THE FOCUS

“We are all migrants through time.” from Exit West by Mohsin Hamid Landscape had been a consistent touchstone in my work--sometimes overtly, sometimes not--perhaps related to having almost literally grown up in a National Park. Living in cities for my adult life, I collect images of our built environment in various stages of ruin and completion then prompts paintings addressing disparate issues of time, connection, restraint and abandon. The grid can contain most of these references, and the flat...

I create mixed media work with paint, resin, and found materials that explore the painting as an object. The paintings maneuver through all axes, and shared space is emphasized as compositions spill over the sides or towards the viewer. Zach Searcy, Studio Visit, June 2017 Zach Searcy, Studio Visit, June 2017 My work explores systems and their exposure of human pliability. Materials and textures become fixed in a way that the paintings become something that could be held or touched - a...

In film, video, sculpture, and installation, I explore the relationships between personal, collective, and official memories as they unfold in history, cityscape, and across national borders. Often, I employ my own body and subjective position in order to investigate questions of translation and belonging. Masha Vlasova, Studio Visit, May 2017 Masha Vlasova, Studio Visit, May 2017 I was a Soviet citizen; I am a U.S. citizen; the status of my Russian citizenship is uncertain. I take this site of translation—...

Alex Blau (b. 1970, Austin, TX) has an MFA from Rhode Island School of Design and works primarily in painting. She has had solo shows at several venues, including Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado, Zeitgeist Gallery in Nashville, Firecat Projects in Chicago, Gallery Seomi in Seoul, Mark Moore Gallery in Santa Monica, Kevin Bruk Gallery in Miami, Barbara Davis Gallery in Houston, and the New Britain Museum of American Art. Alex Blau, Studio Visit, May 2017 (works pictured may be...

Street signs, logos, flags (the origin and rules of heraldry are especially intriguing to me), colors, typefaces, all hyper-designed for a specific purpose, to create order or assimilation in one way or another. Often, I think about how visual standards and prompts direct us. Sarah Shebaro, Studio Visit, May 2017 Sarah Shebaro, Studio Visit, May 2017 Sarah Shebaro, Studio Visit, May 2017 I experiment with these rules (proportion, color, iconography), with shifts in size, color, etc. to both draw attention to the intent...

I describe my work as a combination of several methods of painting, incorporating different ideas, frameworks, and strategies. I consider myself a formalist; I am less interested in ideas and more interested in exploring methods of creativity in order to achieve new visual languages and suggestions. James Perrin, Studio Visit, May 2017 James Perrin, Studio Visit, May 2017 I allow my creative process to be intuitive and non-linear. I focus on the expressiveness and possibilities contained in the materials of paint and...

Centered on the phrase we are not together yet, Amelia’s work deals with the tensions that exist around a search for identity and expression. Each piece begins with a playful line or shape associated with children's imagery. Amelia Briggs, Inflatable 3, 2017, acrylic and latex on stuffed fabric over shaped panel, 13x13x1.5” Amelia Briggs, Studio Visit, May 2017 The graphic representations found in comics, cartoons and coloring books are rich, discretely operating as visual cues. Amelia gathers, reassembles and edits this imag...

My paintings are constructed using thick sheets of acrylic paint that I cut and arrange on canvas. Eric Cagley, Studio Visit, March 2017 Eric Cagley, Studio Visit, March 2017 Eric Cagley, Studio Visit, March 2017 The visual language of sports has heavily influenced my work: white lines on a field, patterns cut into the grass, and the uniforms/colors of my favorite teams can often be found in my work. - Eric Cagley, 2017 Eric Cagley, Studio Visit, March 2017 Eric Cagley, Studio Visit, March 2017...