Prismatic Getaway Nov 1-Dec 20, 2023

Prismatic Getaway November 1 – December 20, 2023 Reception: Thursday, November 2, 2023, 6-8 PM 530 West 25th Street, New York, NY

Agora Gallery is pleased to announce Prismatic Getaway, an exploration of abstraction through the lens of three contemporary painters, Ellen Globokar, Mark Schiff, and Ai-Wen Wu Kratz. Each artist filters reality through the prism of their individual perceptions, whether by reinterpreting and deconstructing their natural surroundings or as representations of intellectual or psychological experiences.

Globokar’s contemplative collages of handmade Japanese paper offer glimpses into the natural world. Hand-dyed individually by the artist, they aptly reproduce light plays and color nuances, transporting us to tranquil sea views, quiet autumnal afternoons, riverbanks, or flower fields. A testament to her background as an oil landscape painter, her Kaleidoscope series depicts impressionistic scenes in prevalent tones of lavender, peach, yellow, and rose that burst with luminosity and exude a calming beauty.

Mark Schiff ’s Lilies feature abstract landscapes inspired by the painter’s world travels. Each piece captures Schiff ’s unique emotional impression of a visited city, which he translates into ad-lib patterns and color arrangements. Heavily influenced by his interest in culture, music, and yoga, Schiff ’s ability to be guided by intuition opens him to what he refers to as, “the ocean of creativity within.” It is from this place that he paints with bold, deliberate strokes creating eye-catching paintings that sizzle with energy.

Hong Kong native Ai-Wen Wu Kratz presents a series of acrylic paintings rooted in geometric abstraction. Through colorful and intricate arrangements, she builds fluid visual narratives that encompass the full spectrum of artistic expression, ranging from classical music (Spring Canzonetta) to ballet (Dance to the Earth), to nature (To Plant Flowers While Waiting), and the literary arts (In Praise of Children Literature). She exults, “Come to us, the visual artists, dancers, poets, writers, playwrights, musicians, and storytellers. Together, we’ll form a shade to shelter you from the heat and weariness of life. Together, in this sanctuary, we shall hear the birds’ happy mating; share the breeze of renewal; and bathe in the warmth of the fragrant earth.”

Prismatic Getaway Ellen Globokar Ai-Wen Wu Kratz Mark Schiff

Ellen Globokar

Ellen Globokar grew up in western Michigan with a pencil and a sketchpad close at hand.

From a very young age, she was commissioned to draw portraits and displayed her watercolors at juried art shows. After two decades working in politics and government, she returned to her passion for art. Citing Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism, and the Bay Area Figurative Movement as her main inspiration, Globokar paints alla prima, capturing tranquil views of marine sunsets, lush gardens touched by soft rays of lavender light, and solitary rural landscapes. Her collages, made of scraps of hand-dyed Japanese paper, are also inspired by the colors and atmospheres of the seashore and countryside. Different depths and textures are achieved by arranging pieces of varying thickness and shapes, while metallic paint is added for a shimmering effect. Her work emanates a soothing contemplative beauty, an intimate communion with nature, offering a much-needed escape from the mundanity of life.

A resident of Chevy Chase, Maryland, Globokar received formal instruction at the Art League of Alexandria, Virginia. There she participated in numerous juried exhibitions, winning “Best in Show.” She had two successful shows at the Peninsula Art Gallery in Lewes, Delaware, and was a featured artist at Beebe Medical Center’s Best of the Beach Art Auction in Rehoboth.

