Author: JL Schnabel

The emotive sculptures of artist Christina Bothwell exude apalpable somberness, contrasted by the pale, light tones of the mix of mediumsshe masterfully employs. Translucent cast glass that appears sea worn, raku clayand found objects converge in her delicate beings, giving the work anintriguingly dual texture. Culled from myth and fairytales, the works exist aswholly contained, dimensional narratives; Venus is re-imagined with a tangle oftentacles and a centaur appears with wheeled legs rather than hooves. Some ofthe pieces hold objects or small beings within their glowing, transparenttorsos, becoming vessels for other lives, adding to the metamorphic transitionseach piece appears to be undergoing. View more of the works after the jump.

Shrouded in organic, otherworldly cocoons the ethereal beauties of artist Reece Hobbins’ works allure viewers withtheir intense gazes and lithe bodies. Often composed of ink or graphite, the ethereal femmes are often rendered alone within the composition, as ifconjured from the landscape of a dream or fantasy. Their nudity suggests asubtle kind of vulnerability, and yet their cocoons also appear armor-like anddangerously sharp to the touch, adding an intriguing tension between masculinestrength and tender femininity to the work. View more images after the jump.

The ghostly skeletons of long limbed homes exist withinplumes of smoke and colored fog in artist Scott Tulay’s ink and pastel drawings.The architectural based compositions examine the ambiguity of space and howlight, or the lack there of, can define a place in time. These spatialrelationships between light and color are juxtaposed by the sharp textures ofthe man-made elements, creating a distinct yet subtle, narrative tension. Whileimbued with a sense of quiet, the works also invoke a delicate terror, as someof the ‘homes’ appear splintered and ruined, presenting a foreboding vision ofplaces once lived in and now abandoned. View more of the haunting works afterthe jump.

Nestled in a brick-walled studio in NYC, artist David Hochbaum cultivates stuning dreamscapes within his painterly photo constructions. Using a potent alchemy of mediums such as carbon transfers, paint, gelatin silver prints, gold leaf, and snips of typographic texts, the resulting images are poetically beautiful; a meditation on the surrealist nature of dreams and how they can inform and change our waking lives. The first installment of an ongoing body of work, ‘Burden of Dreams’, features a stunning juxtaposition of repetitive architectural elements with the sensual bodies of ethereal women. These pale beauties are cast in the roles of celestial adventurers that carry the crescent moon and navigate rough seas crowned with the spires of old cathedrals. This new work is currently showing at Art 21 with Strychnin Gallery through November 1st. View more studio images after the jump.

Drawing from myth, alchemical symbols and contemporary indieculture, artist Benjamin Vierling creates stunning still lives and portraitsechoing a time long past. The works explore quiet moments in which a collectionof items form a narrative; a still life of sliced open pomegranates freckledwith insects such as a slender praying mantis, while a portrait of folk singerJoanna Newsom portrays her as an esteemed high priestess, balancing both thedelicate nature of beauty in one hand with the sharp edged danger of asickle in the other. This duality of potent magic and whimsical beautyconverges in each ethereal composition. View more of the work after the jump.

Recently opened at NYC’s Krause Gallery; ‘A NiceReflection’ a solo exhibition new works by sculptor Emil Alzamora. Featuringhis signature psychological manipulations of the human body, the new worksexplore a futuristic vision, with figures plump and sleek with silvered skin.While some of the figures appear ominously life size and near realistic, othersappear mercurial and alien, yet still retain an eerie human resemblance. Viewmore images from the new exhibition after the jump.

Opening next month at Berlin’s Strychnin Gallery is the fourperson exhibition ‘Storytellers,’ featuring narrative-rich works by BenjaminVierling, Marcus Poston, Raf Veulemans and Saturno Butto. Using darkly poetic imageryin lieu of a written language, the artists have cultivated a stunning catalogof poignant symbolism within their compositions. Using intense imagery such asbird remains, black snakes and bloody wounds, the works conjure the stories bestwhispered beneath the glow of candlelight and with the chill of autumn howlingoutside. View more preview images after the jump.

