That” inner landscape” of the  human soul where the boundaries of reality seemingly merge with the uncontrollable “netherworld” of dreams, visions, and nightmares.

Executed in pen and ink, as well as pulverized graphite, oil paints, oil sticks, pastels, charcoal and collage on both canvas and paper, the intention is to leave space for the viewer  to individually engage, seeing or not seeing in relation to their own imagined perceptions of the images before them.

Website
http://sparrenbergerstudio.com/

August Morning

What Light Will Do

The Yellow Steps

Stunned By What She Saw

Filibuster Baby

Artist Statement
My motto is be humble and stay busy, so I’m always working on either my poetry or art. I go to my studio every day. Going every day means I’m always a little bit ready. And I do something creative every day. I think of myself as a maker, stopping and starting within a constant stream of activity.

When I’m working on a painting, I never look at what’s come before, so that I can start each piece fresh. This allows me to sometimes make great mental leaps, to change my thinking in surprising ways.

My work serves as a kind of journal, a reminder of how I was thinking at a particular stage of my life. For that reason, I seldom change pieces once I decide that they are done. Through my series of brownstone and doll paintings I explore what light does to color, and our often hidden emotional landscapes.

Website
http://www.joannemcfarland.com/

“Hippomenes,” Oil on Canvas, 40″ x 52″

“The Birth of Venus,” Oil on Canvas, 64″ x 36″ 1995

Statement of Intent
The Greek myths embody everything that is timeless about the human experience. They reveal truths and acknowledge mysteries. They survive in the subconscious of Western man to the point that to learn about them is to experience a shock of recognition. They have been a successful vehicle for man’s pursuit of self knowledge for countless generations, which is the reason I have chosen to make yet another interpretation of them through my paintings. Each generation has been inspired to a unique interpretation, and I have tried to present the old myths in a new way, showing all the irony and conflict of the modern world. The figures are contemporary, but the situations are ancient. It is a way of saying,”we are new, but we are old,” “we are young, but we must die”. History continually humbles the arrogance of man. The Greek myths tell us that this is our fate as well as our redemption.

Website
http://johnwoodrowkelley.com/

Little Swimmer, 20”x30”

Entering Neverywhere, 48”x48”

Artist Statement
This series of oils on canvas and wood panels explores Desire. It examines how the things we lust after gain our interest and how our imaginations process them. Color, movement and light are tools Life uses to attract attention. Emotions run through the landscapes in the form of teardrops. Colorful balls are planets, meteors, and objects to be collected. Here, in the pseudo-sexual circus-world of Neverywhere, one-eyed flowers, myopic slugbunnies and painted women are both the main attractions and the audience as they passively experience the world from the safest place of all – inside their own shells.

Artist Bio
Rick Midler’s paintings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in galleries throughout the United States, including the Brooklyn Artists Gym,
The OmniGallery at the UBS Building, The Art Vanguard Gallery and the Premiere Wall at Crew Cuts Space.

In addition, his work is in private and corporate collections, including those of Big Foote Music, Triple Nine Entertainment and Audio Alchemy in Warwick, NY.

Among various other awards, Mr. Midler received an Emmy for a short film which appeared on HBO and honors at The London International Festival. His work as been published in Communication Arts, Creativity Magazine, The One Show Annual and The New York Times.

His artwork and creative direction helped bring the animated M&M’s characters to life. Throughout his commercial career he worked for companies such as FedEx, Pizza Hut and AT&T. Midler also worked with top names in the entertainment business, such as Spike Lee, John Turturro, Ashton Kutcher, Fran Drescher, Roseanne, Megan Mullally, Jack Palance, Stanley Tucci, Elijah Wood, Forest Whitaker and Sydney Pollack.

Rick Midler was born in Clifton, NJ in 1966. He received a B.S. in Visual Communications from University of Delaware in 1988. He currently lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn with his wife Samara and son Jude The Dude.

Website
http://www.RickMidler.net

]]> http://artinbrooklyn.com/2009/10/rick-midler/feed/ 3 http://artinbrooklyn.com/2009/09/david-kassan/ http://artinbrooklyn.com/2009/09/david-kassan/#comments Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:48:20 +0000 Mike http://artinbrooklyn.com/?p=429 Metronome, Oil on Wood, 50×60 inches

Approaching Noise (in progress), Oil on Wood, 40×34 inches

Lucas at 3 Months, Graphite on Bristol

Head Study, Oil on Wood, 18×14 inches

Artist Statement

As an expression of his own calculated observation and visual consumption of surrounding environment, introspective glimpses of reality imbue the art of David Jon Kassan. By immersing himself into his subject matter, Kassan is able to infuse his painting with life and realism. Kassan’s direction of realism follows the philosophies emplyed by the Ashcan School of American Realists. Kassan’s influences are varied; citing Robert Henri and John Sloan as his primary influences on philosophy and subject matter. As for style and technique he cites Antonio Lopez Garcia, Mark Rothko, Franz Kline and Clyfford Still as influences as well.

Website

http://davidkassan.com/