), through his foray into text based work (2007-13) and a later influence of abstraction (2012-18). Following this trajectory brings one to his current body of work that combines figuration, cartoons and abstraction. He is a visual artist, educator, and architect. Each of the ‘hats’ he wears directly influence his work. He states that ‘a fascination with an integration of material, process and expression, truth of emotion and visually communicating thought are what sustain and drive him as an artist. Jones has participated in over seventy solo and group shows that include local, national and international venues. His creative output includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, videos, photos, books, teaching and residential architecture. Jones’ work was selected to be included in the New American Paintings 2019 Midwest Competition Publication, juried by Staci Boris, Associate Director of Exhibitions, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Currently, his focus is on a growing body of paintings, in mixed media, on canvas that combine abstraction, figuration and cartoon imagery. Jones had a one person exhibition at the University of Michigan in September through December of 2018. A review of the show can be read on the page titled, Candyland Review. Earlier the same year, He curated an exhibition titled, SIX, that opened in January of 2018, at The Janice Charach Gallery; a five thousand square foot space, located in West Bloomfield, Michigan. The exhibition featured the work of six Detroit artists and provided adequate space for each to show a body of work…essentially six individual shows in one space. Selected venues that have shown Jones’ work include: The OK Harris Gallery, New York; Galerie Protege, NY; The Mary Washington Galleries, Mary Washington University, Fredericksburg, Maryland; The Kraft Lieberman Gallery, Chicago; The Drift Gallery, Portsmouth, NH; The Project Room, Lincoln, NE; The Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor, Canada; Artcite, Windsor, CA; The Thames Gallery, Chatham, Ontario, Canada; The Kenderdine Art Gallery, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, CA; Definitely Superior Gallery, Thunder Bay, ON, CA; Gallery Lambton, Sarnia, ON, CA, WKP Kennedy, North Bay...

David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics on canvas 71 inches by 81 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Keywords: red, abs...

Hannah Barrett’s paintings imagine a colorful, absurdist world inhabited by eccentrics of ambiguous genders and time periods. With tongue-in-cheek nods to the past, Barrett combines...

Hannah Barrett’s paintings imagine a colorful, absurdist world inhabited by eccentrics of ambiguous genders and time periods. With tongue-in-cheek nods to the past, Barrett combines...

Bruce Adams is best known as a conceptually based figurative painter who references various (often historical) painting styles. In exploring the act of painting, Adams peels back the...