CHROMATIC SYNTAX BLAKE EMORY GRACE KELLER SUSIE KOS KIKUKO SAKOTA
CATALYST of the INCANDESCENT DOUG SIMON NAZ PERVER WEICH
LUMINESCENT TRANSFIGURATIONS AOZI HEINZ STRAHL MEDIHA TEKIN
NATURAL AFICIONADOS KARA ASILANIS LUCAS van EEGHEN THERESA LEE
COLLECTORS’ CHOICE JOHN PETERS
AMSTERDAM WHITNEY GALLERY “Masquerade Magique” Fete
AOZI
“Korod Arena” Ink on Paper 24” x 18”
AOZI “LUMINESCENT TRANSFIGURATIONS”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
“Every culture is defined by its artists,” declared contemporary master David Dory. Chinese artist AOZI’s message-laden, socially satirical caricatures are dominated by the importance of their socio-political message and seek to arouse meaningful discourse while celebrating the freedom of cultural expression. A natural blend of German Expressionism and Chinese Gongbi styles, AOZI’s scathing parodies embody the prerogative of artistic essence as she continues the centuries-old tradition of provocative satirical, political art that challenges the conventions of society. Like her predecessors, ranging from 19th century Daumier in France to the contemporary “Charlie Hebdo-Je Suis Charlie,” her paintbrush is a visual metaphor which redefines the dilemmas of modern political and social woes, reflecting dark psychological and symbolic visions of the contemporary world. Infused with compelling themes of consumption, avarice, greed and gluttony, the artist targets the foibles of the power elite and lampoons the bourgeoisies with her cartoon-like figures. These powerful transcriptions convert her art into potent, comical social critiques on the world. Through an intuitive visual language which is symbolically interlaced with a collage of figures and animals, AOKI portrays her subjects with a dynamic aesthetic narrative message which consistently asserts that her compositions are socially and politically relevant. Creating a deep, complex language of imagery that provides the viewer with a message in code, she allows us to extract hidden meanings from her art. By successfully capturing the realities of the subject’s cultural world, her compositions demand a deeper reading from the viewer. Offering an unsettling and disturbing commentary on modern society, the artist expresses her outrage against ruling oligarchs through her skillful lines which define her exaggerated figures. Stimulating her audience to viscerally interact with her dynamic socio-political narrative, her intense yet formidable caricature oeuvre speaks to the audience on many levels and mirrors our unease with various societal issues. AOKI’s unique painterly vision employs a vivid color palette which is juxtaposed with black and white images of her subjects. The contrast of darker tones with the occasional pastel hue, contributes to the psychological tension of the composition as AOZI creates an intangible world of smiling faces who play-act stories for us to decipher. This interplay of light and dark creates an inverse chiaroscuro technique, emphasizing the two-dimensionality of the figures, rather than adding a third plane which works to the advantage of the outrageous, coy figures in the foreground, who peek out at the viewer with a teasing gaze.
KARA ASILANIS
“Mykonos” Acrylic on Canvas 24” x 30”
KARA ASILANIS “NATURAL AFICIONADOS”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
Influenced by the Pierre Bonnard statement: “The artist who paints the emotions creates an enclosed world... the picture...which, like a book, has the same interest no matter where it happens to be.” California artist Kara Asilanis is inspired by the emotions and the intimacies of our world with landscape and interior compositions that encapsulate subtle moments of awe and wonder. Challenged by freezing a scene as it exists for only a special brief moment in time, her landscapes and interior scenes showcase the precision and the uniqueness of seeing. Ms. Asilanis accents the external interior of our world as she draws a visual metaphor of asking us to examine the interior quality of our character. Aiming to capture the first impression of what the eye views at first glance, as one first views nature or when one initially enters a room, Ms. Asilanis masterfully translates light, color and form. By reinforcing the character of the moment and revealing the value of the treasured second, she observes the intricacies of nature in a far more detailed fashion than what is usual for the casual observer as she preserves a special world in all its eternity. Intimate in both subject matter and medium, the viewer marvels at the subtle interplay of light, color and space. The ever-changing quality of nature reminds us of the impermanence of all existence and beckons us to more fully appreciate every special moment. Ms. Asilanis encapsulates the essence of pictorial nostalgia, a genre that lures viewers into a gentle dialogue with her painted compositions. Arranging contemporary objects into intricately detailed visual masterpieces, her paintings implant personal memories as she honors the beautiful individuality of her varied interior and exterior tableaux. Translating onto canvas the ephemeral moment and freezing it for eternity, her evocative oeuvre radiates the lyrical beauty. With meticulous dedication to detail along with an extraordinary huetopian palette, a cadence of color dynamically overflows with bountiful layers of paints in various brilliant tones.
