Mixed Media Painting by Steven Colucci, Sea Series

Steven Colucci’s iconoclastic approach to performance and the visual arts have not only long blurred the boundaries between these disciplines, but have challenged its most basic assumptions. The title of this show references a most rudimentary dance move --the plié --and our assumptions of what to expect in relation to this. Also the suggestion that we can simply press a button and a preconceived outcome will be courteously delivered --a form of prefabricated belief in itself. Steven Colucci’s artwork turns such basic assumptions on their heads. Finding early inspiration in the New York school of abstract expressionists such as Jackson Pollock with his action painting, and then further by his professor --a then young Vito Acconci while studying at the School of Visual Arts, Steven Colucci went from exploring the raw existentialist experimentation of New York’s early painting and performance scenes, to investigating the other end of the spectrum --the rigorously measured and controlled disciplines of pantomime and ballet; studying in Paris under the tutelage of world-famous Marcelle Marceau, and engaging with the concepts of dramatic movement pioneer and intellectual Etienne Decroux. Colucci has explained the difference between the extremes of pantomime and dance as being that pantomime forces movement via an internal capacity --movement directed inward to the core of one’s self --a source requiring extreme mental and physical control. Dance by contrast is an external expression; likewise requiring great precision, although instead an extension of self or sentiment that projects outwardly. While such historical ‘movement’ disciplines serve as foundation blocks for Steven’s artistic explorations, it is the realm in between that he is best known for his contributions --an experimental movement and performance art that simultaneously honors, yet defiantly refutes tradition; rejecting a compartmentalization regarding art and movement, yet incorporating its elements into his own brand of experimental pastiche. Colucci’s performance works manifest as eerily candy-coated and familiar, yet incorporate unexpected jags of the uncanny throughout, exploiting a sort of coulrophobia in the viewer; an exploration of a cumulative artifice that binds human nature against its darker tendencies; highlighting traditions of artifice itself - the fabricated systemologies that necessitate compartmentalization in the first place. It is evident in Steven Colucci’s paintings that he has established a uniquely distinctive pictorial vocabulary; a strong allusion to --or moreso an extension of --his performance works. Colucci’s paintings depict a sort of kinetic spectrum, or as he refers to them “a technical expression of physicality and movement”. Whereas the French performance and visual artist Yves Klein used the human body as a “paint brush” to demarcate his paintings and thereby signify a residue of performance, Colucci’s utilization of nonsensical numbers and number sequences taken from dance scores, as well as heat- induced image abstraction depicting traces of movement likewise inform his vocabulary. In the strand of the choreographed, yet incorporating moments of chance, Colucci’s paintings represent an over arching structure; a rhythm of being and state, yet detail erratic moments --moments that denote a certain frailty --the edge of human stamina. Colucci’s paintings dually represent a form of gestural abstraction --and also the reverse of this --a unique anthropomorphization of varying states of movement – that sometimes present as a temperature induced color field, at others are juxtapositions of movement and depictions of physical gestural images themselves. Colucci’s use of vernacular and found materials such as cardboard evoke his mastery of set design, and also reference a sort of collective experience of urbanity and the ephemeral. Such contradictions seem to permeate not only Steven Colucci’s artwork, but also are reflected in his person – one who grew up in New York’s Bronx during a zeitgeist moment in visual and performing arts in the 1960s – one who shifts with ease from happenings and experiments in New York City, to his meticulously choreographed megaproductions at Lincoln Center or starring in the Paris ballet...

This is an Original Mark Dickson painting and can be described as nothing short of a revelation in the realm of contemporary art. As one navigates through his vibrant interplay of colors—pinks, purples, blues, and greens—it becomes evident that his works are a bridge between abstract expression and a deep-seated Coloradan sensibility. From afar, the paintings resonate with the raw energy and abstract impulsiveness reminiscent of Adolph Gottlieb or Mark Rothko. However, upon closer introspection, Dickson's canvas unfolds a symphony, harmoniously blending his intuitive understanding of the Colorado landscapes with an almost Rothkoesque play of color and form. His artistry is a culmination of his academic sojourns, from the bustling art scene of Brooklyn's Pratt Institute to the scholarly corridors of the University of Denver. Yet, what stands out is his capability to transcend these teachings and manifest a unique narrative—one that reflects both the external world and the myriad landscapes of the human psyche. The choice of medium, notably pastel mixed with watercolors, oil washes, and graphite pencil, demonstrates a tactile indulgence in his craft. It's as if he's chiseling his memories, experiences, and observations of the Coloradan terrains and skies into each canvas. For the discerning eye, his works might also evoke the expansive color fields of Milton Avery. Yet, Dickson’s approach, particularly his relationship with color, is refreshingly instinctual, almost challenging the viewer to feel rather than dissect. In Mark Dickson's work, we're treated to an exhilarating dance of abstract brilliance juxtaposed with the tangible and intangible memories of Colorado's landscapes. In a sense, each painting becomes an invitation—to wander, to wonder, and to immerse in the art of profound introspection. The majority medium is pastel and a mixed media of watercolors, oil washes, and graphite pencil. Color is of primary importance to his work. His work shows the influence of artists Milton Avery(who used large areas of color) and Mark Rothko and Adolph Gottlieb (known for their work in the variations of color). Mark is fascinated with color and explores every aspect of its relationships. He feels his use of color is more intuitive versus analytical. Mark Dickson’s paintings, prints and monotypes are represented in private, corporate and public art collections nationally. Pratt Institute, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Brooklyn, New York, 1970 University of Denver, Graduate School of Art, MFA, Denver, Brooklyn, New York, 1973 Denver Art Museum, Colorado Annual, 1967 National Academy of Design, National Audubon Exhibition, New York Joslin Art Museum Exhibition of Colorado artists, Omaha, Nebraska Included in Outstanding and Noteworthy Americans, Bicentennial Edition, New York Chicago Botanical Garden, solo exhibition, North Brook Illinois Colorado Symphony Orchestra Association, limited-edition lithograph commission Broadway South West department store Commission; shopping bag and print. Award of Merit from American Institute of graphic arts, and Award of Distinction: "Creativity 86" Art Direction Magazine, New York Stables Art Center, Taos New Mexico, Artist of Taos Who's Who in American Art, 1990, New York Arts Student's League of Denver, Board of Directors O'Sullivan Art Center, Regis University solo exhibition, Denver Britto Central Gallery, solo exhibition, São Paulo Brazil, 2003 Amarillo Art Museum, permanent collection Amoco Oil Company, Chicago Federal Reserve Bank, Denver University of Colorado, permanent collection, Boulder, Colorado Garnett Corporation headquarters, Arlington Virginia IBM Corporation Miami Florida Las Vegas Federal Medical Center Kirkland Art Museum, permanent collection, Denver Northern Trust Bank, Naples, Florida Planes Art...

21st century painting by Greg Dickerson. Mixed-media on paper.

Contemporary square abstract painting, mixed-media of acrylic paint resin and Delray Beach Florida white beach sand, soft colors, all together to become b...