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The New Contemporary Art Magazine
Tara McPherson
The 42nd volume of Hi-Fructose will be here in January, 2017! Featured in this issue is: A cover feature on the paintings of Tara McPherson, the Beyond Grotesque paintings of Christian Rex Van Minnen, the latest work from muralist and painter Andrew Schoultz, an exclusive interview with Alex Pardee, the pop mash-up wooden sculptures of Mike Leavitt, the animal/human hybrid paintings of Matthew Grabelsky, Brazilian sculptor Monica Piloni, painter and illustrator Moon Chanpil, the mysterious sculptures of Philip Jackson, and a review of French illustrator Jean Julien‘s latest monograph, plus a 16-page Ello X Hi-Fructose Emerging Artists Showcase! Get a preview of the next issue by clicking through and see the special exclusive item which will be included with subscribers' issues while they last. Pre-order the issue here. You can also subscribe to Hi-Fructose here.
Brooklyn based artist Tara McPherson, first featured in our Collected 3 Edition, is constantly visiting and exploring new themes and iconography in her art. Though her playful and evocative characters first recalled issues from McPherson's childhood and adult life experience, they have since grown beyond that to incorporate themes from science and nature.
With every new body of work that Tara McPherson (HF Collected Edition 3) creates, there is a common theme and evolution to the next. Her upcoming show at Dorothy Circus gallery, "I Know It By Heart," carries on her exploration of ethereal imagery - portraits of young girls caught in a magical moment, but not without also recognizing the negative forces in nature. These include allusions to disease, destruction, and deterioration. There is a balance between what is visually beautiful and, possibly, emotionally discomforting for the artist.
Now that June is here, the spring season has officially come to an end which marks the close of Kochxbos Gallery's group show, "Spring!" The exhibit features a variety of works by artists Ciou, Harma Heikens (HF Vol. 13), Sarah Maple, Sauerkids, Bethany de Forest, Tara McPherson (HF Collected Edition 3), Tim Biskup (HF Vol. 18), Ray Caesar (HF Vol. 4, 18), and Nicoletta Ceccoli, to name a few. Despite its spring-y title, their choice of themes are surprising, and reflect more on their most recent interests as artists. See more after the jump!
Celebrating its fifth annual installment on Saturday is Cotton Candy Machine's highly popular "Tiny Trifecta" group show (previously covered here). It's so popular, in fact, that the gallery has had to devise a registration system for its fans. Owing to the exhibit's demand is its concept of offering unbelievably affordable art from otherwise unattainable artists for young collectors - every piece in the show is $100. Many past contributors have returned to join newcomers to the gallery, making the show a fresh mix of illustrative styles and mediums. This year's grouping features several who have graced Hi-Fructose pages and blog, including Esao Andrews, Deedee Cheriel, Ciou, Camilla d'Errico, Dima Drjuchin, Mab Graves, Natalia Fabia, Eric Fortune, Kelly Denato, Beau Stanton, Erik Jones, Jeremy Hush, Charlie Immer, Travis Louie, Lola, Sean Mahan, Jean Paul Mallozzi, Amy Sol, Skinner, Diana Sudyka, Yoskay Yamamoto, and Yoh Nagao.
Last weekend, Los Angeles rain didn’t stop crowds from turning out to the Audrey Kawasaki, Tara McPherson, and Deedee Cheriel show at Merry Karnowsky. The line was over a block long while inside the gallery, not an inch of wall space was spared. In addition to colorful new paintings, the adjacent room debuted smaller works by Cheriel, McPherson’s process sketches and a wall of prints. As we mentioned in our preview, there was an air of fantasy throughout, but each artist distinguished herself with personal motifs.
On Saturday, Merry Karnowsky Gallery in Los Angeles will open highly anticipated side by side shows by Audrey Kawasaki, Tara McPherson, and Deedee Cheriel. The event marks Kawasaki’s first exhibition in over three years with the gallery, while McPherson and Cheriel previously exhibited together in 2012 (covered here), bringing a unique female perspective. Where their past showing followed a lyrical narrative, this new pairing explores themes of life and emotional experience as far reaching as the cosmos. See more after the jump!
Where else might one be able to acquire a Mark Ryden piece for $100? The annual Tiny Trifecta group show at Brooklyn's Cotton Candy Machine debuted last Saturday, June 14, to an eager crowd — some of whom, according to co-owner Sean Leonard, had been camping out for several days. Curated by artist and CCM co-owner Tara McPherson, the group show featured three works each from over 100 contemporary artists — well-known figures like Marco Mazzoni, Shepard Fairey and Amy Sol, and emerging artists such as Fefe Talavera and Diana Sudyka. With the walls practically wall-papered with the array of work, the show offers a diverse sampling of fun pieces, from the illustrative to the abstract.