LUCAS van EEGHEN
“Field of Hope” 2011 Mixed Media (3D) on Canvas on Panel 30” x 48” x 24” 77 x 122 x 60 cm
LUCAS van EEGHEN “NATURAL AFICIONADOS”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
Vincent van Gogh’s stated “I devour nature ceaselessly. I exaggerate, sometimes I make changes in the subject; but still I don’t invent the whole picture. On the contrary, I find it already there. It’s a question of picking out what one wants from nature.” Translating this philosophy into the tangible, Dutch artist Lucas van Eeghen’s three dimensional organic mixed-media oeuvre extrapolates the bounty of nature and transcribes its importance. Enshrining the elements of nature, Lucas van Eeghen transports external nature into interior spaces and presents nature as a treasured gift, a valued present to be cherished by humankind. By juxtaposing a multi-dimensional intermingling of natures’ realms, Mr. van Eeghen manifests nature’s inner and outer worlds; the outer world of nature and the inner world of tactile and beautiful leaves, encouraging the audience to rejoice and honor the splendor of nature. Installed as traditional paintings, Lucas van Eeghen’s art incorporates three dimensional bas-reliefs which project beyond the boundaries of the canvas. Immediate and tactile, dazzling colored leaves, protruding stems and brilliantly hued foliage flowingly cascade from the canvas and propel themselves into the spectator’s viewing space. By xtending artistic boundaries to underline contrasting textures which, in turn, are juxtaposed with smooth fluid surfaces, Mr. van Eeghen’s mixed media compositions are best understood as an homage to the deity of nature. Challenging the viewers’ external perceptions and viewpoints, he invites one’s inner artistic vision to be overwhelmed by the glorious images of nature flowing into the visual arts, reminding the viewer of its pervasive presence in the world outside the gallery walls. By i ntrodu cing the concept of the organic element of nature as a central component of his work, Mr. van Eeghen transcends and transforms the tactile materiality of nature by projecting its anthropomorphic symbols. The synchronicity of the natural terrain has its impact on his elegant, panoramas which reflect the artist’s interest in the equilibrium man can achieve in relation to the natural environment. With this unique perspective, Mr. van Eeghen successfully articulates the wonderment of the terrestrial universe with a vibrant visual lexicon, resulting in a spiritual artistic harmony and encourages the audience not to just observe, but to be part of the natural environment and feel the magic of the natural world.
BLAKE EMORY
“Atmosphere” Oil on Canvas 40” x 30”
BLAKE EMORY “CHROMATIC SYNTAX”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
Inspired by the credo of Roy Lichtenstein: “Art doesn’t transform. It just plain forms,” New York artist Blake Emory optically reconstructs reality and paints bold and arresting compositions that strike a balance between fine art and pop culture. Mr. Emory’s optical illusionary “Zebra Love” Series manifests his Optic Modernism vision which intermingles cultural commentary with humor , intermixing dreams and reality, melding a playful sexuality with a bold graphic, iconic design. Constructing a distinctive visual lexicon through his hybrid Op style which is also inspired by Victor Vaserly’s 1938 Zebra painting, Mr. Emory’s curvilinear black and white striped “Zebra Love” series offers a unique twist on contemporary art. “I like to think of my work as representing the unity of mankind,” says Blake Emory. “The Zebra is one of nature’s grandest designs and I fell in love with this beautiful formation and found that its geometry gave me a new form of expression in Optic Modernism.” Passion, divine geometry and beauty meld to create the “Optic Modernist” movement pioneered by Blake Emory. By challenging artistic boundaries and embracing Pop and Op Art, Blake Emory cites social media, pop culture, and global issues as strong influences on his Optic Modernist art. In his Zebra Love collection, Mr. Emory blends the bold, graphic pattern of the zebra to create an optical illusion of the female silhouette and states: “The zebra is nature’s grand design.” Drawing on objects from pop culture such as featuring his signature Red Stiletto shoe in his compositions, he isolates it from its known context, thus creating works that merge the language of modernist imagery with references to film, literature, and music, as well as to the artist’s own life. Mr. Emory states:” The Red Stiletto symbolizes the passionate steps needed for mankind to liberate themselves from the human construct.” By superimposing these visual elements as cultural phenomena and isolating them in his paintings, he creates Optic Modernist chromatic vibrations that emerge as optical illusion which offer fascinating perspectives. These visual interactive labyrinths focus on the perceptual aspects of art, resulting both in the illusion of movement and the interaction of color relationships in space. Blake Emory’s black and white wavy line “Zebra Love” paintings metamorph into a tense and contradictory juxtaposition, creating effects through the use of pattern and line. These trompe-l’œil paintings, or optical visual tricks that fool the eye, are perceptual experiences related to how vision functions. Not contained by contoured lines, rather the stripes appear to both meld into and burst forth from the black and white wavy lines which are placed closely to one another on the canvas surface, creating a volatile figure-ground relationship. This Florida born artist remixes current trends in his work resulting in a fresh, unique syntax.
