Ideal Home Reviewed in Hyperallergic

Hyperallergic

The Environmental Crisis Comes Home

Ideal Home captures the disorientation of a moment in which environmental crises have pierced the domestic sphere.

Jordan Eddy September 14, 2022

LAND BODY at Ogden Contemporary Arts Center

LAND BODY is a contemporary exploration of the connections between the human body and the landscape from the perspectives of eleven female artists. Working in Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, exhibited artists pay particular attention to desert environments while speaking to relevant topics in today’s world such as environmental issues and climate concerns, cultural histories in relation to the land, female identity, and more. The show specifically draws metaphorical and physical correlations between desert landscapes and women’s bodies, while broadly reflecting on the interconnectedness between humans and the natural world. Artists work in a range of mediums including installation, photography, sculpture, painting, and video.

Participating Artists: Al Denyer , Also Sisters: Sonia & Miriam Albert-Sobrino, Cara Romero, Chelsea Call, Jaclyn Wright, Jill O’Bryan, Josie Bell, Nikesha Breeze, Sama Alshaibi, Wendy Wischer

LAND BODY is presented in partnership with Ogden Contemporary Arts and made possibly by Weber County RAMP, Utah Office of Tourism, Utah Legislature and Utah Division of Arts & Museums.

OCA: Dispatch from Solitude Virtual Performance

Ogden Contemporary Arts – Social Distancing and Art, Episode 3

Dispatch from Solitude #1: Walking the Unknown Path 
Beth Krensky Performance

On June 5th, Ogden Contemporary Arts (OCA) reveals the third episode of Social Distancing and Art with an impactful performance art piece by Beth Krensky. Dispatch from Solitude #1: Walking the Unknown Path portrays a literal and metaphorical migration through fear, desolation, even death – and the transformative arrival that inevitably follows through strength and courage.

“In this performance, I walk on a pilgrimage toward myself, my memories of those who have loved me into existence, nature, and an “other” place,” states Krensky. “The walk creates and holds space for my fear, courage, isolation, refuge, gratitude and mortality.”

Krensky’s layered performance piece will take place in Emigration Canyon, a symbolic setting that has historically witnessed migrations of the Ute People and Mormon Pioneers. Krensky will walk through the canyon garbed in protective gear typical for front-line workers during the COVID-19 era – a mask and Tyvek suit. “The whole point is to juxtapose the stark reality of people on the front lines and this pristine beauty of the canyon,” says Krensky, who will also wear one of her own found object sculptures, a wooden chair with the 23rdPsalm burned into its seat, strapped to her back as she walks. “One can walk through and out of Emigration Canyon,” she says. “This is symbolic for the performance because I am not only walking through Emigration Canyon but also through the Valley of Death referenced in the 23rd Psalm. My hope is that I, and others, will get to walk through this valley of death and out the other side.”

Krensky relates these feelings to our current societal landscape, where death and fear are ever present due to the global pandemic. “I do think we are walking through this valley right now and we don’t know our way, which is quite frightening,” she says. “Death is in our national psyche and all around us is fear. But as we continue to walk we think beyond that about what’s up ahead – and take comfort in a way that is hopeful yet contemplative.”

With this sentiment, Krensky will close her walk with a moment of gratitude as she reads several “love letters” to the world. The letters are not romantic, however, but are more about the idea of what needs to be said before one goes. “This pandemic has brought the possibility of death to the forefront for many of us. These uncertain times have given me cause to think about what must not be left unsaid.”

Krensky is a multi-disciplinary artist who is conceptually driven. Trained as a sculptor, she began her performance work in the 90s while obtaining her graduate degree in critical pedagogy and art education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She also has a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and is currently a professor of art education and the Area Head of Art Teaching at the University of Utah. Her performance work and her education philosophies are meant to “provoke reflection about what is happening in our world as well as to create a vision of what is possible.”

This pre-recorded, virtual performance will be shown online through OCA’s social media channels. Tune in on Friday, June 5th at 6:30pm MT on Instagram and Facebook to witness this powerful piece.

Dispatch from Solitude #1: Walking the Unknown Path by Beth Krensky

Art City Focus: Palm Springs

Innovative architecture, a saturated gallery market, high profile events and an unparalleled experiential art scene, Greater Palm Springs isn’t just a contributor to today’s contemporary art and design world, but on many levels is leading the conversation. From the early 1900s to today, one thing seems to be certain - the desert will never go out of style. 

