art shows & news

What happens when New Age themes mix with surrealism and whimsy? Inka Essenhigh’s work! This New York artist has exhibited her oil paintings throughout the United States and Europe, and she now has an exhibit on display at 303 Gallery in New York City through February 20th. Here’s just an itty-bitty taste of what’s on display there.

Snowflake (Pink), oil on canvas, 64 x 72 inches

Green Goddess II, oil on canvas, 72 x 60 inches

Fog, Moss, Lichen, oil on canvas, 64 x 72 inches

For the year 2009, Christopher Davison made some really intense pieces. Let me start by saying that in Davison’s world, “small pieces” can be as large as 15″ x 20″. That’s HUGE. So let us move onto his large pieces — which, at 20″ x 22″ or 30″ x 20″, are rich with layers and detail. And then you’ll understand that Davison doesn’t mess around; he goes all out when it comes to art. Well, enough then! Drink it in!

The Law (Flashe, graphite, gouache, india ink on Rives BFK)

The Law, detail (Flashe, graphite, gouache, india ink on Rives BFK)

Purgatory (Flashe, gouache, acrylic ink, watercolor, india ink on Rives BFK)

In a couple days, street artist Aakash Nihalani will be featuring his tape art in an enclosed space (The Carmichael Gallery).

Nihalani will be creating site-specific installations using brightly-colored tape, proving that simple geometric 2-dimensional shapes, when placed into 3-dimensional settings, can challenge viewers’ perceptions and spatial understandings.

Below are examples of his non-gallery work:

BUT.
As if that wasn’t ridiculous enough, the show will also feature works from Mark Jenkins. Yes, MARK JENKINS!

“Who the hell is Mark Jenkins?” you ask? Maybe some photos will enlighten you, because chances are, you’ve seen his works on the internet a million times but never knew the name that went with them. Now, you do.

And now you know why you need to go if you live in the Los Angeles area. You’d be a fool not to.

Just as Seattle artist Robert Hardgrave changed his website URL from the playful farmerbobsfarm.com to a more responsible roberthardgrave.com, he’s stepping it up with his artwork. Last night’s show at Joshua Liner Gallery proved it. A classy gallery with a reknowned reputation, Joshua Liner Gallery has a show tonight that will bring in talent from all over.

Here’s just a few more of the things you’ll see if you go visit the gallery before February 6th, 2010:

Tomokazu Matsuyama’s Runnin’ Further Deep Study #3

Mars-1’s Further

Damon Soule’s Decadedense 2

Nome Edonna’s Inside Out

 
 
Street art pioneer Dan Witz now has a show on display at Carmichael Gallery that might just get you respecting street art if you’re a skeptic.
 
 
Inspired by Amsterdam’s Red Light District, the works feature human and animal faces and figures trapped behind dirty, shoddily painted glass panes and window frames, looking out as if trapped or curious about the world outside.
 
 
Dark Doings, which will feature recreations of pieces Witz has done on the streets of Brooklyn and elsewhere, shows just how cleverly overlooked doors and windows in alleyways can be used.
 
 
www.carmichaelgallery.com
www.danwitzstreetart.com

Bright spring colors, nearly floral patterns, and… cut out portions of Barbie dolls… converge in Brooklyn artist Margaux Lange’s line of bizarre art jewelry. Dismembered arms of Barbie dolls form sun-like bursts, Barbie breasts are framed with silver hearts, and Barbie mouths are paired with colors that would be great for mod fashion. The strangely delicate but obviously bizarre pieces are absolutely perfect for the slightly eccentric jewelry-wearer.

Lange speaks about the pieces in her own words on her Etsy page:

Barbie™ was immensely important in fueling my creative life as a child, and ironically continues to be such for me as an adult. My Plastic Body Series jewelry collection is the result of my life-long fascination with the icon, and a desire to re-purpose mass produced materials into distinctly handmade, wearable artworks.”

www.margauxlange.com
www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5165121

Previous New York Times journalist, Vincent Laforet shot this photo in 2004. Taken at the Lasker Rink in New York City from the overhead vantage point of a helicopter, the piece captures a moment in time that makes you think twice. The piece is aptly and cleverly titled: “Me and My Human”.

Since 2004, Laforet has shot some extremely powerful images generally falling into two different genres: photojournalism and aerial. He has an innate ability to capture patterns in human behavior from the air in a way that makes us look like miniatures, and a skill to capture dramatic moments in human history, such as those from Hurricane Katrina or war protests.

www.vincentlaforet.com

With his work in magazines like GQ, CMYK, and dozens of others, Dongyun Lee is an illustrator who really knows how to promote his own works. He’s sent us handfuls of postcards through the years, and it’s about time we feature his work on our blog. Whether it be in his brightly-colored, well-composed illustrations or his delicate black and white drawings, Lee’s style incorporates a fine balance of graphic design elements with classic illustration techniques. His pieces are full and ornamental without ever being too busy, which is a balance that is a difficult to achieve. The piece above is a fine example, as it is brimming with whimsy, imagination, composition, and a surrealistic background that seems to push on infinitely into the background.

Lee also has a new website, so be sure to check it out.

www.dongyunlee.com

Rise and shine, suckers.

Morning Breath is ’bout to knock you out with some effortless design. I’ve been checking out Morning Breath’s goods purely for their quirky typographic compositions, but I have to say, their illustration mixes are a sight for sore eyes too. The show should be off the hook, especially since they’re doing it with veteran bomber and graphic artist, Cycle. Best go and checkitout, checkitout.

Opening Reception ends in a few hours, so all you Brooklyn folks reading this blog right now should run out and catch the party before it’s too late.

www.adhocart.org
www.morningbreathinc.com

Uhhhh. This jacket, shown at the MoMA, was made of stem cells from mice and was fed nutrients. It died after five days due to some complication (they had to pull the plug). Yes, it is alive. Or I guess I should say WAS. Since it’s dead. More details here.