GRACE KELLER
“Brahms Sonata #3 Adagio” Oil on Canvas 31.5” x 31.5”
GRACE KELLER “CHROMATIC SYNTAX”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
Inspired by the Kandinsky statement that “Color provokes a psychic vibration. Color hides a power still unknown but real, which acts on every part of the human body,” virtuoso colorist Grace Keller’s Brahms’ Sonata series transcends everyday reality to create a world that explodes with visceral color. The catalyst for her art can be found in her tribute to the triumph of music replete with intense colors and rich textures that metamorphose into lines and forms. Synthesizing the perfect aesthetic environment where visceral emotions are combined with color and movement, Ms. Keller states: “I use music to inspire my emotions and flow with them. I let the freedom of creation take the paint where it will, it flows with the rhythm of harmony. I have created a correspondence between the harmony of music and the harmony of colors.” Integrating this together, Ms. Keller creates a new artistic vision that illustrates an inner spiritual universe, a new dimension reflecting dynamic, swirling galaxies of color Ms. Keller presents a harmonic relation between our society and her compositions as she unearths a boundless energy and vitalizing spirituality in her opulently colored compositions. Electrifying hues sweep through her tableaux allowing her to metaphorically express her emotions and thoughts through a brilliant color palette which imbues the work with a rich, ebullient two-dimensional, textural effect. A dynamic interplay of light further intensifies an emotional sense.
SUSIE KOS
“Vegetate” Acrylic on Canvas 54” x 29”
SUSIE KOS “CHROMATIC SYNTAX”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
Robert Rauschenberg pondered “You can’t make either life or art, you have to work in the hole in between, which is undefined. That’s what makes the adventure of painting.” Artist Susie Kos’ expansive abstract vertical canvases boast the adventure of a Neo-Dadaist style, displaying a seemingly simple contrast of color before expanding to offer other interpretative possibilities. Influenced by her observations of the world around her and how these modalities intersect and affect both human consciousness and spirituality, Ms. Kos reinterprets modern abstract art by exploring the spiritual nature of our universe through color. Her flowing work provides an important portal through which the viewer can consider the complex intermingling between our unfolding lives and the natural elements that surround us. Calibrating spectral colored hues that radiate beauty, harmony and light, Susie Kos’s oeuvre galvanizes a sense of space and depth as her non-objective acrylic canvases offer a commanding physical presence. Working quickly with acrylic pigments, she layers colors swiftly, one on top of the other, instinctively recreating a unique artistic vision. A modern articulation of the color spectrum emerges through translucent veils of tones, as this gifted artist orchestrates multiple layers and shades of paint to attain an ethereal blend and flow of hues. Her love of subtle blending of the color palette combined with organic shapes metamorphs into large contemporary abstracts that are big, bold, beautiful, and brimming with vibrant color. Diaphanous expanses of red, blue, yellow and green infuse her mixed media works, with emotion and spontaneity, creating an extremely diverse collection of work featuring a fascinating tension between the intricate, weaving lines and swirls of color. Mysterious shapes create a highly personal yet abstract atmosphere that suggests the kind of shape-shifting emotions that humans experience every day. Distinguishing herself through technique, Ms. Kos makes every mark with a dynamic movement, resulting in a more controlled Abstract Expressionism. The compositions are thoughtful and the subjects are unrecognizable with drips, streaks and dashes which gracefully echo a sense of lyrical emotion. Intersecting lines and shapes create subtle labyrinths, taking the viewer’s eye on an involving and enveloping journey. Winding about in complex paths and spirals, those lines have both a high degree of complexity and an arresting simplicity as she creates multi-layered compositions that engage the viewer’s attention, while also maintaining a classical sense of balance and proportion. The underlying grace and movement of each line or form firmly grounds each image, turning it into a clear and coherent statement of the artist’s vision.
