In Ian Cumberland’s recent work, the painter adds sculptural and illusionary touches to his hyperdetailed portraits. The work also plays on the idea of portraiture itself, with screens and text underscoring a self-awareness in his work. Cumberland was last featured on HiFructose.com here.
“Cumberland’s recent body of work investigates ideas surrounding the spectacle, the uncanny, the gaze, and the other,” Josef Filipp Galerie says. “The works contemplate on the alienation of the individual through the commodification of society and influence of technology, creating a disparity between appearance and reality. Cumberland begins by constructing sets, staging props and posing models, which are then heightened by theatrical lighting and photographed.”
See more of Cumberland’s recent work below.
A new retrospective surveys the work of Martin Wittfooth, whose paintings explore our ties to the natural world. The show is hosted at Muroff-Kotler Visual Arts Gallery at SUNY Ulster College, with works dating back to 2012. Among the recent work are a collection of circular works titled "Statis," with massive mammals floating against blood-red backdrops. The retrospective runs through Oct. 18 at the gallery. The artist created the cover for 
"A Student's Dream," the central oil painting in 
