Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine
The bell rings, school is out for summer, but you're heading straight to the library to pick up your summer reading list. Sound familiar? The famous list was designed by American schools to keep children engaged in reading throughout the summer, including classics like "The Secret Garden", "Of Mice and Men", and "A Wrinkle in Time". Some titles have even raised concerns among parents and others that students are being exposed to material that is overly grim. For the 20 participating artists in "Summer Reading List," now on view at Arch Enemy Arts in Philadelphia, these books are not only a part of their childhood, but continue to provide their artwork with inspiration.
San Francisco based artist Joe Hengst presents his idea of the future world in imaginative, acrylic landscape paintings. At the core of his work is his belief in man's increasing separation from the natural world. Since the beginning of our time, nature has supplied us with the things we need most for survival, such as food, water, clothing, and shelter. With the introduction of modern day society came a change in how we supply our every day needs. Hengst represents our withdrawal from nature by painting ethereal pieces that experiment with abstraction.