THERESA LEE
“Seascape Series #1” Acrylic on Canvas 16” x 20”
THERESA LEE “NATURAL AFICIONADOS”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
Henry David Thoreau declared, “We can never have enough of nature. We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, vast and titanic features, the sea-coast with its glory.....” Spiritually and artistically responding to this credo is Canadian artist Theresa Lee who is inspired by the sublimity of nature’s internal rhythm by creating illuminated seascapes brimming with dynamic vitality. Painting the vibrant essence of water topography, her organic lyrical compositions are an intimate conversation with the terrain, offering a renewed opportunity for a divine reflection of our world which resonates with spectral colored hues that radiate beauty, harmony and light. Revealing the spiritual essence of nature beyond the normal visual spectrum, Ms. Lee revels in the poetry of water and land while encapsulating the fleeting beauty of the sea in her other worldly water topography transfigurations. By reorienting the viewers’ perception, Ms. Lee’s seascape vignettes visually re-define our environment as they offer an intimate conversation with our world. Working in acrylic on canvas, the artist employs a palette in which color contrasts are subtly employed to create effects of light, movement and space. Exploding bursts of colors allow for immediate and quick responses to the ever-changing atmospheric conditions, as her expressive brushwork mixes vibrant hues of colors, with warm pools of turquoise hues, primrose pinks and deep magentas which coalesce into swirling cerulean blue skies. With sensitivity to the details of the shifts of light and color, Ms. Lee allows hue and intensity to change the color’s effect. These transluminescent, synesthetic compositions capture multiple moments in time and symbolize essential characteristics of nature by unearthing the timeless energy of our effervescent world. Whether she is depicting the textures of sky and water in a landscape or the intense colors of the land, the result is a lyrical body of work. An appealing immediacy and tangible freshness result in the juxtapositions of her elegant compositions, using the contrasts in color and proportion to keep the work both visceral and highly structured. Correlating the direct link between nature and human emotion, Theresa Lee’s ethereal organic seascapes become a powerful reminder of the importance of the majesty of nature by declaring the ephemeral beauty and strength of our environment as she re-defines nature. By reinforcing that nature is universal and can be experienced by everyone, she embraces the natural elements that are accessible to all.
JOHN PETERS
“Golden Glow” Oil on Canvas 24” x 24”
JOHN PETERS “COLLECTORS’ CHOICE”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
“For me nature is not landscape, but the dynamism of visual forces, an event rather than an appearance,” proclaimed Bridget Riley, “These forces can only be tackled by treating color and form as ultimate identities, freeing them from all descriptive or functional roles.” It is this visual dynamism that explodes in John Peters’s magical realism landscape and floral canvases which are saturated with vigorous bursts of color, resonating as much with passion as with hue, as they emphatically communicate the visceral power of the untamed forces of nature. Enchanted by his subject matter, he paints the mesmerizing natural splendor of the terrain, illustrating hypnotic, peaceful natural kingdoms with magical vistas. Deftly transmitting the sublime panoramic scope and energetic essence of each locale with powerful dynamism, John Peters paints as if under a spell. Amajestic color opulence dominates the panoramic paintings of this Michigan, New Jersey and New Hampshire-based artist who explores the interpenetrating realms of light, shadow, texture, shape and hue. Fascinated by color, his richly colored landscapes generate a mosaic, jewel-toned spectrum diffusing a visceral sense of wonder. Texture increases the emotional perception and dynamics of the painting, adding a level of expressionism to the overall effect Offering maximum visual appeal, his unique approach to contemporary landscape results in images with numerous layers and details. Looking to the innate elegance of the natural world for his subject, Mr. Peters paints landscapes and flowers with a veracity of theme. Balanced by spectral, expressive brushstrokes and brilliant pigments, one finds a subtle but undeniable message in the artist’s cumulative work. This message delights the eye with hue and balance, expressing an emotion that surfaces upon studied introspection, moving us with imagery that re-defines nature and the external world that touches our heart.