Read my feature story on Palm Springs in the February 2020 issue of American Art Collector Magazine

all photos are my own.

The Monarch Celebrates Grand Opening on Nov. 1

The Monarch Announces Grand Opening for November 1st with Official Unveiling of WBs Eatery, Art Box, The Monarch Venues and Creative Studios

Ogden, UT (September 9, 2019): After much anticipation, The Monarch building will celebrate its Grand Opening on November 1st as a celebratory culmination of a historic renovation project that got its start nearly eight years ago. After purchasing The Monarch building in 2011 and placing it on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, Fischer-Regan Enterprises embarked on an extensive building rehabilitation with R&O Construction and Carbon Architects, with help from RDA, Historic and New Markets Tax Credits partners. Developer Thaine Fischer envisioned The Monarch as an incubator for Ogden artists and creative businesses, with the hope of cultivating an environment that would promote positive social and economic change in East Central Ogden. Now as it nears completion, Fischer reflects on the project while looking forward to its community impact. 

“More than a decade ago when we redeveloped our first historic building in downtown Ogden, we had no idea of the social impact it would have within our community,” says Fischer. “Several buildings later we are ecstatic and humbled by the response. The Monarch is our boldest attempt to bring community impact to Ogden’s new Nine Rails Creative District. With the support of our community, creatives, tax credits and investment partners our vision is finally coming together. We believe this is just the beginning.”

The Monarch’s Grand Opening events begin at 4pm with a ribbon cutting ceremony with government officials and presentations by WBs Eatery, Art Box and O1ARTS, who, as a future tenant of The Monarch, presents a large-scale installation in the lobby by visiting artists-in-residence Wade Kavanaugh and Stephen Nguyen. Guests will be invited into the Royal Room for an introduction to The Monarch Venues and recognition of The Monarch’s, lenders, architects, construction team and supporters who’ve made the project possible. The building will then be open for Ogden’s First Friday Art Stroll, and guests are encouraged to visit artist studios, have dinner and drinks at WBs, shop at the Art Box and experience the lobby’s immersive art installation. The Banyan Collective will present live podcast performances from 7-10pm with local musicians Mojave Nomads, Lovely Noughts and Sam Brue.

Developed by Fischer-Regan Enterprises LLC, The Monarch is a collaborative environment where artists, creative businesses and makers of all types can connect, inspire and create together in the heart of Ogden’s Nine Rails Creative District. The Monarch strives to provide the Wasatch region with uniquely artful experiences through artist engagement, creative dining and memorable events. The Monarch is home to the Art Box, WBs Eatery, O1ARTS and The Monarch Venues. 

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The Monarch • 455 25th Street • Ogden, Utah

info@themonarchogden.com

Carper Contemporary Pop Up: "Remnants," Lenka Konopasek

SHOW DATES SEPTEMBER 6 – NOVEMBER 30, 2019 OPENING RECEPTION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 6-9PM
ARTIST TALK SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 6PM LOCATION THE ARGO HOUSE, 529 25TH STREET, OGDEN, UTAH

Exhibition of 3D Paper Sculpture by Salt Lake City Artist Lenka Konopasek Opens at The Argo House in Ogden

Lenka Konopasek is a painter, sculptor and installation artist whose work comments on the beauty of destruction while raising important questions about the environmental consequences of human behavior. Based in Salt Lake City, Konopasek has exhibited her work in museums and galleries across the country and internationally, her most recent exhibition being “Mimicry” at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art this past summer. “Remnants,” presented by independent curator Kelly Carper in collaboration with The Argo House, is an exhibition of Konopasek’s powerful three dimensional paper sculptures that defy the fragility of their medium with a dark and dangerous presence. 

“With my objects, I contrast finely crafted and strangely beautiful images against harsh repulsion to draw attention to the beauty of violence,” says Konopasek. “I translate these images into more abstract objects with prickly textures and complex structures that often mimic organic materials and formations found in nature.” 