Kaleidoscope #1, 2023 Collage on canvas 36” x 24”

Kaleidoscope #4, 2023 Collage on canvas 30” x 24”

Kaleidoscope #5, 2023 Collage on canvas 30” x 24”

Rock Me on the Water, 2022 Collage on canvas 48” x 36”

Drift Away, 2022 Collage on canvas 30” x 40”

Sweet Talking Sea, 2023 Collage on canvas 36” x 36”

Huwak’a 2, 2023 Collage on canvas 24” x 36”

Huwak’a 2 is available in sets of 3, 4, or 6. For pricing, please inquire

Ai-Wen Wu Kratz

Ai-Wen Wu Kratz is originally from Hong Kong. She received a BFA in Painting and Mathematics from Fort Wright College in Spokane, WA and an MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI. She is an alumna of Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture. She holds a diploma, “Breaking Into Print” from Institute For Writers, in Madison, CT. In addition to exhibits in the United States, Kratz had one-person exhibitions in France, Germany, England, Egypt and Austria. Her works can be found in private and public collections in Canada, Germany, Bangladesh, Argentina, and the U.S., including the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum in St. Louis, MO. Kratz’s works are visual symphonies, created similarly to the way in which a composer creates music, with equal focus and value on each visual element as an integral part of the whole.

Using acrylic paints on canvas, the artist meticulously applies lines, colors, forms, shapes, and movements to create her vibrant abstract pieces. Her work expresses elements of the spiritual, intellectual, and the aesthetic. Kratz hopes that her works bring joy and contentment to the viewer.

A Dream With Five Leaves Along A Country Road, 2012 Pen & Ink on Archival Paper 14.5” x 20”

New Finds, 2019 Acrylic on canvas 8” x 32”

Anticipating Spring, 2023 Acrylic on canvas 30” x 32”

Color Logic II / Green, 2018 Acrylic on canvas 10” x 10”

Color Logic II / Orange, 2018 Acrylic on canvas 10” x 10”

Color Logic II / Red, 2018 Acrylic on canvas 10” x 10”

Dance To The Earth, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 60” x 12”

Étude (diptych), 2015 Acrylic on canvas 10” x 18”

I Found In Him My Star, My Sun, 2018 Acrylic on canvas 28” x 45”

Renewal / Part II, 2014 Acrylic on canvas 51” x 60”

Spring Canzonetta, 2018 Acrylic on canvas 30” x 24”

To Plant Flowers While Waiting (Trptych), 2012 Acrylic on canvas 72” x 108”

Upon Far and Near, 2020 Acrylic on canvas 24” x 36”

In Praise of Children Literature, 2023 Acrylic on canvas 30” x 32”

Mark Schiff

Journeying around the world has ignited artist Mark Schiff’s creativity, which he reveals through his watercolor, acrylic, and oil compositions. “Traveling reminds me that I am part of a vast universe filled with extraordinary places and interesting people,” he says. “The adventure of travel gives me an expansive sense of freedom that often becomes the inspiration for many of my paintings.” His travels have taken him to diverse locations, and he explains that each journey heightens his capacity to embrace a wide spectrum of emotions that serve his creative process.

Heavily influenced by his interest in culture, music, and yoga, Schiff ’s ability to be guided by intuition opens him to what he refers to as, “the ocean of creativity within.” It is from this place that he paints with bold, deliberate strokes creating eye-catching paintings that sizzle with energy and command the viewers’ attention.

Above all, Mark Schiff is a believer in the solidarity of humanity. After hearing his father’s experiences during WWII, Schiff was moved by the plight of war, its effect on people, and man’s inhumanity to man. “These stories inspired me to paint as a way to simply bring more beauty into our troubled world.”

Florence Lilies, 2023 Acrylic on canvas 36” x 36”

Lausanne Lilies, 2021 Acrylic on canvas 60” x 48”

Melbourne Lilies, 2022 Mixed media on canvas 60” x 48”

Naples Lilies, 2023 Acrylic on canvas 60” x 48”

Positano Lilies, 2023 Mixed media on canvas 48” x 48”

Santiago Lilies, 2023 Acrylic on canvas 36” x 36”

Summer Lilies 3, 2023 Acrylic on canvas 60” x 48”

Tripoli Lilies, 2023 Mixed media on canvas 48” x 48”

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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