Altered Perceptions (January 2 – 23, 2024)

Altered Perceptions January 2 – January 23, 2024 Reception: Thursday, January 4, 2024, 6 – 8 PM 530 West 25th Street, New York, NY

Agora Gallery is pleased to announce Altered Perceptions, a group exhibition of paintings, photographs, and digital collages that investigate alternative ways of viewing reality. Curated to ignite contemplation and inspire dialogue, the works in this exhibition gather a diverse selection of works by artists that push the boundaries of visual representation. Literary characters and alien entities play out absurdist narratives on the backdrop of richly colored surrealist landscapes. Fragments of prints and images capture urban scenes from various fields of vision; landscapes rupture into hundreds of segmented color shards; ocean waves coalesce into nothingness. As reality deforms, expands, retracts, and shatters, our gaze leaps from piece to piece, image to image, until the fourth wall of material awareness collapses in rubble. By deconstructing and demolishing the world as we know it, each artist in this exhibition invites us to transcend the ordinary and embrace the exceptional. As such, they aim to inspire reflection on the intricate mechanisms that shape our understanding of reality, and how diverse perspectives enrich our collective experience.

Altered Perceptions Charlotte Harron Yael Izrai Solon Marcel César Martiniano Stephanie Pitoy Evan William Plunkett Neil Shapiro

Charlotte Harron

Charlotte Harron’s kaleidoscopic abstractions proclaim her love of color, light, and aesthetic purity. With meticulous precision, Harron deconstructs landscapes into hard-edged blocks of color, expertly arranging the canvas space into scenes of potent visual impact. Waterfalls, mountainous valleys, open-sky meadows, and water views fragment into myriad geometries and lights. Cubes, lines, and triangles vigorously intersect, accentuated, and motioned by bold color choices.

In a world where the pace of life constantly accelerates, Harrons’ works slow down the heart rate, offering moments of contemplation. Influenced by her global travels and diverse living experiences, her paintings distill the complexities of the natural world into simplified yet relatable forms, imbuing each subject with energy and impact. Through her art, she encourages individuals to connect with the world around them, finding beauty in simplicity.

Harron exhibited in Toronto (Canada), London (UK), Zurich (Switzerland), and Maryland (USA). Her work was judged Best in Show in the 27th and 28th Annual Friends of the Yellow Barn Members Show in 2021 and 2022. She was a semi-finalist in the 2022 Bethesda Painting Awards and received a highly commended for work in the WCCC Art Show in Bethesda, Maryland, in 2023. Born and raised in Hamilton, New Zealand, Charlotte Harron, she now lives in Bethesda, MD.

Arctic Abstraction, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 30” x 40” x 1.5”

Autumnal Feeling Acrylic on canvas 24” x 36” x 1.5”

Breakthrough, 2021 Acrylic on canvas 24” x 36”

Forgotten Space Acrylic on canvas 30” x 40” x 1.5”

In Between, 2021 Acrylic on canvas 24” x 36”

Ode to Vaud, 2023 Acrylic on canvas 30” x 40”

Vineyard Sunset Acrylic on canvas 36” x 24” x 1.5”

Yael Izrai

With movement and dappled curiosity, Yael Izrai’s art practice is both confrontational and feminine. Her rhapsodic prints and sculptures show the work of a musically attuned visual artist: hands in position to play piano chords dance across many of her pieces posing a recurrent theme of musicality and song. Using her multimedia talents to depict her musings and reflections on the earth and its people, Izrai plays with different mediums, textures, and modalities to find what matches her mood and that of which she intends to portray. Through the use of layering Izrai pushes the boundaries of two-dimensional perception bringing volume and three-dimensionality to her pieces–a practice informed by her prior work in ceramics.

Reverberations of Klimt, Picasso, and Magritte become apparent in her works: arching figures, living sculptures, apples, and pomegranates are recurring themes across her pieces.

Beginning as a means to express difficult emotions, Izrai’s art practice has evolved into one that investigates the big questions in life, which are the focus of her most recent series. Izrai immigrated from Russia to the United States – her influences reflect a global perspective spanning across cultures and time periods, which range from spiritual to artistic to cultural. By reflecting on these foundational episodes of humanity, Izrai’s work asks the viewer to consider where we come from and why we are here.

Izrai lives and works in Long Island, New York.