Recently opened at C.A.V.E. Gallery in Venice, California,‘Oil & Water’ is a two-person exhibition featuring new works by artistsPaul Chatem and Mike Davis. Focusing on the past, the works explore the toneand turbulence of different times in history, including acts such as EminentDomain and bloody medieval skirmishes. While Chatem’s kinetic paintings portraya style rooted in folk art, Davis’ elaborate works take a more realistic approach,creating an intriguing juxtaposition of styles. View more of the works afterthe jump.

A small golden shark is hung from the wall like a trophywhile a dark snake weaves its black body around a wall candelabra inPhiladelphia based sculptress Darla Jackson’s darkened menagerie. Made of gypsumcement and distinctly feminine finishing tools such as eye shadow and nailpolish the sculptures often stand-alone or are grouped together withincarefully composed on-site installations. Appearing imbued with a subtlemelancholy, the works sing of childhood’s dark fairytales. View more of thestunning works after the jump.

Our Vol. 19 cover artist, Martin Wittfooth, opened his newest body of work, ‘The Passions’ (previewed here) last week at NYC’s Lyons Weir Gallery. Drawing from his past work of incorporating animals as metaphorical portraits for the decay and unrest of the world, his new works bare the same world-weary animals set amidst unsettling landscapes. Yet here, Wittfooth tackles the notion of religion and spirituality, posing his figures in the shapes of antiquated religious art, referencing such famous works as ‘The Pietà’ and ‘The Ectasy of Saint Teresa.’ This spiritual fervor, illuminated by terrible yet beautiful sacrifice is seen within the brilliance of the fire, often haloing the animals, martyred by their bleak surroundings. View more images of the work and opening night photos after the jump.

With a stunningly emotive precision, artist Soey Milkcreates portraits of lone women, often engaging with simple objects such as anapple, red string and a bleached skull that appear symbolically charged withinthe composition. These inclusions add to a deeper understanding of the womandepicted, often lending the portraits with a romantic context. Laced with asubtle darkness or oddity, the works appear as captured moments in a largernarrative. View more images of the work after the jump.

Running from October 14 through November 20 at the Museum ofFine Arts at Florida State University, ‘Cute & Creepy’ is a group show highlightingthe juxtaposition between the beautiful and the unusual. Curated by artistCarrie Ann Baade, the work examines the rise of the macabre within the ‘popsurrealist’ movement with carefully chosen works that strike a balance of macabreimagery and carnivalesque delight, engaging the psyche with an unexpectedwonder. View more preview images after the jump.

Composing works filled with spectral beauties in an atmosphere that seems to exist between worlds, artist Ellen Rogers creates her ethereal photographs solely in analogue. Remarkably the work bears no trace of Photoshop nor any other modern interference, the colors and filters conjured within her compositions are created entirely by hand. This blend of emotive image capturing and ‘painting’ separates her work from contemporary photography, relying on antiquated equipment to reveal her vision. Hi-Fructose recently had the chance to speak to the UK based artist as she released a new book, 'Abberant Necropolis' about why she chooses to work in analouge, fashion in art and her love for her homeland. View more of her work and read the full interview after the jump.

Imbued with a psychedelic color palette and theotherworldliness of dreams, artist Miran Kim creates luminous acrylicpaintings. Pairing nighttime scenes with the colorful atmosphere of travelingcarnivals, the works speaks of the wonder of childhood, stimulating multiplesenses with the additions of glistening candies and yet also reveals a reverencefor the magic and myth of the night. View more images after the jump.

Japanese artist Teiji Hayama, (whom we recently featuredhere) has recently opened a solo exhibition of new work, ‘Infantarivm’ at GalleryKrisstel Martin in Singapore. Featuring the isolated, elfin like beauty that obsessivelypopulates his conjured world, his new work shrouds ‘her’ in a sullen darkness,further illuminating the glow of her pale skin. In brighter works, she ispaired with a lamb or haloed, confrontational yet demure gaze and oddlyproportioned features echo how females were oft depicted nude during the18thcentury, adding an element of the old world to his work. View more images from ‘Infantarivm’after the jump.