KIKUKO SAKOTA
“Orchestra in the Woods” Acrylic and Pastel on Canvas 15.2” x 18.2”
KIKUKO SAKOTA “CHROMATIC SYNTAX”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
Inspired by Helen Frankenthaler’s proclamation: “I don’t start with a color order, but find the colors as I go,” Contemporary Master Kikuko Sakota innovatively explores the color spectrum to achieve luminosity, movement, and spatial relationships in her abstract expressionist oeuvre. Kikuko Sakota states: “My attempt is to manipulate brushstrokes to render power to colors to talk loud.” Possessing a unique artistic vision, Kikuko Sakotas’s use of mood-evocative color and eloquent design results in mesmerizing non-objective acrylic canvases which allows her to articulate intangible sentiments and psychological themes to the viewer. Her sharp eye for color contributes as much to her paintings as does her expert handling of line and form. When combined with the swirling movements and kaleidoscopic lines and angles of her images, the result is a distinctive, engaging body of work. Kikuko Sakota’s abstract evocations of nature in her acrylic and pastel canvases combine spontaneity and energy as her paintings take the viewer on an unexpected and fascinating journey. Working quickly with acrylic pigments, she layers colors swiftly, one on top of the other, instinctively recreating her artistic visions. Whether she uses basic colors or employs a wide range of contrasting shades, such as hot pink fuchsias, cerulean blues, sanguine reds, lyrical violets or sunshiny yellows, the artist calibrates those colors to create the effect of space and depth, giving her graceful abstract patterns a commanding physical presence. The artist builds her abstract work out of strokes of paint and lush clouds of hazy texture with brushstrokes that are delicate and colors that are layered to create depth and movement, thus achieving elegance through her masterful grasp of tonalities. With dynamic energy and joyful exuberance, Ms. Sakota’s oeuvre explores painting’s potential as her art occupies a domain between a romantic and a conceptual art form in which a deep, psychological experience is formed. Fluid, organic free form shapes resonate through her imaginative works which are playful and spirited. Deceptively complex, there is not a single corner, hard edged, geometric line to be found in his compositions. This Japanese master presents the essence of life as she creates a probing visceral experience for her audience. Her serene paintings create an innovative world within a world and each of these worlds have led the artist to develop a reputation for epic works that display both delicacy and bold strength, revealing a deep respect for the profound sense of the color spectrum.
DOUG SIMON
“Primordial Brine” Oil on Canvas 30” x 22”
DOUG SIMON “CATALYST of the INCANDESCENT”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
Influenced by Paul Gaugin philosophy “Do not copy nature too much. Art is an abstraction,” Contemporary California artist Doug Simon is inspired by the light and colors of the landscape of nature and channels the terrains’ flowing abstract imagery into his plein air landscape paintings/ Mr. Simon states: “I enjoy working very quickly, sometimes on location, gradually building layers of color and texture to mimic nature. Some paintings are later finished in the studio as not to contaminate the fresh qualities achieved on location.” By providing a fresh visual syntax of the natural terrain, Mr. Simon’s compositions are invested with imagery reminiscent of nature and epitomize the quest to capture the complex, fleeting patterns of nature on canvas. Not only does he offer a new perspective on nature, but the artist also energizes one’s visual perspective by illustrating a new dimension of the natural world, allowing the audience to contemplate our own visual perception of nature. Encapsulating the evanescent temporality of nature, Mr. Simon’s landscape paintings act as indexical symbols as he captures metaphorical shapes and forces from the terrain. His exuberant topography subjects explore the expansive of nature, showcasing the national essence of the United States. By highlighting the phenomenon that majestically define our native soil, his sunlit serene landscapes express the sublime rejuvenation of experiencing the natural world. The powerful energy of nature’s divine grace is magnified by his expressive color palette, in which the balance of bright and muted tones creates a dynamic rhythm and vivid sense of space. The resulting images conjure up a world that feels utterly believable and real, while remaining part of the artist’s inner, personal vision. The effervescent forces of nature fuse together in his opulent landscapes in which he invites the viewer on a journey among tranquil outdoor scenes and asserts his mastery over color and form by elevating the landscape from just visual to immersive, sensational experiences. Doug Simon’s compositions anthropomorphize into a spiritual harmony uniting humankind with the universe as his artworks become meditative portals for viewers to imagine and mediate. Through these labyrinthine creations, he transports the viewer to a natural paradise where one may contemplate the power, purity and sanctity of nature. Manifesting his sacred connection with nature, Mr. Simon imbues his bountiful canvases with a spirit of freedom, resonating with visual majesty and sublime power. An emotional quality is transmitted which becomes the true essence of his expressionistic style of painting, using the medium of paint and canvas to become a symbol of one’s emotions about the natural landscape.