Angel Sonata: Movement One, 2023 Oil and dry pastel on aquarelle paper 51” x 76”

Angel Sonata: Movement Two, 2023 Oil and dry pastel on aquarelle paper 51” x 48”

Angel Sonata: Movement Three, 2023 Oil and dry pastel on aquarelle paper 68” x 51”

Resilience, 2011 Bronze Larger piece: 19” x 7” x 8” Smaller piece: 14” x 6” x 7”

Solon Marcel

The paintings of Colombian artist Solon Marcel are surreal visions that merge dreams and reality, defying the ordinary and normalizing the absurd. A perspicacious observer, Solon lifts the veil of habitual perception exploring the boundaries of human potentiality. Paranormal phenomena, artificial intelligence, and alien encounters merge with everyday imagery, memories, and pop culture forming vivid scenes that jokingly question our understanding of the status quo. Solon’s meticulous attention to detail goes beyond mere replication. Rather, it invokes the uncanny, suggesting an alternate truth where colors and shapes coalesce in a mesmerizing dance of the mind. He explains, “I try to make paintings that are about scenes that maybe pass through your mind, but you’ve never seen. I try to bring something new to the table as an image of something that is happening, that in real life you will not see, something almost imaginary, from dreams.”

Count St. Germain in Transylvania, 2023 Oil on canvas 60” x 48”

Intergalactic Bounty Hunter, 2023 Oil on canvas 48” x 60”

César Martiniano

César Martiniano is an abstract painter from Terceira Island, located in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. His paintings are passionate journeys into his fertile innerscape, inspired by the magnificent nature of his native land. Self-taught, he lets intuition guide him, allowing shapes and colors to form organically.

While still in high school, Martiniano became a graffiti artist and muralist–experimenting with spray paint and typography–and later earned a degree in graphic design on the mainland.

His unique blend of graphic design and street art influences is evident in his work today, demonstrating his ability to convey messages efficiently through minimalist design. In 2020 Martiniano decided to quit his marketing agency and transition to a full-time art career, further exploring abstract minimalism, typography, and the power of hidden messages in his creations.

His latest series, “Atlantic Whispers,” celebrates the vibrant palette of his native Azores, where lush blues and greens prevail. These paintings pay homage to the beauty of nature and inspire viewers to reconnect with their inner child while approaching life with unending curiosity.

Atlantic Blues Acrylic, colored pencil and spray paint on paper framed: 39.5” x 39.5”

Atlantic Garden Acrylic, colored pencil and spray paint on paper framed: 39.5” x 39.5”

Atlantic W 1 Acrylic, colored pencil and spray paint on paper framed: 15.75” x 12”

Atlantic W 2 Acrylic, colored pencil and spray paint on paper framed: 15.75” x 12”

Atlantic W 3 Acrylic, colored pencil and spray paint on paper framed: 15.75” x 12”

Atlantic W 4 Acrylic, colored pencil and spray paint on paper framed: 15.75” x 12”

Atlantic W 5 Acrylic, colored pencil and spray paint on paper framed: 15.75” x 12”

Atlantic W 6 Acrylic, colored pencil and spray paint on paper framed: 15.75” x 12”

Stephanie Pitoy

Stephanie Pitoy is a Hawaii native, living and working in New York City as a contemporary artist. Pitoy attended the University of Hawaii at Hilo, where she studied under several influencing artists while earning her BA degree in Art and Communication. In 2012, she relocated to New York City with her daughter and started a new life. She readily admits that her culture and background will always have a presence in her work, but her artistic journey is always evolving with her life experiences.

In her collage-based works, Pitoy strives to think outside the box. She incorporates spatial depth and creates visual tension into each piece by layering and combining multiple media sources. Her goal is for her pieces to translate the layered complexities of the human experience into a visually compelling narrative that speaks to a universal audience. After experiencing great personal loss and grief, Pitoy turned to art as a means of healing. She describes her higher calling in life as one to help others with their own grief through her work. In her words, “Art has an indescribable way to heal sadness and release negativity. Once released, the Soul feels much lighter and the feeling of Joy is restored.”

