The intricate abstract works of Miertje Skidmore internalize and transform the environmental extremes of the Australian landscape. Her paintings suggest the otherworldly- each abstraction could be a birds-eye-view of a multicolored planet. Her palette makes use of mineral and elemental colors that wouldn’t be out of place in some of the most rare enclaves of nature. While seemingly lifelike portrayals of environmental phenomena, Skidmore’s paintings are actually derived from her imagination: “Art often is seen and felt as an enlightening and emotive personal experience,” she says. “The visual language of spontaneous shards of dynamic colours against the softest cloud like subtle hues is how I express my artistic voice. In an abstract form, I like to engage others into their own perceptions of what they see.”
There is a sense of permanence in Skidmore’s work- each of her expansive pieces seems to suggest an enduring sense of nature in all of its forms. What strikes one most is the truly organic atmosphere that arises from her paintings; wandering streams, ebbing shorelines, volcanic fragments, and glacial icecaps come to mind. Skidmore’s paintings are at once disconcerting and calming. “I generally paint and see our earth with the surrounding universe in a vivid explosion of colors and never ending movement and energy… my body of works acknowledges the need for those more subtle moments in life.”
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Giorgiko is the moniker of husband-and-wife team Darren and Trisha Inouye, who craft works that meld classical painting with minimalist figures akin to comic strip characters. Yet, also contained within these works, even with their Charlie Brown-esque characters, is a hint of danger. Their current show at Giant Robot in Los Angeles, titled "Wonderfull," collects their latest experiments. The show runs through July 10 at the space.
The dark surrealist sculptures and paintings of