Complex and painstakingly hand-made, Konopasek’s spiky surfaces and aggressive forms have been interpreted as scarred landscapes, hairy beasts and feathered creatures. Despite their eerie aura, each piece is gracefully composed, cascading from the wall in elegant, windswept strips. This dichotomy speaks directly to the heart of Konopasek’s work, which represents the seductive power of natural and manmade disasters. This timely exhibition also speaks to nature’s fragility, as the landscape is continuously scarred by humanity’s indifference toward environmental issues such as climate change and stewardship of our natural resources. “Remnants” illustrates this impact with an ominous tone, posing the question, what will be left behind?

“This theme emerged from my own personal anxieties as well as world events,” says the artist. “I am interested in assembling and breaking down structures and creating scenes and objects bristling with tension somewhere between beautiful and dangerous.”

Born in the Czech Republic, Lenka Konopasek has called Utah home for the past thirty years. She received her BFA in painting and drawing at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and her MFA at the Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine. Her paintings and sculptures have been collected by institutions such as the National Art Gallery in Prague, Springville Museum of Art in Utah, National Museum of Dance in New York and the State of Utah Art Collection. Konopasek was awarded the Utah Visual Art Fellowship in 2018, and has been commissioned for various public art projects in Salt Lake City. Her most recent public art installation is a series of steel sculptures at the downtown Salt Lake Public Health Center.

Learn More at Carper Contemporary

Download Press Release Here

Art City Focus: Savannah, Georgia

The creative culture in Savannah, Georgia is breathing new life into the old south. 

Founded in 1733, Savannah is the oldest city in Georgia and a designated National Historic Landmark for its unique layout around central city squares. These “green spaces,” shaded by towering oak trees and surrounded by 19th century architecture, give Savannah a soothing aesthetic unlike anywhere else in the south - or even the country. Trolley cars and horse-drawn carriages wind through the city, which is also refreshingly walkable, as drivers educate visitors on Savannah’s significant history, pointing out sites such as the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, Telfair Academy or iconic fountain at Forsyth Park.

But the “Hostess City” holds more than quaint cobblestone streets and hospitable folks. In Savannah, there is a new south to discover, one where cutting-edge art and modern innovation mingle with city’s antebellum architecture and classic charm. Behind Savannah’s quintessential southern façade is a burgeoning contemporary art scene, discoverable through local artist studios, off-the-path galleries and the city’s newest museums. 

Read the full article in the May 2019 issue of American Art Collector Magazine

all photos are my own.

Jennifer Nehrbass: What if Women Had Won the West?

What if women were the pioneers of the West? Would our relationship with Native Americans be different? What about our impact on the environment? What would our society look like today had our region been founded under a matriarchy?

These are a few questions raised by Jennifer Nehrbass’ exhibition, Pioneer Project, at Julie Nester Gallery. The cohesive series represented in Park City consists of eight female portraits and six landscapes, which together tell a fictional narrative that brings up real questions. For Nehrbass, the project doesn’t necessarily push a political agenda; it simply aims to tell a story while sparking an intriguing dialogue.

Read the full article at 15 Bytes Utah

CLOSER LOOK: “GRRL” BY KRISTINE POOLE

“Much of my work deals with women’s experiences and the power that words have to define and shape the realities we live in,” says Santa Fe sculptor Kristine Poole. Poole’s fired clay sculptures are anatomically correct female forms whose bodies are wrapped with written words or long form texts. From a distance, these carved messages appear to be superficial decoration as they wind and curl over powerfully gestured bodies; but on closer examination we find meaningful sociocultural references within their prose. These contemporary motifs contrast Poole’s classically rendered figures in their exposure of the internal emotional landscape. 

Last year, Poole struck out in a new stylistic direction that conveyed a similar yet louder message with “Commodity,” a life-size figurative sculpture at EVOKE Contemporary that took on the controversial topic of human trafficking and childhood marriage. In an effort to represent the emotional and physical vandalism of these tragic acts, the female figure is depicted in a protective posture and layered with violently airbrushed graffiti. Words like “property,” “possession,” and “payment” scream over each other in multiple languages and rash colors, symbolizing women as a societal commodity.

Commodity by Kristine Poole (SOLD)

Poole continues her graffiti motif with “Grrl,” her newest work now on view in the gallery. “Grrl” is a stylistic continuation but metaphorical response to Poole’s first graffiti sculpture; as if the closed off “Commodity” figure suddenly thrust her body forward in a transformative act of defiance. The surface aesthetic references street art rather than vandalism with a less jarring but equally bold palette that moves from warm to cool tones. Rather than yelling over each other, words like “self strong,” “hero,” and “self empower” converse with clear definition. “Grrl” shifts the conversation that Poole sparked with “Commodity” with an aura of strength and conviction. This piece embodies the attitudes that make up our current political climate in the context of the #MeToo movement and third wave of feminism, as young women take charge of their own societal roles.

