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The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Author: Margot Buermann

"Ouroboros" by Lana Crooks

In All that Remains, the new exhibition at Stranger Factory, a diverse group of artists offer their own interpretations of the phrase, "What remains when all is said and done?" Curated by Lana Crooks (who also appears in the exhibition), the group show runs October 7-31, 2016. Participating artists include Adipocere, Jeremy Bastian, Jessica Dalva, Kristina Drake, Matt Hall, Stephanie Inagaki, Darla Jackson, Jessica Joslin, Jennifer Joslin, Mahlimae, Lauren Marx, Caitlin McCormick, Stephanie Metz, Christina Mrozik, Forest Rogers, Virginie Ropars, Sinan Soykut, Tyler Thrasher, Jake Waldron, and Katherine Walsh (FearsomeBeast). View more photos from All that Remains behind the cut.
Eguchi Ayane is a Japanese artist whose oil paintings transport the viewer to candy-colored fantasy lands. Yet within these whimsical worlds, startling scenarios unfold. Juxtaposing 'cutesy' images of teddy bears, bow ties and charming creatures with the darker undercurrent of her narratives, the artist expresses the duality of not only her world, but ours as well. Find more of her work on Twitter.
Marlène Mocquet is a French artist whose chimerical paintings and sculptures portray strange worlds full of quirky, animated characters. Her surreal creations often have a sense of childlike whimsy and humor; other times, they turn dark and tumultuous, and verging on grotesque.
Australian artist Kate Shaw combines "paint pours", collage, glitters and inks to render psychedelic landscapes. The colorful images yield awe-inspiring effects, yet are accompanied with a dark undertone. While they may capture the "transcendent beauty" of nature, at the same time they hint at the troubling environmental changes brought on by human activity.

Amy Hill - "Apathy"

New York-based artist Amy Hill puts her contemporary spin on the work of 15th century painter Hans Memling in her series of oil paintings titled Seven Deadly Sins. Hill is known for adapting the styles of early Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting and placing historical subjects within modern day settings. On her website, the artist writes, "I chose these eras because of my stylistic kinship with their artists, which allows me to carry on a kind of dialogue with them... I have chosen portraiture as it is a genre that runs through art history and allows me through poses, gestures and fashion detail to make social, psychological and anthropological statements about my subjects."