The Sojourner, No. 1, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 2, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 3, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 4, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 5, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 6, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 7, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 8, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 9, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 10, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 11, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 12, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 13, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 14, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 15, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

The Sojourner, No. 16, 2023 Metal print 12” x 12”

Evan William Plunkett

A deserted highway in the middle of the night, a neon sign in the distance; ghostly figures on the sidewalk, empty corridors, rusty old Cadillacs lying in the woods. Evan William Plunkett’s photographs could be set anywhere and anytime in small-town America. Eerily, they evoke stories, voices, and people who once inhabited these half-desolate spaces. Plunkett gathers material locally and during his travels across the country, capturing American themes and historically or culturally relevant places and objects symbolic of Americana. The atmospheric quality of Plunkett’s photography is achieved through a combination of long-exposure techniques and intentional camera movement, forging a style which Plunkett describes as “photo impressionism.” Inspired by films, Plunkett develops a sense of narrative flow, recreating nostalgic scenes “to illustrate the fluidity and essence of the perpetual movement of time.” His photographs offer a unique perspective on the nature of reality, as seen through the eyes of a millennial facing the complexities and challenges of today’s America.

Currently residing in Putney, Vermont, Plunkett grew up in New Jersey and completed his studies in Political Science at the University of Miami. His work has appeared in many juried exhibitions and publications. Notably, his photographs were featured on the cover of Shots Magazine and received the Peoples’ Choice Award in Black and White Magazine, among other accolades. Plunkett has published two photography monographs and his third will be published in November 2023. Plunkett is a social justice and environmental advocate and sits on the Board of Directors of The Doris Wilderness Foundation, Inc., an organization committed to helping preserve the neotropical rainforest.

Cloud Home Metal print 36” x 24”

Everyone’s Metal print 36” x 24”

Fall Drive Metal print 36” x 24”

Green Place #17 Metal print 36” x 24”

Illuminated House Metal print 24” x 36”

Morning After Metal print 36” x 24”

Steps Metal print 36” x 24”

Street Figure #17 Metal print 36” x 24”

Big Brown Barn Metal print 24” x 36”

Neil Shapiro

LA-based photographer Neil Shapiro embraces simplicity in both life and art, blending clarity and precision into a minimalist aesthetic. With 25 years of experience as a Director of Film Photography, he filters the Californian landscape with a keen cinematic eye.

Shooting with a wide-open aperture, he creates a shallow depth of field to highlight focal points and employs cropping and Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) for added depth and atmosphere. Shapiro is naturally drawn to repetitive natural patterns that display an almost mathematical precision, yet differ in small variations. The ripples on the surface of the ocean, the clustered leaves of an agave plant, the petals of a flower, or the wave-like undulations of sand dunes seem almost identical, except for tiny imperfections that make them preciously unique.

Although aesthetically stunning, Shapiro’s photographs address wider-breadth issues. Facing the rapid decline of our Earthly home-lakes drying up, forests ablaze, and ailing trees–he offers eternal passages of nature’s magnificence. By forming an emotional connection with the viewers, he hopes to inspire them to love and preserve what we still have.

Arizona Mesa, 2022 Print on textured Hahnemühle paper 16” x 24”

Blue Waters, 2020 Print on textured Hahnemühle paper 24” x 16”

Coastline, 2022 Print on textured Hahnemühle paper 24” x 16”

Headlights, 2020 Print on textured Hahnemühle paper 16” x 24”

Laguna Waves, 2020 Print on textured Hahnemühle paper 24” x 16”

Lake Powell, 2022 Print on textured Hahnemühle paper 24” x 16”

Coastline, 2022 Print on textured Hahnemühle paper 24” x 16”

Oceano Dunes, 2021 Print on textured Hahnemühle paper 16” x 24”

Spiral Slot, 2022 Print on textured Hahnemühle paper 24” x 16”

Valley of Fire, 2023 Print on textured Hahnemühle paper 16” x 24”

Waterfall in Oregon, 2019 Print on textured Hahnemühle paper 24” x 16”

Fence In Snow, 2023 Print on textured Hahnemühle paper 16” x 24”

Gallery hopping in New York Agora Gallery is located within the heart of the Chelsea Arts District with available hours from Tuesday – Saturday 11 am - 6 pm.

Opening receptions are held once a month, giving you the opportunity to meet the artists and view a variety of original artwork. Visit our website and subscribe to our mailing list to stay up to date on all events and happenings – www.Agora-Gallery.com/mailinglist

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