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March 12, 2014
Caro

Opening Night: Erik Jones and Tran Nguyen’s “New Works” at Thinkspace

Last weekend, Thinkspace Gallery debuted "New Works" by Tran Nguyen and Erik Jones, who both treat the classic human form with abstract elements. Although separated by choice of color and medium, this exhibition seamlessly merges their illustrative styles. The new work of Brooklyn-based Erik Jones clothes his nudes in highly saturated patterns and geometrical shapes. The happy, bright colors of the foreground seem to mask a melancholy expressed by Jones’s subjects. This tension is intentional; Jones offers the idea of opposing visual relationships by merging beautifully rendered portraits with mixed media “fashions." With fashion serving as an inspiration, his “models” convey the indifference of one caught off guard or a moment in time. In some cases, the figure disappears completely. Read more after the jump.

Erik Jones with his work.

Last weekend, Thinkspace Gallery debuted “New Works” by Tran Nguyen and Erik Jones, who both treat the classic human form with abstract elements. Although separated by choice of color and medium, this exhibition seamlessly merges their illustrative styles. The new work of Brooklyn-based Erik Jones clothes his nudes in highly saturated patterns and geometrical shapes. The happy, bright colors of the foreground seem to mask a melancholy expressed by Jones’s subjects. This tension is intentional; Jones offers the idea of opposing visual relationships by merging beautifully rendered portraits with mixed media “fashions.” With fashion serving as an inspiration, his “models” convey the indifference of one caught off guard or a moment in time. In some cases, the figure disappears completely.

Where Jones’s subjects don’t know they are in front of an audience, Tran Nguyen’s look straight at the viewer with raw emotion. Her portrayal of smiling faces and anguished tears are all part of a shared realm of experience. Interested in the therapeutic possibilities of art, Nguyen explores a variety of psychological themes and symbols. Even in the most cheerful portrait, To My Deep-seated Abyss, her subject is consumed by dark, unsettling shapes. In the project room, Alex Yanes lightens the mood with his playful 3D mixed media portraits, “Better Than Yesterday.” “New Works” by Tran Nguyen and Erik Jones exhibits at Thinkspace Gallery March 1 through March 22, 2014.

Paintings by Erik Jones.

Painting by Erik Jones.

Gallery goers look at Tran Nguyen’s work.

Paintings by Tran Nguyen.

Painting by Tran Nguyen.

Paintings by Tran Nguyen.

Erik Jones and Tran Nguyen in front of Tran Nguyen’s work.

Alex Yanes’s install in the project room.

Topics

art, painting, Thinkspace

drawing, Kevin Cyr, painting

September 11, 2017

In a new collection of paintings and drawings, Kevin Cyr pays tribute to the working class via worn vehicles spotted and documented around New York City. “Labor Day” at Jonathan Levine Projects in New Jersey progresses the artist’s love affair with the concept of what vehicles say about the people who drive them. Cyr first appeared in the pages of this magazine in Hi-Fructose Vol. 10, and he’s part of the “Turn the Page: The First 10 Years of Hi-Fructose” exhibit, currently at Crocker Art Museum.

Jasmine Worth’s Contemplative Paintings Return in ‘Future Past’

figurative, Jasmine Worth, painting

June 1, 2018

Jasmine Worth uses religious iconography to recall and challenge the role women have played in historical narratives. Her contemplative new paintings are featured in the show "Future Past" at La Luz De Jesus Gallery. The show starts today and runs through July 1 at the Los Angeles space. Worth was last mentioned on HiFructose.com here.

Preview: Liu Bolin’s “A Colorful World?” at Klein Sun Gallery

A Colorful World?, Klein Sun Gallery, Liu Bolin, painting, Photography

September 3, 2014

Chinese artist Liu Bolin is a chameleon. From a first glance, his most well-known works look like photos of newsstands and famous paintings. But as one looks closer, the artist's body emerges, painted head-to-toe to blend in with his surroundings. It's like when Duchamp scribbled R. Mutt on his famous urinal and deemed it art, except for Bolin forces his audience to contemplate mundane objects and scenarios in a fine art context by inserting himself into these scenes. The theme of disappearance is fundamental here, as Bolin chooses subjects that highlight the hidden ills often cloaked in attractive packaging and glossy images. His latest solo show, "A Colorful World?" at Klein Sun Gallery is decidedly politically charged.

Peter Ferguson Shares New Work in ‘Mock Robin’

Fantasy, painting, Peter Ferguson

October 31, 2018

Blending horror, humor, and fantasy, Peter Ferguson shows new work in a show at Roq La Rue titled “Mock Robin.” Running Nov. 2 through Nov. 28, the show places monsters, strange machines, and other strange elements in scenes that traverse history. The venue says his work recalls “Dutch Renaissance painting, old National Geographic photography, and 18th century British Naval history.” Ferguson was last featured on HiFructose.com here.

Opening Night: Erik Jones and Tran Nguyen’s “New Works” at Thinkspace

Kevin Cyr Documents Working-Class Vehicles in ‘Labor Day’

Jasmine Worth’s Contemplative Paintings Return in ‘Future Past’

Preview: Liu Bolin’s “A Colorful World?” at Klein Sun Gallery

Peter Ferguson Shares New Work in ‘Mock Robin’

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