San Francisco-based visual artist Nicholas Bohac contemplates "the big picture" in his immersive, mixed media works that feature celestial figures amidst dreamlike landscapes. In his artist statement, Bohac writes that his purpose is "to question the universe and where, exactly, people fit into it… Through my work, I aim to explore the overall phenomenon of what it means to be human, past, present and future."
Chromagrain, the latest exhibition from Svper Ordinary Gallery in Denver, brings together the stunning art of Blaine Fontana (featured in Hi-Fructose Vol. 36) and David Rice (last covered on our blog here). The new works are currently on view through the end of September. View more images from the exhibition here.
Daniel Ludwig’s classically rendered nude figures appear to be derived from both a world of idealized beauty and one that is rife with human drama. Though beautiful, his paintings are filled with tension, as the subjects often appear in conflict with each other and their surroundings. In an artist statement, Ludwig writes that his recent work reflects "a yearning for classic beauty [which] coexists with struggle and chaos."
Italian artist Vesod exhibits a new collection of paintings and drawings in E-horizon, opening today at Mirus Gallery in San Francisco. Viewers will be treated to eight works on canvas and paper, as well as a site-specific installation. Vesod is recognized for his perception-altering creations that offer the illusion of three-dimensionality. He often depicts human figures traversing through geometric environments, which are reflective of the "eternal present". The exhibition is on view through October 29.
Mexican artist and arts educator Claudio Dicochea is best known for his contemporary reworkings of 18th century casta paintings, featuring a plethora of media idols and public figures sourced from world history and popular culture. Dicochea describes his work as "a contemporary re-examination of mestizaje, or mixed race identity" that explores "the legacy of colonial representation, hybrid identity, and contemporary media stereotypes."
Japanese artist Erina Matsui has earned much attention for her hallucinatory portraits that feature the artist herself as the focal subject. Her distinct style is founded on her tendency to enlarge and distort her features, whether stretching them across her canvas or placing them in the midst of surreal transformation.
Australian artist Amanda Parer has her sights set on a global invasion with her dramatic, illuminated sculptures. Her oversized, inflatable creations have been exhibited across the world at a variety of festivals, museums and public spaces. On her website, the artist shares that her work aims to "explore the natural world, its fragility, and our role within it." Photo by Felisa Tan Photography www.felisatanphotography.com @felisatanphoto
Julie Speed is an American artist known for her meticulous and startling contemporary works. Her paintings, etchings and collages present bizarre imagery that is rife with absurdity, violence and anxiety, and have been described as both disturbing and beautiful. Though constantly labeled a "Neo Surrealist", Speed describes herself as a "Pararealist", offering a glimpse into a world that exists parallel to our own reality.
Every year, on the first Sunday of September, the Dutch village of Zundert holds its "Bloemencorso Zundert", or "Zundert Flower Parade", featuring larger-than-life floats and an "explosion" of flowers. The giant structures, reaching up to 30 feet tall, are built by volunteers in neighboring village districts and church villages - each one competing for the title of best design. Read a brief history of the parade and view more photos behind the cut.
In her paintings and ink drawings of anthropomorphous forms, Belarusian artist Alina Kunitsyna shares her personal fascination with people, and the ways in which we can simultaneously conceal and express our inward nature. Her series portrays figures obscured within garments, blankets and decorative fabrics, their faces always hidden from our view. And while her subjects may carry an air of mystery, it is through the expressions of their outer shells that we may begin to gain access to their inner worlds.
Japanese artist Shoichi Tsurukawa uses a distinct technique called tsutsugaki to explore the "colors of emotions" in his bizarre worlds inhabited by monstrous figures. Rendered on cotton canvas, his miniature-esque creations are noted for their bold colors and intricate detail. Born in 1984, Tsurukawa has exhibited in numerous galleries and art fairs, including in Amsterdam, Busan and Tokyo.
Based in the Philippines, multimedia artist Yvonne Quisumbing has made a name for herself creating wearable art for the fashion world. Her designs have taken her to the runways of Paris and Osaka, and recently lead to a collaboration with UNIQLO. The designer also channels the fashion industry in her surreal paintings, which explore complex notions of beauty and identity.
Gilles Cenazandotti is a French artist known for his arresting sculptures of animals constructed entirely of litter he collects from the ocean. Petroleum products, bottle caps, tubes of sunscreen, and other plastic refuse are gathered from the sea and transformed into a variety of species, many endangered. Through his art, Cenazandotti hopes to bring greater awareness to the condition of our planet and the number of species threatened by human activity and pollution.
In what the artist himself calls "homespun faerie tales", Jon Rappleye blends imagery found in art history, literature, biology, and folklore to portray the cyclical nature of life and death. Ranging from surreal paintings to mixed media sculptures, his works draw from the detailed illustrations of James John Audubon and hallucinatory worlds of Salvador Dalí. And while his subject matter can be grim at times, the artist renders it in such a way that it becomes beautiful and enchanting.
