The theme of water is explored during a new online exhibition presented by 33 Contemporary. Within the show, which will be available for viewing on Artsy.net, artists have created works that incorporate water in some shape or form—whether as the primary subject of the painting or simply one element of the composition.
Vicki Sullivan, Tide Is Out, oil on linen, 7 9/10 x 9 4/5"Artist Vicki Sullivan has been painting in plein air quite often in the past few years, adding that it has been a refreshing change from her studio work, which includes portrait commissions and still lifes. “Painting outside is balm for my soul," she says. "Being out in nature and responding to changing conditions really makes the painting a whole unforgettable experience.” Her oil on linen Tide Is Out captures a special spot for the artist on the Southern Ocean. “[I painted Tide Is Out] on site at a beach where my father and grandfather used to fish off the rocks. When the tide is out the rock pools are exposed, and it is my favorite time to paint by the sea,” says Sullivan. “Lately I’ve been revisiting every bay and cove of my youth and setting up my easel to paint in plein air. As I paint, I keep an eye out for dolphins and whales, sooty oystercatchers, Australasian gannets and other seabirds…It’s an amazing exhilarating feeling for me, and I feel like each plein air painting captures some of the essence of the day.” This exercise also helps her loosen her brushstrokes, which has a positive effect on her studio work as well.
Alexandra Telgmann, Golden Ocean Reflection - Moon, oil and 24k gold leaf and silver leaf on aluminum panel, 19 7⁄10 x 19 7⁄10"
Hermes, by Marianna Foster, is the second painting in a new series the artist has started called Gods of the Ancient World Today. “The idea behind this series is about how gods like those of Ancient Greece or Egypt would look today,” says Foster. “I don’t think the idea of the gods that people had in previous centuries disappeared, they just transformed into another form. Today’s celebrities represent nearly the same meaning for people as did gods from the past. People look forward to seeing them, to meeting them, and many people ask them for help…Hermes was the Olympian god of herds and flocks, travelers and hospitality, roads and trade, thievery and cunning, heralds and diplomacy, language and writing, athletic contests and gymnasiums, astronomy and astrology," Foster continues. "He was the herald and personal messenger of Zeus, King of the Gods, and also the guide of the dead who led souls down into the Underworld.” In Foster’s piece, a modernized version of the Greek god is wearing a pair of swim shorts and leaping triumphantly into the ocean.
Marianna Foster, Hermes, oil on wood panel, 14 x 14"
Lorena Lepori’s oil Narcissus depicts a man bedazzled in pearls, looking into his own reflection in a small pool of water. “The myth of Narcissus is one that never ages—certainly not in this era when narcissistic behavior is recognized, exposed and convicted,” says Lepori. “On the other hand, it is encouraged and facilitated by social media. Ultimately, everybody is looking for a pool of water to lose themselves in their reflection and dream away, hoping to find their true self and fall in love with it.”
Lorena Lepori, Narcissus, oil on gesso board, 19 7/10 x 15 7/10"
Other artists in the exhibition include Alexandra Telgmann, Katayoun Stewart, Elena Degenhardt, Bernice Shaller, Michael Van Zeyl and Linda Post. WATER is available for viewing January 1 to 31 at www.artsy.net/show/33-contemporary- w-a-t-e-r.
33 Contemporary Zhou B Art Center, 4th Floor • 1029 W. 35th Street • Chicago, IL 60609 • www.33contemporary.com
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