Deconstruction #24 Oil on Canvas 16 x 24
HEINZ STRAHL
“The Split Cuckoo” Oil on Canvas 40” x 32”
HEINZ STRAHL “LUMINESCENT TRANSFIGURATIONS”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
Inspired by Picasso’s proclamation that “A Painter must represent what he experienced,” Austrian artist, Dr. Heinz Strahl has inherited this legacy as he transcribes his experiences as a veterinarian and translates his fascination of the animal into an anthropomorphic portrayal of the animal realm. Imbuing his works with a palpable sense of respect and whimsy, his oeuvre is realistic in aesthetic, as he ennobles his subjects with a radiant exquisiteness that seems to sparkle from his canvases. It is impossible to ignore Dr. Strahl’s creative capturing of the animals in his world, recreating his experiences and memories of them for the viewer to share in and understand as he invokes a sense of awe and majesty. Almost dreamlike in his choice of both theme and subject, the artist attempts to permeate real life with an effortless joie de vivre as his conservationist paintings convey the delight, glory and humor of all of the creatures on our planet, reminding us to treasure God’s creatures as special and sublime. Expressionist in content and execution, Dr. Strahl’s anthropomorphic oeuvre brings into the external world his inner world of representation. Vivacious and exciting, each animal image has a distinct life to it, making it seem as though any single one of them could jump from the page and fly away. There is a masterfully demonstrated skill in each composition, creating something new yet recognizable allowing the viewer to truly understand and appreciate the subject through the artist’s eyes. Demonstrating a strong grasp of color and tone which allows for athree-dimensionality, each work gives the impression of living, breathing animals in their natural environment. By blending the Expressionist technique with the Realist’s color wheel, Heinz Strahl’s breadth of work is filled with a wonderfully floating sense of freedom that is grounded in the instantly relatable, exemplifying his efforts of making him a true modern master of the canvas. By choosing a more naturalistic color palette, Dr. Heinz Strahl focuses the attention of the viewer on the natural grace and beauty of his subjects, asking us to share in his love and appreciation for their natural forms. Truly an Expressionist master with a twist, Dr. Strahl’s paintings do not seek to represent objective reality but to demonstrate his experiences of his reality, hoping to arouse similar feelings of awe and sympathy in the viewer. His painting and creativity are basic needs to express artistic sensitivity, feeling in total harmony with nature while giving thanks for life, as he celebrates all forms of the natural kingdom.
Deconstruction #24 Oil on Canvas 16 x 24
NAZ PERVER WEICH
“Pensive” Oil on Linen 27.5” x 27.5”
NAZ PERVER WEICH “CATALYST of the INCANDESCENT”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
Picasso mused “When we discovered Cubism, we did not have the aim of discovering Cubism. We only wanted to express what was in us.” International artist Naz Perver Weich has taken the influences of cubists like Picasso and Cezanne to inform and refine her own dazzling cubist figurative style. The destruction and reconstitution inherent in the cubist style is used to great effect in her works, allowing the viewer to see the subject from multiple angles and viewpoints, offering the impression of colors and lines being used to express form over the idea of form itself. With an impressive amount of versatility, Ms. Pever Weich expresses a powerful vision in her abstracted figuration compositions intermixing a bold sense of line, color and movement which incorporates elements of Cubism. Masterfully orchestrating these figurative groupings, her vibrant compositions transform these styles to produce a prismatic labyrinth of spectral colors that are compositionally rewarding. Vibrating with energy, her vivid and unique paintings inspire both intellectual and visceral discourse, demanding attention and response from the viewer as she brilliantly captures the movement of her silhouettes. In her oil on linen compositions, fractured oncoming light draws the eye’s attention to smaller details that would not normally be prioritized. Her unique style offers little, sloping curves within the straight edges which captivate and disseminate the view over the canvas. Everything takes on new shapes in the wake of these details, offering something new at each passing glance. Ms. Perver Weich states: “It’s all about capturing what the eye cannot see, but what the mind knows is there! When I paint, it’s not so much about the subject matter. It’s about movement, the movement that is always there.” Through her clever use of lines and color, Ms. Perver Weich brings movement alive, as her figures move through their individual spaces leaving a curving wake behind them, replicating the ripples in a pond and exemplifying the movement that she seeks to capture. Her masterful brushstrokes imply the subtle shifting of form and motion, bringing to mind Duchamp’s grasp of the kinetic within a static medium. Her magnifying glass reflects the point and counterpoints of the human form as the viewer is drawn deeper into her dazzling universe of form, color and shape.