In addition to body posture and the written word, Poole incorporates a third language layer into the piece through the energetic expression of mudra. A mudra is a symbolic hand gesture common to Buddhism and Hinduism brought into our western culture through yoga, in which hands and fingers form various symbols to access certain energetic qualities. The fingers on the sculpture’s left hand are arranged in “Palli Mudra,” in which the index and middle fingers cross while the thumb and ring finger connect. This mudra is a symbol of strength; it is meant to instill self-trust and confidence while stoking inner fire. 

The energy of Poole’s latest sculpture fuels her studio as she prepares for her upcoming dual exhibition at EVOKE Contemporary with Francis Di Fronzo opening May 31st. The artist hopes to have more graffiti works and other alternative styles present in the show alongside her classic pieces.

Client Love - Fatima Ronquillo's "Arcadia" Makes the Cover of Pasatiempo!

Fatima Ronquillo’s solo exhibition, “Arcadia” at Meyer Gallery in Santa Fe made the cover of the Pasatiempo!

Read the Press Release for Meyer Gallery: Santa Fe Artist Fatima Ronquillo Explores Ancient and Invented Mythologies Through Classically Inspired Paintings

Read the cover story in the Santa Fe New Mexican’s Pasatiempo: Mythological portraits, Painter Fatima Ronquillo

Congratulations Fatima and Meyer Gallery!

Guns, Tarot and Torsos: Feminist Icon Niki de Saint Phalle

Freedom Would Be Mine at the Kimball Art Center celebrates the career of feminist art heroine Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002), whose earliest sociopolitical artwork preceded the 1970s flourish of feminist artists. Because she was an initial outlier to the feminist art movement typically associated with names like Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro, Saint Phalle is too often left out of scholarly research on the subject. This is something Kimball curator Nancy Stoaks has worked to change, ever since her enlightening first encounter with Saint Phalle’s work in an undergraduate art history course.

“I began recognizing that women artists had to fight for attention,” says Stoaks, who found Saint Phalle mentioned among very few female names in her studies on mid-20th century art. Fascinated by Saint Phalle’s experimental approach to art making, Stoaks conducted her own self-study on the rebellious artist whose Shooting Paintings eventually became the focus of her graduate thesis. “I really wanted to add to the conversation around her work; it was so captivating and ready for more scholarly attention.”

Organizing Freedom Would Be Mine, which features 30 artworks spanning 40 years, is one of the many contributions Stoaks has made to the current dialogue around Saint Phalle’s work. With more than 15 years of study and numerous lectures at conferences and museums including Tate Liverpool and Seattle Art Museum, Stoaks is dedicated to reinserting Saint Phalle into feminist art histories. “She embraced a playfulness that seemed at odds with the dominant feminist strategies,” explains Stoaks as another reason for Saint Phalle’s exclusions. “But her work and continued activism throughout her career is extremely relevant to histories of feminist art, particularly in terms of performance art and her exploration around women’s bodies.”

Those familiar with Saint Phalle generally connect her with these two realms because of two bodies of work: the Shooting Paintings and the Nana sculptures. For the Shooting Paintings, referred to by the artist as “creation through destruction,” Saint Phalle layered a thick coat of plaster over bags of paint, which she, or other participants, then shot with a .22-caliber rifle. Violent holes and subsequent spills of color tainted the pure white surfaces, which, as the series evolved, became elaborate assemblages that included images of political leaders, photos of herself, religious altars, erotic figures and more symbols of the times. These paintings or “happenings” were often filmed and created in front of a crowd with Saint Phalle as the shooter, dressed in a white jumpsuit that matched the initial chaste surface of the piece. “I dressed completely in white like a Vestal Virgin and massacred my own pictures,” she once stated. Produced mainly from 1960-63, these scandalous and violent acts appalled yet excited the press, bringing the artist international fame and a reputation as a women’s rights activist.

