Bruno Surdo

The Artist and His Dog, Self Portrait with Black and White Dog, Oil on Canvas

2020

**This artwork is on exhibition and if purchased will be available to ship after June 15, 2025 A young man faces forward, staring longingly and contemplatively in a manner which bot...

-ARTIST STATEMENT- I depict my person in multiplicity with different selves representing dramatis personae. My likeness is both implicit and symbolic in the portrayal of my narrative; the drama involved in creating art and the artist’s role in society. I use realism to invite the viewer into mysterious inner worlds that are layered reflections of the outer. Dehumanizing environments are imbued with art historical references as a critique of power structures. The artist is an Everyman who is at odds with society and his self. Visually my work is a celebration of society’s dark undercurrents and its overlooked absurdities. I use charcoal and printmaking media as their tenebrous values add a fitting metaphor. The nuances of light and shadow seduce viewers into a world their better judgment would have them avoid. This provokes a sense of disquietude that causes viewers to assess our world through the austerity of a colorless, yet not humorless, light. -BIO- Christopher Ganz grew up in Northeast Ohio and from early on had a fertile imagination and an interest in art. Christopher's artistic education truly began at the University of Missouri, where his love of the human form led to many figure drawing classes and his exposure to the wonders of printmaking. Christopher's then went onto graduate school at Indiana University and a summer abroad program in Italy was a dream realized. Christopher then grasped charcoal with a renewed vigor and large, sfumato-laden drawings ensued. Christopher's artistic influences are many; from a seminal exposure to Dore's engravings of the Divine Comedy, to Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Goya, and up to Lucian Freud, Mark Tansey...

**This artwork is on exhibition and if purchased will be available to ship after June 15, 2025 Peter Lupkin Old Friends oil on canvas 38h x 48w in 96.52h x 121.92w cm At the age o...

Mary Borgman’s work captivates the viewer in several ways. First is their scale. They hang like medieval tapestries, with figures standing as tall as eight feet. There is also their texture – created by using charcoal on Mylar, and the results are richly gestural, with distinct charcoal strokes and eraser marks animating the figure and ground alike. With a flat surface, she creates volume and life. And perhaps the most powerful of all, the viewer is caught be the gazes of the models, who stare forcefully out of the picture. They seem to be examining us every bit as much as we are examining them. These larger-than-life portraits stem from chance encounters that grow into meaningful connections between the artist and her subject. Most are strangers that she approaches on the street. They capture her attention with expressive eyes that show experience and wisdom, distinctive shapes and a casual body language. “I try to honor the people I am drawing by centering them in the format and shooting from slightly below their eye level. I choose an expression that exudes intelligence, self-awareness and complexity. I try to convey their humanness. I want the viewer to feel this person might be someone interesting to know”, says Borgman of her subjects. The intensity with which she conveys the eyes may stem from her many years of communicating in sign language, which is based on sustained eye contact. Borgman loves the directness of drawing. It is immediate, there is no lag time. There is no time waiting for the paint to dry. She works solely in charcoal which she can manipulate to achieve varying degrees of darkness and opacity. It is messy and the artist loves that. Mary Borgman Portrait of Justin Shanitkvich, 2022 charcoal on mylar 53h x 40w in 134.62h x 101.60w cm MBG009 [This work is custom framed in shadow box style with non-reflective Tru-Vue Museum Glass] FRAMED DIMENSIONS 55.25h x 42.50w x 2.25d in 140.34h x 107.95w x 5.71d cm Mary Borgman b. October 4, 1959 St. Louis, MO SELECTED EXHIBITIONS 2017 Grand Opening: Coming Attractions, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2013 SOFA Chicago 2013, Ann Nathan Gallery, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL Portraiture Now: Drawing on the Edge, National Portrait Gallery, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR 2012 Portraiture Now: Drawing on the Edge, National Portrait Gallery, Washington D.C. SOFA Chicago 2012, Ann Nathan Gallery, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL SOFA NY, Ann Nathan Gallery, New York, NY 2011 Gallery Group Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL SOFA NY, Ann Nathan Gallery, New York, NY 2010 SOFA Chicago 2010: Special Installation at SOFA Café, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL What’s the Buzz on the Playground: Art of Today from St. Louis curated by Mary Sprague...

Hughes pays homage to classical painting techniques with a loose hand. Bold, modulated color brushstrokes showcases formal composition in a new and refreshing light. This exquisite s...

This is no ordinary bookshelf, as you may have initially thought. It is, in fact, a portrait - a reflection, a metaphor for one's life. It took me two years to create this masterp...

The work is made on canvas of 100% high-quality and thick cotton. The Italian canvas is stretched on a solid pine wood frame with a profile thickness of 2.5 cm and a width of 4 cm. S...

Tomasz Bielak born in Lublin in 1967. He graduated of The Academy of Fine Arts, Painting and Graphics Design Department in Gdańsk, in 1994. He realized installation art, graphics ...