The theme of florals and gardens is explored during 33PA's latest online exhibition on Artsy. While the range of artwork in the show is diverse—figurative paintings, still lifes and landscapes all in completely different styles—each piece incorporates botanicals in some form. “When selecting works for the show I lean toward artists who think outside of the box while keeping in mind the theme and their own vision,” says 33PA curator Didi Menendez.
Benji Alexander Palus, Icon, oil on canvas, 36 x 24"
In Alyssa Fields’ oil on canvas Hidden Place, a pair of hands delicately intertwine amongst thorny rose vines. At the moment, those hands are soft and unscathed, but with the slightest movement they might be scratched and torn. “We are all so vulnerable. Our backgrounds and our stories are something we may often hide out of fear or judgment,” says Fields. “However, sharing that vulnerability can lead to understanding and compassion. This painting is about slowly letting that vulnerability grow and let that part of me be something that I am willing to share with others.”
Alyssa Fields, Hidden Place, oil on canvas, 24 x 36"
Eden, by New Hampshire-based artist Patricia Schappler, depicts a mossy forest overgrown with plant life. “In traveling, I always walk the forests. These are gardens of immeasurable beauty, expressing time with the rhythms of rising and falling limbs and tumbling rock. This piece is born of memory and a recent visit to Ireland’s Wicklow,” she says of Eden. “It remains familiar; a place I could call home.”
Patricia Schappler, Eden, oil on sealed cradled board, 36 x 48"
Benji Alexander Palus is a self-taught painter working in figurative realism. “My work is a life-long study of feminine strength and beauty, experienced through the bonds of close friendship,” he says. His oil in the show, Icon, captures a nude woman with an intricate series of tattoos, primarily florals, winding from her feet all the way up to the top of her shoulder blades. “I work exclusively with a small group of friends who embody the qualities most admire—passion, courage, wisdom, independence, kindness, vulnerability, resilience—all tempered but not destroyed by deep suffering,” he adds. “My inspiration flows from the closeness of these platonic, yet intimate relationships. I do believe that beauty is everywhere, but I’ve always felt the need to keep my artwork very personal. I’ve never painted a face that I haven’t seen crying, laughing, sleeping, looking back at me with care or amusement, sometimes anger.”
Michael Van Zeyl, Magnolia Storm, oil on canvas, 36 x 36"
Among the other artists whose work can be explored in the exhibition are Michael Van Zeyl, Lisa Fricker, Kei J. Constantinov, Shawn Sullivan, Graziella Mura, Lisa Cyr, Thomas Wharton, J. Adam McGalliard and more. GARDEN will be on view at Artsy.net for the month of May. —
Lisa Fricker, An Eager Student, oil on canvas, 20 x 16"
33PA Zhou B Art Center, 4th Floor • 1029 W. 35th Street Chicago, IL 60609 • www.poetsandartists.com www.artsy.net/show/33-contemporary-g-a-r-d-e-n
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