Tag Archives: oil

Liza Lacroix’s Tormented Abstract Portraits

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Interesting paintings done in oil on lexan from Brooklyn-based artist Liza Lacroix. Portraits rendered in lush, swimming applications of color, the works maintain a haunting distance and obscurity. Our faces are the most expressive elements of our bodies by far, and somehow Lacroix’s denial of direct access to such expression makes you want to stare at these tormented paintings even more; to try and uncover the meaning that’s hidden in plain sight.

The artist opens Works, a solo exhibition, this Thursday, 7-10 PM at Candamill Gallery, 89 Mercer St. NYC.

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Chloe Early’s Sublime Oil Paintings Contrast Beauty and Destruction

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London-based artist Chloe Early works primarily in oil, creating paintings that set themes of “love, beauty, and innocence” against “worldly symbols of agression” -bombs, bullets, urban development, etc. And we’re talking right up against each other. Subjects as disparate as weapons and flowers seamlessly come together  as one to create a kind of informal pattern. Missiles, engines, and guns -harsh, metallic things- spiral away from lovers and graceful figures. In creating such a sharp contrast of subject matter, Early captures an elusive, sublime moment. That perfect, last second of beauty before everything falls to shit. That enormous show of strength in the midst of destruction and decay. More paintings after the jump.

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Joe Sorren’s Soft Oil Paintings Capture the Mystery of Childhood

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NYC via Arizona artist Joe Sorren creates oil paintings of idyllic children and their soft, forgiving companions. He  shares a similar palette with Dave Cooper, and both artists have also been represented, at one time or another, by the same gallery (Jonathan Levine in Chelsea, NYC). But that’s pretty much where the comparisons end. Where Cooper depicts hedonistic wood-nymphs frolicking in the woods, Sorren places children sitting on a blanket reading a book. The artist’s beautiful paintings show us that there is as much intrigue and mystery in the lighter (and perhaps also sad) elements in in life as there are in the dark, animalistic realm of self-serving greed. Sorren will hold a small solo show in Levine’s project room in December.

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Animalistic Paintings with Eastern Aesthetics from Brooklyn Artist Mu Pan

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SVA grad Mu Pan brings East Asian woodblock aesthetics to his colorful, animated paintings. Not much of a “Zen” vibe is to be found here, though. Full of life, the Brooklyn artist’s work explodes off the canvas in a rush of sex and violence. Base, animalistic sensibilities are collected and processed en masse within each piece, and hardly any opportunity for impact is passed over. Really engrossing stuff, whether the focus is placed on a few central figures, or all-encompassing atmosphere.

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Lucy Gaylord-Lindholm’s Remixed Oil Painting

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Lucy Gaylord-Lindolm’s  remixed take on traditional oil painting and art history injects elements of surrealism and pop culture into a familiar setting. Characters from The Wizard of Oz and Pinocchio find their way into the artist’s cleverly referenced paintings, establishing bold compositions where perfectly good paintings once already existed. The result causes us to look a little deeper into that which we previously took for granted. I’ll go wherever she’s leading with these. (via)

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The Big Picture: An interview with Edward Burtynsky

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As part of our ongoing partnership with Dailyserving, Beautiful/Decay is sharing Seth Curcio’s interview with Photographer Edward Burtynsky.

It’s often impossible to fully understand the big picture of industrialized development from the limited perspective of the consumer. Each day most of us in the western world go about our business, driving to and from work, using plastics made from petroleum, enjoying foods shipped in from thousands of miles away, without a thought of the very resource that makes this all possible — oil. The impact of oil has consistently reappeared in the work of Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky for well over a decade. Burtynsky’s photographs often soar into the air, freeing us from our limited perspective, offering us the ability to better understand the scale and impact that this material has on contemporary life. It is only through this expansive perspective that we begin to understand the magnitude and consequence of our complicit actions. Recently, DailyServing founder Seth Curcio was able to speak to Burtynsky by phone about his current exhibition at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, titled Oil. During this conversation, we learn how Burtynsky’s research has altered his own relationship to oil, how he uses scale and perspective to shape our understanding of the industrialized world, and what lies ahead of us with the future of oil.

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Greg Mamczak’s Eerie Paintings

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Greg Mamczak’s painted worlds are fascinating storybooks with a creepy calm air. I’m completely drawn in to see the different parts of his scenes, and explore the eerie feeling they exude. Each painting has so much in it, but still leaves ample room for imagination. His scenes range from people participating in what looks like cult worship, to every day scenes centered around exploration and discovery. Whatever is behind these creations, it’s peaked my curiosity. Have a look…

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Carly Waito is Crystal Clear

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Carly Waito’s paintings are so crystal clear you have to look twice to make sure they’re not photos. They’re all oil paintings on panel and I’ve gotta say, this is one girl who has surely mastered her craft. She’s picked such interesting gems as subjects, and represents them flawlessly. I’m just as enamored with every new one I see as I was with the one before. She exhibits with Narwhal Art Projects in Toronto, Canada, if you’re lucky enough to be in the area, I’m sure they’re breathtaking in person. 

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