“Shooting Painting Nine Holes”offers the viewer a glimpse into the series, which ranged from smaller effigies to monumental works. In this 27” x 20” piece at the Kimball, we intimately encounter the brutality of Saint Phalle’s bullets from the concaving plaster and haunting paint drips left in their wake. Through this aggressive yet cathartic act, Saint Phalle not only confronted the violence and injustice of the time but also that of her own past. The artist spoke of her upbringing as restricted and confined; she had a troubled relationship with her parents that included sexual abuse from her father. In phasing out of the Shooting Paintings, Saint Phalle stated: “Suddenly the pain was past. I stood there and did figures of joy…Perhaps they simply came from everything I’d really had enough of.”

With goddess-like bodies brightly painted and patterned, the series of sculptures that followed were joyful yet provocative, becoming the object of controversial attention. “The Nanas were a celebration of female sexuality, and playfully disrupted ideals of beauty,” says Stoaks. “They were firmly situated within conversations around gender and power.” “Dawn (jaune) / Dawn (Yellow), ” a voluptuous female form that happily skips from her pedestal in a whimsical pose, is a stellar representation of the series.

The Nanas soon took on a bigger and more obtrusive form, represented in the exhibition through “Repainted Photo of Hon.” This enlarged, black and white and painted photograph shows the scale of Saint Phalle’s now destroyed sculpture, “HON – en katedral (SHE – a cathedral)” erected in the Moderna Museet in Stockholm in 1966. “HON” was a monumental Nana at 90 feet long. As depicted in the photograph, the brightly colored female form lies on her back with legs spread in a birthing position, which exposed an entryway that swallowed up its visitors. Inside the architectural sculpture was an installation that included a small cinema, aquarium, bar and exhibition of fake masterpieces. This was Saint Phalle’s first architectural Nana, which led her to more large-scale works.

Freedom Would Be Mine cohesively follows the arc of Saint Phalle’s career, through representations of her most memorable and radical artistic periods, yet also includes prints, drawings and other sculptures that flesh out her larger story. “With work from the early 1960s through the late 1990s, this collection of work shows the artist’s broader rebellion and the elaboration of her very unique visual language, which is full of voluptuous bodies and fantastical creatures as well as much darker representations of women,” says Stoaks.

An example of the latter is “La Promenade du Dimanche” (1971), a large-scale sculpture featuring an elderly couple strolling with a leashed spider. The female figure carries a bleak facial expression and is much larger than her male counterpart; the curvy sensuality of the Nana form is replaced with a sagging and warped body that verges on grotesque. Stoaks says of the piece: “The woman, like others in Saint Phalle’s works, is confined to mid-century societal expectations of marriage and motherhood. It is a powerful example of the way in which the artist continually took women’s bodies and women’s roles as her subject matter, pushing boundaries and continually striving for freedom from what was expected of her.”

Other pieces include a series of models for Saint Phalle’s major public work, the Tarot Garden, which included more than 20 larger-than-life sculptures and took her 20 years to complete. While Saint Phalle felt a connection to Outsider Art due to her primitive and self-taught style, she was not without the support of the mainstream gallery world. In addition to her gallery sales, Saint Phalle creatively self-funded the Tarot Garden with her own perfume line and editioned projects. The Tarot Garden studies provide context to Kimball visitors on yet another important phase of Saint Phalle’s career while giving insight into the passion and commitment of the artist to her work and her cause.

Saint Phalle was a determined creator, performer and activist who forcefully and publicly opposed the many constraints women felt under a patriarchal culture. “Men’s roles give them a great deal more freedom, and I was resolved that freedom would be mine,” said Saint Phalle in a resonating statement that gave Stoaks the exhibit title. This sentiment also infuses her curatorial commentary, where she suggests questions Saint Phalle’s work poses: How much, and how little, has changed in 60 years in relation to representations and realities of femininity, sexuality, and power? How, where and when do women assume power in today’s world and what happens when they do?

Maybe the final question for us to consider is, how can we collectively continue the conversation that Saint Phalle started, and where does it end? Freedom Would Be Mine encourages us to come up with answers.

Nicki de Saint Phalle: Freedom Would Be Mine, Kimball Art Center, Park City, through Sept. 16.

