Despite what we may sometimes think, our memories are extremely faulty, open to influence from new information, and seen through the lens of our current emotions. This is the concept used by Kyle Stewart in his latest body of work, which explores the change in his memories of rural life after moving to Toronto. His solo show “Between Worlds” debuts at Parlor Gallery in Asbury Park, New Jersey on September 13.
After moving to the city, Stewart’s color palette became influenced by his surroundings in the urban landscape, as the dynamic colors and forms of the graffiti that covered the city walls found their way into his paintings. Stewart recalls elements from his past expressed with dominating electric and pastel tones. He seems to keep his connection with nature, as many of his pieces include at least a subtle hint at vegetation, with vines or blades of grass growing from surfaces they ordinarily couldn’t. Their long shadows creep through the composition adjacent to realistically rendered figures, giving the pieces an element of mystery.
Oil painter and performance artist John Robinson crafts cerebral, wistful, and, at times, humorous self-portraits. His works, often rendered in monochromatic tones, sees the artist donning masks and contraptions that speaks to his current reflections. Elsewhere, he re-imagines moments of art history through his distinct filter.
Anna Weyant’s stirring paintings offer both autobiographical imagery and universal examinations of life’s stages. Recent shows, like "Welcome to the Dollhouse" at 56 HENRY, are contemplative and elegant in execution. That show, in particular, was a showcase of the artist’s cinematic sensibility.
