With a recent investigation into the dark side of life, contemporary art and culture magazine Beautiful/Decay has appropriately chosen artist Banks Violette for an article in its current issue. Violette uses such dark material as death metal, ritual murder and teenage suicide as points of departure for his slick and ghostly sculptures and installations. His aesthetics probe into American culture and are used as a[…..]
Artist Chris Johanson’s brightly colored, socially saturated works offer a humorous light to current cultural and societal feelings. With the background of the artist rooted in contemporary culture rather than formal art training, Johanson is able to rely solely on his personal experiences and the collective experience of all Americans to explore absurdity and humor in contemporary life. The artist is a prolific creator and[…..]
A new multi-media extravaganza exhibition titled “a very anxious feeling” by assume vivid astro focus (avaf) is on view with John Connelly Presents in New York City. The exhibition contains three environments within the gallery and includes 3-D wallpaper, a corridor of music, flashing neon sculptures, video and a room with a series of music-related performances. A featured installation titled “Four-letter words” is comprised of[…..]
Sculptor Brian Griffiths creates small and monumental works that are steeped in myth and legend and act as portals to the past. Constructed primarily of found objects from antique and second-hand stores, Griffiths uses the inherent history of the objects and exploits it to offer an implied history of his own. Ideas of voyage, adventure and exotic lands are all referenced through the structures and[…..]
The Seattle-based duo Lead Pencil Studio is comprised of artists Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo. The two artists investigate elements of architecture, often rebuilding the framework of physical structures to reveal a mere trace of the original. Last year, with the help of the Creative Capital Foundation, Han and Mihalyo assembled a full-scale replica of the Maryhill Museum of Art titled “Maryhill Double ” that[…..]
Brooklyn-based artist Shinique Smith recently presented an exhibition titled “Open Strings” with the Skestos Gabriele Gallery in Chicago. The artist produces her works through the collection and accumulation of objects, which are often autobiographical and taken from several decades and generations of use. Smith binds many of these found objects in a ritualistic process that reconnects the meaning and physical qualities of each piece. Through[…..]
The sculptures and videos of Los Angeles-based artist D’nell Larson are concerned with the dynamics of love, romantic relationships and longing. Larson often challenges feminine and masculine connotations with her material choices, which include sequins, candy, feathers, fabric and crystals. The artist also furthers this investigation by using iconic love-related imagery, such as arrows, swans and sweetheart candies. Last year, Larson presented a video with[…..]