Deconstruction #24 Oil on Canvas 16 x 24
MEDIHA TEKIN
“Ma Mere” Oil on Canvas 23” x 23”
MEDIHA TEKIN “LUMINESCENT TRANSFIGURATIONS”
MARCH 20 – APRIL 28, 2015
Committed to creativity and individuality, Turkish artist Mediha Tekin is inspired by Judy Chicago’s proclamation: “I go to make art as who I am as a person. The fact that I am a woman comes into play maybe in the kinds of things I’m interested in.” Ms. Tekin’s luminescent female dreamscapes fuse the classical female figurative silhouette with the surreal, resulting in a chimerical dream world narrative dominated by the female form. Her poetic visual lexis offers optical feminine narratives revealing visible metaphors which celebrate the feminine mystique. Female allegorical transfigurations metamorph into lyrical reveries, as they transcend reality with elegant and dreamlike female forms which become a visionary syntax of female thoughts and dreams. A spellbinding dream world is reflected by blending a magical and emotional panorama of floating women, Ms.Tekin reflects a profound vision that mysteriously reverberates with intuitive and psychological inner expressions of the female spirit overflowing with enigma and intrigue, as her mystical subjects exotically exist in a realm filled with fantasy and splendor. Imagery of anonymous, semiabstracted figures, express the emotion and drama of the compositions. By delineating the forms with strong outlining of their bodies, this gifted artist allows the figures to blend harmoniously within the background of her lyrical works. Lacking a certain identity, her amorphous figures are attenuated and often classically attired, exuding a captivating allure of mystery and mystique. Ms. Tekin’s intuitive female oeuvre explores the essence of memory, as she unlocks the unconscious of the female consciousness and releases visual concepts of visceral emotions and experience. By placing her human subjects in surreal environments, Ms. Tekin prompts the spectator to question one’s own understanding of reality. Without restraint, her internal logic is to tangibly provide her female inhabited dream universe with a cogent, external reality. Metamorphosing into glowing feminine visions, the figures invite us to look closer and to forge a spiritual connection. Melodic bursts of light offer an intoxicating sensorial perception as fascinating female characters float through suspended time and space.
AMSTERDAM WHITNEY International Fine Art, Inc. 511 West 25th Street, Chelsea New York, NY 10001 Phone: 212-255-9050 Fax: 212-255-9020 www.AmsterdamWhitneyGallery.com AmsterdamWhitney@aol.com
FEBRUARY GROUP PRESS RELEASE AMSTERDAM WHITNEY GALLERY, 511 West 25th Street, Chelsea, New York City, is proud to showcase in its exciting MARCH 20 - APRIL 28, 2015 Exhibition and special Gala Champagne Reception on March 26th featuring a “Masquerade Magique” Fête, leading Contemporary Master Artists whose mesmerizing works resonate with global stature as they explore the abstract, figurative and natural worlds through painting, and sculpture. These virtuosic artists exalt the magical artistic realm of the aesthetic through brilliant coloration and dazzling form. Equally addressing the eye and the mind, this dazzling group exhibition features an acute observation and intelligent analysis to form compelling, thought-provoking art. This special Spring exhibition offers a visual bouquet to delight the senses of both art acquisitiors and art aficionados, entrancing the apex of excellence while offering a fantastical international perspective to the representational and non-representational realm through fascinating artistic interpretations of the world. Committed to establishing an international context for contemporary art, AMSTERDAM WHITNEY GALLERY’s March-April exhibition provides a global platform to foster national and international artistic activity. CHROMATIC SYNTAX introduces four masters from the United States, Mexico and Japan, who through the modality of painting, sculpture, and mixed media offer an international visual synchronicity of cerebral emotions and perspectives. This captivating exhibit demonstrates the pinnacle of what makes successful abstract art knowing no parameters or boundaries. These supremely talented artists add a frisson of excitement to the visual realm, igniting thought and inspiring self-reflection through dynamic forms, ravishing color and unique mediums. BLAKE EMORY “Zebra Love” Series optically reconstructs