Originally published in 15 Bytes Utah’s Online Art Magazine

The Surreal Works of Johan Barrios

The surreal paintings of Colombian artist Johan Barrios transmit feelings of discomfort and awe through strange and ominous imagery. His painted or sketched figures are rendered as inanimate objects in lifeless or uncomfortable postures, detaching them from human identities. Barrio’s subjects are further dehumanized through their relationships with other inactive elements such as sheets, plants or chairs in positions that are “unnatural, unanticipated and uncomfortable.” In his physical process Barrios approaches his subjects as sketches or drawings, which are blurred into abstracted environments with a de-saturated color palette. This approach, along with Barrios’ eerie use of light and shadow, gives his overall compositions a haunting, translucent appearance that is at once enchanting and confusing. Instead of attaching a personal narrative to the figures, we are invited to dehumanize Barrios’ subjects within the context of their mysterious environments. “The narratives my pieces tell are constructed of objects and how they interact,” explains Barrios. “The representation of ‘dead weight’ helps produce unexpected interactions between the elements and the figures. I also detach both the figures and objects from their assumed purpose or common uses and give them a new role.”

Johan Barrios, who now lives in Houston, Texas, will make his debut at Evoke Contemporary in Santa Fe for their Summer Group Exhibition opening August 17th. The gallery will also host a solo exhibition of Barrios’ new work this October. We asked Barrios a few questions about the process and concept behind his paintings and drawings in the Q&A below.

Interview with Contemporary Painter Johan Barrios

Tell us about the conceptual aspect of your work – why do you choose to portray your figures in slumped or inactive positions and often with obscured faces?

(JB) Throughout my process, I have reflected on the idea of eliminating the identity of my figures.  I believe this is an important detail of my work because the narratives my pieces tell are constructed of objects and how they interact. The emotion in my work does not come from facial expression, but instead from their corporal pose.    

You’ve said that you view your figures as objects rather than portraits – can you expand on this? Other than posture, in what ways do you portray this?

(JB) Many of my ideas come from the particular attention I give to the fundamental concepts of balance/tension and mass/volume.  Posture and placement is key to rendering my figures as ‘lifeless’ and placing them in an inanimate state. The representation of ‘dead weight’ helps produce unexpected interactions between the elements and the figures. I also detach both the figures and objects from their assumed purpose or common uses and give them a new role.

There are recurring objects such as plants, sheets or chairs in your compositions. Do these things signify anything in particular?

(JB) They are important partly in the sense that they describe the moment and place in which I built my ideas without painting the whole scene. Many times my images are constructed on site. Most of these elements come directly from my intimate environment, where I work and live. Their use is always unnatural, unanticipated, and uncomfortable. 

What role does color/light play in the overall composition and the concept of the piece?

(JB) The notion of painting each piece monochromatically brings the sense that every element is the same temperature.  Some paintings can end up being warmer, others much cooler.  The color is not only decorative but functional because it allows a way to unite all parts of my composition without distraction. It is also important to note that if you look closely at my figures, you will not find they are painted with natural flesh tones but instead desaturated and then immersed in the color palette of the specific painting.  In my work, color and light are closely connected.  I used to require a sharp contrast using flash and dark shadows, but it has evolved and I prefer to portray space with natural light and hints of shadows for depth where needed.

Can you talk about the relationship between the realism of the figures and the blurred/abstracted backdrops?

(JB) I don’t really consider my figures to be realistic. This is something I take pride in with my work.  In my paintings, my figures are approached as drawings, or sketches.  I appreciate the visibility of my brush strokes and areas left translucent where my underpainting peeks through. This begins the connection to the abstraction and importance of my backgrounds.  Just like the other elements in my work, the background is often robbed of its true identity and given a new purpose to make my imagery even more strange and that is something I enjoy. 

What role does photography play in your work as far as process or inspiration?

(JB) Photography is the same for me as a preliminary sketch of an idea would be for many artists.  I used to attempt making many quick drawings to kickstart my ideas, but now I grab my camera or phone and start shooting different elements in different spaces to create the scenarios that become my work.  Most of my images require that the models must hold their breath for a short time in awkward and difficult poses and the fight against the clock is something I find has become part of my process.  It’s ironic because I can last a month working on painting where I’m recreating an ephemeral moment.

Any insights into your October solo exhibition at EVOKE that you can share?

(JB) Just that I am very excited to show with EVOKE and I am inspired to up my game on the level of strange and discomfort my imagery transmits through my work.

All photos courtesy of Johan Barrios. If you are interested in the work of this artist please contact EVOKE Contemporary.

First published at evokecontemporary.blog