A masterful grasp of the human form, alongside multi-layered metaphor, stunning composition and superb demonstrations of light and color—these are just a few of the elements that make up 33 Contemporary’s MASTERWORKS exhibition. The show, which is held online and features the very best the gallery has to offer, will be available for viewing on Artsy.net from March 1 through December 31. And due to its virtual nature, 33 Contemporary will be adding works to it throughout the year. Heather Brunetti, Reliving Past Lives In the Future, oil on canvas, 48 x 30"

Among the artists currently on the roster are Terry Strickland, Heather Brunetti, Erica Calardo, Amanda Greive, Judith Peck, Patricia Schappler, Amy Gibson, Courtney Minor, Michael Van Zeyl and Narelle Zeller. 

“Psycho Circus does not tell a specific tale. It is rather a vivid impression, a specific frame of a story that doesn’t exist yet,” says Calardo. “I saw it in my mind very clearly. I know the scenario, but I ignore what happened. I was a spectator in my own mind. It depicts a lady lying on a sofa. The show is over. She’s done it. She danced, like every night, with the snake. She did her magic. Again. The red curtains are shut. The marquee is closed. Nobody is around but the night. The August sky is clear and cool. She lays awake yet she’s dreaming of that life she’s living, in that strange and never happened past.” Erica Calardo, Psycho Circus, oil on linen, 39 2/5 x 59"

Calardo adds that there are several well-known symbols within the painting, like the archetype of Eve and the Serpent, and even more so, that of Lilith as portrayed by John Collier. “[She’s] a mythical figure presented alternatively as Adam’s first wife and a sort of demon, banned from the Garden of Eden for refusing to follow Adam’s leadership and rules. Women’s independence, rebellion and force are represented in my painting in the fierce and magnetic stare of the artist right after the show. We see a woman who lives independently, following her own rules, practicing her arts and working in a circus.”Judith Peck, Give Me Shelter (diptych), oil on panel, 40 x 60"

Terry Strickland, David and Bathsheba, oil on canvas over panel, 36 x 58"

Brunetti’s Reliving Past Lives In The Future, painted in 2022, was inspired by the juxtaposition of several events that took place in the United States that year: the advances we’ve been making with the James Webb Space Telescope, and the diminishing of human rights. “It seemed we were making great strides into the future when the photos from the James Webb Space Telescope were released, and they were so awesomely detailed and full of beauty and mystery,” she says. “At the same time it was as if we were simultaneously taking a giant leap backward with human rights here on Earth, specifically women’s rights. The James Webb telescope photos influenced the background of the piece with a deep ombre speckled with gold paint, and my figure sits patiently idle adorned with modern textiles worn in ways reminiscent of traditional female attire of the past. Even though the subject matter that informed the piece is heavy, the bright colors and spirit of my model carry a calm joy, and I was so pleased with the result.”Patricia Schappler, Star of the Sea, oil on cradled board, 36 x 48"

Give Me Shelter, a diptych by Peck, is part of a series of more than 10 pieces. “I am obsessed with a certain massive sycamore tree living by the Potomac River near my home,” the artist reflects. She visits this tree at least every week, if not more. “Recently it crept into my subconscious, and I began a whole series of paintings. I’ve tried to paint its dignity and majesty as well as the small deaths and growth, the resilience that is apparent in the face of drought, flooding, erosion, pollution and wind conditions. I see this tree as a microcosm of the earth as well as an allegory of our lives…Give Me Shelter honors an ancient sycamore tree and depicts a resting figure in a testament to the deep emotional and symbolic connection that humans can have with nature.”

Other paintings in the exhibition explore themes of fatherhood, reimaginings of old biblical stories and much more.  —

33 Contemporary Zhou B Art Center, 4th Floor • 1029 W. 25th Street • Chicago, IL 60609 • (708) 837-4534 • www.33contemporary.com  • www.artsy.net/show/33-contemporary-m-a-s-t-e-r-w-o-r-k-s 

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