reality as he paints bold and arresting compositions striking a balance between fine art and pop culture while manifesting his Optic Modernism vision which intermingles cultural commentary with humor, intermixing dreams and reality .melding a playful sexuality with a bold graphic, iconic design. Virtuoso colorist GRACE KELLER’S Brahms’ Sonata series is a tribute to the triumph of music which transcends everyday reality to create a dazzling world that explodes with visceral color. SUSIE KOS’S ‘ expansive abstract vertical canvases boast the adventure of a Neo-Dadaist style, displaying a seemingly simple contrast of color before expanding to offer other interpretative possibilities. KIKUKO SAKOTA’S use of mood-evocative, kaleidoscopic color and eloquent abstract forms result in mesmerizing non-objective acrylic canvases which allow her to articulate intangible sentiments to discover infinite imaginative interpretations. LUMINESCENT TRANSFIGURATIONS presents three remarkable international masters hailing from China, Austria and Turkey who offer expressionistic visceral vistas with a global perspective as they dynamically capture the effervescent meaning of humankind and the animal realm. Investigating the inner emotions of the human and animal spirit, their conceptually symbolic compositions are intriguing creations alluringly appealing to the heart and soul. AOZI’S ‘ message-laden, socially satirical caricatures are dominated by the importance of their socio-political message and seek to arouse meaningful discourse while celebrating the freedom of cultural expression. HEINZ STRAHL transcribes his experiences as a veterinarian and translates his fascination of the animal into an anthropomorphic portrayal of the animal realm, imbuing his works with a palpable sense of respect and whimsy. MEDIHA TEKIN’S female dreamscapes fuse the classical female figurative silhouette with the surreal, resulting in a chimerical dream world allegorical narrative reverberating with the female form. NATURAL AFICIONADOS shines the spotlight on three unique artists working from the U.S. the Netherlands and Canada whose individualistic lexicon renders a contemporary expressionistic reinterpretation of classically inspired
perceptions of nature, with illuminated hues and masterful brushstrokes which culminate in visually rich and carefully orchestrated compositions. Singing with radiant light and reverberating with luscious color, these contemporary nature landscapes and still life paintings luminously echo the timelessness and beauty of our natural world. KARA ASILANIS accents the external interior of our world with her landscape and interior compositions which freeze a special moment of an everyday scene by showcasing the precision and the uniqueness of her unique artistic vision. LUCAS van EEGHEN is inspired by the sublime majesty of nature and his innovative virtuosic oeuvre spiritually communicates and preserves the treasures of nature by encapsulating its brilliance in a 3 dimensional format. THERESA LEE’S vibrant water-inspired topographical compositions are an intimate conversation with the water and the terrain which resonate with spectral colored hues that radiate beauty, harmony and light. CATALYST of the INCANDESCENT showcases two masterful artists whose visually prominent canvases reflect the influence of the abstraction of nature and the cubist fragmentation of the silhouette. Radiating bold brushwork and a dynamic color palette, their harmonious composition and commanding gestalt become catalysts for the sublime. DOUG SIMON is inspired by the light and colors of the landscape of nature and channels the terrains’ flowing abstract imagery into his plein air landscape paintings by providing a fresh visual syntax of the natural terrain as he captures the complex, fleeting patterns of nature on canvas. NAZ PERVER WEICH’s powerful vision of prismatic, semi-abstracted Cubist figurative compositions intermix a bold sense of line, color and movement as she masterfully orchestrates figurative groupings into vibrant compositions that produce a labyrinth of spectral colors. COLLECTORS’ CHOICE exhibition showcases the exuberant landscape and floral work of contemporary master JOHN PETERS’s whose magical realism landscape and floral canvases are saturated with dazzling bursts of vivid color, resonating as much with passion as with hue as they viscerally communicate the important magnificent of the untamed forces of nature.