Dark poetics converge with the arcane symbology of the tarotin artist Karyn Crisis’ solo exhibition, ‘The Major Arcana’ opening at SR2Gallery in San Francisco October 1st. The poignant works portray amore ritualistic, intense version of the tarot, freckled with natural elements suchas bone, feather and crystal that contrast with swords and the sharpness of themodern studded and buckled clothing. Casting witchy females in the roles typically associated with men in the tarot, the intense portraits border on terror, exploring the mysterious depths of the shadowy side of the psyche. View more of thehaunting images after the jump.

Rife with the manifested anxieties of mass destruction andthe wounds of the modern world, Wroclaw based artist Marcin Owczarek’sphotographic collages portray a grim dystopian vision of the future. Tacklingcurrent issues such as the meat industry, urban development and war within his searingcompositions in dark, somber tones, the work provokes a visceral reaction fromits viewers, highlighting a possible foreshadowed consequence for the deepwounds Man is inflicting on the world. View more of the visionary work afterthe jump.

SF based artist Kelly Tunstall creates large-scale bodies ofwork, occasionally in collaboration with her equally talented husband, artist Ferris Plock.Sharing an aesthetic filled with vibrant color and pattern, Kelly’s elegantlyelongated dames play perfect narrative foils to Ferris’ toothy yet tenderbeasts. For her newest exhibition, ‘Secret State’ that opened earlier thismonth at SF’s 111 Minna Gallery, Kelly stands on her own with an impressivelylarge collection of whimsical portraits imbued with unexpected, odd inclusionssuch as multiple limbs, astrological head gear and disembodied eyes appearingimbedded in upturned palms. We had the chance to interview Kelly as she wasworking on her show, view more images of the work and read the full interviewafter the jump.

Anagnorisis Fine Arts presents 'Remain', a solo exhibition of work by Russian artist Yuri Leonov taking place at the White Rabbit's White Box in NYC this month. The lucid works focus on a layering of light, illuminating a complex web of inspiration, from painful medical situations, tragic tales from greek mythology and the natural world with a searing, emotive viewpoint. View more images after the jump.

Recently opened at NYC’s Jonathan LeVine Gallery was a dualpairing of solo exhibitions, Dylan Egon’s ‘Home of the Brave’ and MichaelLeavitt’s ‘The Art Army Royalty.’ The unique pairing showcased a new directionfor the gallery, evident as well in the previous showing of Olek’s crochetedcosmos, placing an emphasis on work that is three dimensional.

Originally unintended for public consumption Egon’s seamlesscollage assemblages, compositionally based behind glass or within boxes, arecomplimented by his bold, graphic screen prints. Revolving around the theme ofAmerican culture via a subversive dive into vices and consumerism, the workreveals connections between ‘found’ objects by their proximity and placement to one another,revealing patterns and symbology otherwise lost when free standing.

Leavitt’s small scale, playful sculptures toys around withthe notion of the popularity of the vinyl toy industry while capturingcontemporary artists such as Damien Hurst, Barbara Kruger and the late LucianFreud in remarkable detail. Each portrait reflects the style the portrayedartist is known for, each one also articulated to be posed much like an actionfigure, further subjugating the subjects with a kind of revered sarcasm. View more images of the work and opening night photos after the jump.

On September 24^th, Kukula returns to CoreyHelford Gallery fashioned with a new exhibition of confident, achinglybeautiful paintings, ‘Lonely Opulent Things.’ Inspired by the Roocco style andimbued with a 18^th century French color palette, the works sing of amagnificent melancholy via buxom yet lithe figures set amidst antiquatedsettings filled with the rich details of luxury; marble floors, towering gardensand glittering chandeliers.

Within this lavish world, the figures appear more‘realistic’ than in the past, their faces carrying a more potent emotive nuancethat compliments the evolved sophistication of her technique. Often appearingalone or paired with an equally attractive figure, they appear in a state oftransformation, exquisitely adorned with odd details such as clockwork gears, teacup handles and climbing filigreed molding that seem to ‘disease’ theirporcelain skin, a subtle hint at the obsessive nature of coveting beautifulobjects and the cultivation of an aesthetically pleasing contained cosmos nomatter what the cost. View more preview images after thejump.

