Steven Charles, High Score, acrylic on wood, 2012.

Charles does not plan his abstract canvasses. The forms are arrived at by reducing shapes to fine points. The shapes within shapes within shapes allude to the very essence of painting. Stepping in toward something unknowable is the mystery that keeps this painter dedicated to his craft.

Steven Charles, Thhipahapo, acrylic on canvas on wood, 2011.

The typical viewing distance for the larger works does not completely reveal the level of saturated color that plays on the surface. Between the heavily marked picture plane and the eye, a visual mixing occurs resulting in a sparkling shade of empyrean squant.

Steven Charles, Thhipahapo (detail), acrylic on canvas on wood, 2011.

Steven Charles is extremely nearsighted. It is the sort of thing that would seem to preclude involvement in the visual arts but there is a long history of poor eyesight in the field. Without correction, his eyes receive the world as a beautiful blur. This perspective paired with an innate desire to compensate for a natural shortcoming has left exquisite evidence of the struggle.

Steven Charles, Eyloafyo, acrylic and canvas on wood, 2011.

Steven Charles
I Don’t Know What My Life To Do With
10 May – 30 June 2012
Stux Gallery
NYC

Images courtesy of Stux Gallery.

Aaron Johnson, Rabid Fox, acrylic on polyester knit mesh, 2012.

Days before the paintings were set to leave for Denmark, Aaron threw a very well attended studio party for his friends to see them before crating. I got in real close and took the following detail photographs from his densely layered compositions. Head over to the Poulsen Gallery website to get the big picture.

Aaron Johnson
Liberty Chomp
11 May – 9 June 2012
Gallery Poulsen
Copenhagen

Photographs: Scott Lickstein.

Kenny Scharf, Elroy Vision, acrylic on canvas, 2012.

Another chapter of the ’50s future that never happened has been added to the ongoing pursuits of this artist. It’s a hyper colored account that leaves the viewer inundated in all the right ways.

Kenny Scharf, Hodgepodge, installation view, 2012.

Magnificent sculptures have been set adrift in the neutral environment. A fully customized Cadillac and grinning mushroom cloud picnic table complete the experience that Scharf establishes on the walls.

Kenny Scharf, Spamarama, oil, acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas, 2012.

The recurrence of marketing symbols and familiar characters comes from the artist’s childhood spent “just inches away” from the then newly established glow of American television. The persistent images overlapped in his young mind and are now recalled in an effluvium of brilliantly collaged compositions.

Kenny Scharf, Spicy, found objects and acrylic, 2012.

Kenny Scharf maintains studios in New York, Los Angeles and Brazil. When in South America, he combs the beaches collecting garbage that has been weathered by the elements. The sun-bleached detritus is known as “lixo” and is also the title of this body of wall hanging sculptures. Great artists are known for working with raw material that are most readily available. Scharf collects his imagery as it washes ashore or gently laps against his retinas.

Kenny Scharf, Cosmic Cavern, mixed media installation, 2012.

Visitors to the gallery will enjoy the black-lit experience of the “Cosmic Cavern.” The first incarnation of the piece dates back to 1981. Known then as the “Cosmic Closet” it was installed in a New York apartment that Scharf shared with Keith Haring. It is a transformative experience that temporarily recalibrates the eyes and forces a magical distortion in perception.

Kenny Scharf, Blablobs, oil on canvas, 2012.

“Hodgepodge” is a journey that is felt strongly when the viewer exits the gallery. Emerging from the space sets a comfort point of nostalgia that leaves an impression akin to homesickness.

Kenny Scharf
Hodgepodge
14 April – 19 May 2012
Honor Fraser
Los Angeles

Images courtesy of Honor Fraser.

Gino Rubert, The Pianist, mixed media on canvas, 2012.

There is a visual hum that resonates through each of these intriguing depictions. The shifting frequencies arise from the mind trying to categorize the media in the compositions. The keen viewer, upon close inspection begins to break down the structural points. As the eye roams, a list is populated from discoveries of magnificent painting next to seamless photographic collage and yes, even that lenticular tiger bikini.

Gino Rubert, Ma Feline, mixed media on canvas, 2012.

The show has been titled, “True Love,” referring to the three points of balance that are achieved between the artist, his passion and our perception. There is truth here but it is not always decidedly pretty. In each tableau there is the comfort of a familiar face but the amenities remain delightfully out of reach.

Gino Rubert, The Inheritor, mixed media on canvas, 2012.

Gino Rubert
True Love
29 March – 28 April 2012
Claire Oliver Gallery
NYC

Images courtesy of Claire Oliver Gallery.

Paul Housley, My Difficult Jazzhead, oil on canvas, 2012.

The heavily textured surfaces immediately demand that the viewer understand that they have happened upon painting in the modernist sense. All the power of the dynamic struggle that enlivened the era is present in these pieces. Light, form and color have collided repeatedly leaving the tastiest morsels for the visual appetite. The works have been set beautifully into box frames that present the wonderful buildup that weathers each edge.

Paul Housley, Big Mudpusher, oil on canvas, 2012.

Housley is on record as claiming that each of his paintings are just a part of one large work. He also believes the characters that he depicts are all self portraits. It is a brilliant premise, one that is difficult to argue against. Nearly all artists can see themselves in their creations. We each get to know our own faces pretty well; it is natural to have the majority of figurative perception be biased by the gaze in the mirror. These pieces do not wallow in vanity for their producer is master and slave in this world.