Cape Town artist Michael Amery shares his concerns about human impact on the environment in his series of drawings, Trees by Man. In charcoal, pen and India ink, the artist depicts forests grown for commercial use, much like the ones found in his native South Africa. A graphic designer with a background in advertising, Amery is interested in how consumerist culture is tied to man's exploitation of the natural world and its effects on our planet's vulnerable ecosystems.
Whether they're her bug-eyed, psychedelic deities or creatures made of brightly colored fruits, Mi Ju’s curious creations have us looking at both the big and small picture. On the surface, her characters float through seemingly chaotic worlds buzzing with wild energy. A closer look reveals a whole universe of tiny, emoji-like faces, animals and flora that together make up the larger image. It's through this simultaneous macro- and microscopic lens that the artist presents her colorful, absorbing environments. Find more of her work on Tumblr and Instagram.
Rebecca Morgan’s portraits of country folk are delightfully weird if somewhat off-putting. Set in hunting camps and other woodsy environments, the artist's work is an exploration of rural and off-the-grid culture, featuring an array of eccentric characters. Her paintings and drawings bounce between humorous, ambivalent and grotesque depictions of everyday existence in rural Appalachia, inspired by the artist's upbringing in a small town in central Pennsylvania. Check out more of her work on Instagram.
Chilean painter and visual artist Bruna Truffa combines imagery gathered from art history, popular culture and everyday life to present critiques on modern society and the institution of art itself. Flavored with kitsch, her works have previously explored notions of national identity, propaganda, consumerism and the contemporary feminine experience. In her latest series of oil-on-canvas paintings, the artist addresses ideas behind "Wonderland", described as a "fantasy wonderland and illusion, the dream of happiness, and the unfulfilled promise of the neoliberal realization."
French ceramicist Juliette Clovis creates beautifully strange sculptures of women that blend elements of myth, nature, and feminine form. Placing special emphasis on technique and aesthetics, the artist applies cut Limoges porcelain to simple female busts, transforming them into mesmerizing new species that draw from various wildlife and flora. Through the process of mutation, these hybrid creatures become vehicles for exploring feminine identity in relation to the natural world.
Jorge Mayet’s miniature floating sculptures serve as compelling metaphors for the artist's complex relationship to his native country. Mayet was born in Cuba, yet has been living and working in Mallorca, Spain as an expatriate. Despite the circumstances, his sculptures are devoid of any intentional political statement. Instead, they explore the artist's personal experiences with exile and displacement, and the powerful nostalgia for one's homeland left behind.
There's a palpable darkness that permeates the surreal oil paintings of Philippine artist Leslie De Chavez. Rendered on large, black canvases, the shadowy landscapes are home to ghoulish, distorted figures and act as settings to various scenes of violence, corruption and suffering. Born in Manila, De Chavez uses his art to reflect upon current socio-political issues that affect his homeland. Through use of powerful text and imagery, his works explore religion, national identity, global capitalism, power struggle, and corruption within modern government. While the works appear dismal and often sinister, De Chavez is driven by the hope that his art can create awareness and inspire positive, progressive change within his community.
The scenes in Mernet Larsen's paintings appear familiar, at times even mundane: doing yard work; sitting in a staff meeting; waiting on a subway platform. Yet running through these representations of daily modern life is a distorted sense of reality that suddenly leaves one struggling to find footing within these worlds. Larsen has been painting this way since the early 2000s, channeling both the geometric compositions of El Lissitzky and 12th century Japanese narrative paintings. At the center of her works are block-like characters resembling vintage graphics in an old computer game - both abstract and figurative representations of ordinary people. Applying concepts of reverse perspective and what the artist refers to as "Rorschaching" to insightful, often witty narratives, Larsen inspires us to reconsider the ways in which we relate to the world around us.
The tropical worlds of Pedro Varela (b. 1981 in Niterói, Brazil) look like they belong in a psychedelic dream or the pages of a storybook. And while the artist's style builds on fairytale imagery and fantasy, his works also engage with history -- namely, the 17th to 19th century "artist-scientists" who rendered an exotic vision of Tropical Paradise and the "New World" in their travels to Brazil. Blending Baroque still life, colonial iconography, and modern styles such as Neo-concretism, Varela engages with the past to create his own version of "paradise" that is at once alluring and cautionary.
Andrea Myers is an artist and self-described "maker" based in Ohio. Blending forms of sculpture, painting and fiber arts, she creates collage-like sculptures, wall hangings and installations that explore the space between the two- and three-dimensional. Her works also reflect her deep interest in the process of manipulating "flat" materials, such as fabrics, felt, wood and paper, to create dynamic, multi-dimensional works of art.
Fred Tomaselli's psychedelic painting/collage hybrids have mind-altering tendencies in more ways than one. Over his career, the artist has earned a reputation for blending psychotropic substances with cut-out photos of animals and human parts to create his surreal works of art. Newer pieces shift the focus to more conventional photo collage and acrylic, yet are no less mesmerizing. Colorful and imaginative, Tomaselli's works are like portals to an alternate universe, where his "inquiry into utopia/dystopia - framed by artifice but motivated by the desire for the real - has turned out to be the primary subject".

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