‘Feminality’, a group show currently exhibiting at HiveGallery is a conceptual forum founded by Mike Franco for female artists and those creating femininebased works to exhibit together.The current show focuses on 12 artist couples,showcasing individual and collaborative works. Varying in medium, the worksremain true to the founding theme and explore femininity by way of the artists' respective styles. View more of the work after the jump.

Using photography as a foundation for his portraits, Russian artist Oleg Dou manipulates the skin and bodies of his subjects via modern technology. His ‘Cub’ series depicts spectral children, their intense gazes confronting theviewer, fashioned with surreal trappings and an ethereal innocence. Imbued with an eerie stillness, theseportraits were influenced by the macabre Victorian era practice of post-mortemphotography, an inspiration that adds a foreboding tension to the strange,dream-like beauty of the work. View more ofthe haunting works after the jump.

‘Automatic’, Eric White’s newest solo show of stunning worksrecently opened overseas at Antonio Colombo in Milan. Focusing on a series ofpaintings compositionally held within the contained spaces of car interiors,the works exude a kind of voyeuristic claustrophobia. Film characters fromexisting narratives populate these confined scenes. Lifted from theirrespective films, they appear spatially re-imagined beneath his vision, whetheras doppelgangers or endless duplicates playing out alternate scenarios withinthe same space. As he was working on the last unfinished painting for the show,we were able to visit his studio and talk with him about his new work. View studio images and read the interview after the jump.

Currently showing at NYC’s Sloan Fine Art are dual solo showsfeaturing the colorful works of artists Elizabeth McGrath and Nicole Etienne.Known best for her three dimensional sculptures, McGrath offers a series ofmixed media words on paper, ‘With Tomorrow’s Scream’, depicting fantasticalcompositions populated by bejeweled femmes engaging with their dream-likesettings. In Etienne’s exhibition ‘A Moveable Feast’, the lush, sensuouspaintings reveal an obsession with memory by capturing ephemeral moments intime within the compositions. View more of this beautiful pairing of worksafter the jump.

Artist Brian M. Viveros’ ‘Returning Art To The Unclean’ openedthis past weekend at NYC’s Last Rites Gallery to a swollen crowd of fans. Theexhibition featured portraits of wounded and war bound femmes, a convergence ofvisceral images; thin scratches, plump scarlet roses and impossibly thick eyelashes. Aside from the signaturetouches of sultry eyes and limp, dangling cigarettes, the works also tackled thecomplex themes of war, politics and cultural identity. View more opening nightimages after the jump.

Tempering the violence of modern weaponry with charminglyrendered creatures, artist Xiau-Fong Wee captures a dark humor in her quirkydrawings. While some of the weapons appear terrifyingly realistic, others suchas in the ray gun wielding bunny portrait, speaks more to the fantastical worlds ofscience fiction. The anthropomorphic dispositions of the spectacle-wearingcreatures also range in merry reverie to stern seriousness, adding to thedelightful nature of these well-executed portraits. View more of the drawingsafter the jump.

Employing visually rich compositions, artist Mark Garro captivates viewers with his highly detailed work. Currently working towards a solo show ‘Apocalypservice’ at Corpo Gallery next month, Garro’s fantastical pieces oscillate between whimsy and darkness. Mermaids are belted with bullets, nuclear bombs take the aquatic shapes of marine life and celestial beings co-exist with nature within the same plane, separated by the inner and outer landscapes of the compositions. View more of the stunning works after the jump.

‘Voices That Carry’ an upcoming two person exhibition opening at SF’sArticulated Gallery on September 3rd, features new works by East Coast artistsJeremy Hush and Liza Corbett. Each hauntingly nuanced work features poeticcompositions balanced on natural history and opulent growths ribboning through palehands or up from a baby pram. Each work is carefully rendered with delicatedetails and earthy color palettes, imbuing the exhibition with a subtle senseof nostalgia. While Jeremy works exclusively with the unexpected medium of ball-point pen and watercolor, Liza’s complex works reveal expert line work.  View more preview images here onHi-Fructose after the jump.