Paul Housley, Snoopwoody, oil on canvas, 2012.

Paul Housley
Mudpusher Blues
22 March – 21 April 2012
ZieherSmith
NYC

Images courtesy of ZieherSmith.

David Lynch, Boy Lights Fire, 2012.

The large mixed media works still ring in the same tone as his previous show in California from 2009. They begin as simple stories that unfold through brilliant consideration of materials and quality craftsmanship. I was nowhere near the Pacific Coast for his last show but viewed the works as you are now, online. Examining the pieces directly in New York exponentially increased the respect that I already had for his fine art. David Lynch is not a film guy pretending to be an artist. There may be room in this world for that sort of thing but that is not what is going on here.

David Lynch, Distorted Nude 20, 2012.

There are few descriptors used to convey the attitude of his art in its many forms. Darkness, anger and pain are all simplifications that do not offer any real understanding. We meet David Lynch on the surface but the man and boy remain behind the curtain, wizarding their own Oz.

David Lynch, I See My Love, 2012.

The secret to his success as an artist lies in a fantastic misunderstanding that occurs between his intent and the perception of the viewer. The screen that connects us shimmers with context. Behind the black paint and bold distortions there is light. If you trust that it is there you see it with every blink.

David Lynch, New York City, 2012. (photo: Scott Lickstein)

David Lynch
6 March – 14 April 2012
Tilton Gallery
NYC

Images of artwork courtesy David Lynch.

Mba Fabrications Inc., Leap no. 2, acrylic on wood, 2011.

Donald Ian McCaw is an entrepreneur that has set his sites on the fine art world. He sees painting as a business environment subject to the laws and margins that govern all trade in a capitalist society. The undertaking mimics the tidy structures that drive the marketplace. A number of skilled laborers are managed by a team of specialists to compose this new line of products.

Mba Fabrications Inc., DIM no. 1, acrylic on wood, 2011.

The paradoxical nature of this cold gesture toward the nature of the art world is the very spark that moves the whimsical surfaces into the category of fine art. The products themselves are by the professional, for the professional. My practical editorial response is pure encouragement. The people deserve artwork that attends to their needs.

Mba Fabrications Inc., Pills no. 2, acrylic on wood, 2011.

Mba Fabrications Inc.
Corporate
2 February – 3 March 2012
Anna Kustera Gallery
NYC

Images courtesy of Anna Kustera Gallery.

Steve Gianakos, She Decided to Throw the Party Anyway, acrylic on canvas, 2011.

The opening night was very well attended. Coats came off and it seemed that people wanted to stay. There existed a noticeable boundary between the viewers and the paintings. The glances this work received were short as though it would be psychologically telling to be caught gazing. The minimal approach to the craft is a clever response to this natural behavior. It’s OK now here online, go ahead, peel back those lids and have a good long stare.

Steve Gianakos, It Had An Abrupt Melodramatic Conclusion, acrylic on canvas, 2011.

There is no cause for concern, these disturbances do not leave lasting harm on the psyche. They are retained as clever reminders to genuine diversity. Steve Gianakos has been pricking us for some time now and we can’t get enough.

Steve Gianakos, The Farm Had Been Rescinded Just A Month Earlier, acrylic on canvas, 2011.

Steve Gianakos
New Paintings
19 January – 18 February 2012
Fredericks & Freiser Gallery
NYC

Images courtesy of Fredericks & Freiser Gallery.

“The Complete Spot Challenge” is a goal set by the artist that rewards successful participants with a personally dedicated spot print should they visit all eleven galleries during the exhibition. Check with the gallery for details and get ready to log some serious frequent flyer miles.

Damien Hirst, Zirconyl Chloride, household gloss on canvas, 2008.

No one piece held me mesmerized longer than any other but the concept as a whole for this exhibit completely blew me away. Placing dots on the map and covering the empire was a gesture that further cemented Mr. Hirst as a man that is not afraid to take every advantage of his position.

Damien Hirst, The Complete Spot Paintings, installation view, New York, 2012.

I haven’t checked in with the press on this one yet but it is as sure as sunrise that the response to this impressive undertaking will be largely negative. It is a regrettable certainty that follows any artist commanding this much attention. The truth, however, is that looking around the largest of the rooms opening night at Gagosian on 24th Street in New York City revealed no unhappy faces.

Damien Hirst, The Complete Spot Paintings, installation view, New York, 2012.

Damien Hirst
The Complete Spot Paintings 1986-2011
12 January – 18 February 2012
Gagosian Gallery
NYC

Images courtesy of Gagosian Gallery.

Lisa has been making fantastic paintings for years but has only recently began to actively share her creations outside of her close circle. Showing work through her website and social media outlets has flourished in immediate and growing attention for more.

Her life sized, mixed media, self portraits known as “Lisa Shapes” command complete attention when encountered. It is a sensation that could be likened to a meeting as much as a viewing. Foster has been through a lot in her life. Some traumatic experiences had left her “in pieces.” Her work, the process and product, have been helping her to feel whole again. The genuine nature of this approach has been manifesting very powerful results.

The large canvases are accomplished with acrylic paint, medium and reproduction quilting fabrics. It’s easy to keep up with the production of her new work online. In addition to that, I encourage you to see the pieces in person. It is a real treat that offers new insight. I hope that you enjoy this studio visit as much as I did.

To learn more about Lisa Foster, please visit her website at: www.lisaafoster.com