Steven Cushner: Studio Visit

Steven Cushner is an artist of lush, de-luxe, abstraction. His work is controlled in the most delightful way. His sense of color is both muted and candy-like, both grounded - and with its head in the clouds. The form, repetition and patterning is geometric/organic. Steven has his own language as an artist, coming from his own voice. Not an easy thing to accomplish, and done with a gentle brilliance.  .
Steven Cushner, with William Willis, has new body of work up now at Hemphill Fine Arts through May 28, 2010.

Katherine Mann Studio Visit

Katherine Mann: Studio Visit 

Monday April 12, 2010

Katherine Mann was kind enough to invite me to her studio, perched high up on H St, with an excellent view of the Capitol Building, northeast-wise on a sunny Monday morning. Katherine has most of her current body of work up at a group show at the Hamiltonian Gallery on U St here in the district. 

Katherine works with graphite, Sumi ink, acrylic and tape. Often times she will cut into her pieces, all works on paper, with intricate, lattice like patterns. Katherine's work is both organic and structured, and her technique of layering and cutting makes her work compelling both technically and emotively. Katherine works almost exclusively on paper, which is an unforgiving and immediate medium, organic in its own right and sculptural in an of itself.

Katherine in her studio standing in front of a work in progress, graphite & acrylic on paper, 90 x 104", 2010.

2 details  of: work in progress, graphite & acrylic on paper, 90 x 104", 2010.

Katherine holding a work in progress, acrylic on cut paper, about 30 x 40", 2010.

Katherine Mann at Hamiltonian Gallery

As subject of my previous post (in her studio), here is Katherine's work at a group show at Hamiltonian Gallery on U St here in the District. Her work looks at ease next to the sculptures of fellow artist Michael Enn Sirvet, and the ribbons which now and then flash into and out of her pieces flow to the ribbon like, structural work of Enn's.

Katherine has 4 large works up all sharing elements of stripes, splats, geological inferences, and lattice/lace like cuts. The controlled work of the cuts interrupt the organic splats, making for an interesting start and stop narrative of - maybe a pattern, but not a pattern, and maybe a decorative element, but then coarsened by a drip or layered form.

Katherine Mann at Hamiltonian Gallery until May 1, 2010.

Untitled acrylic, graphite & Sumi ink on paper 54 x 83", 2010

detail of: Untitled acrylic, graphite & Sumi ink on paper 54 x 83", 2010

Maggie Michael: Studio Visit In Black and White

This series of Maggie's work needed its own post.

It was being bullied by her works in color, posted previously.

Studio Visit: Maggie Michael

Maggie Michael, Washington DC based wunder-woman artist graciously invited me to her studio to look at and photograph some of her new, and old, work. As she works on new pieces she puts older works out, among the new, and they all sit around and talk about what they are and what they want to become next.

She's in good company. The genius of Maggie's work is her ability to both powerfully push and delicately pull. The eye registers both maximum force and delicate thread. Kind of like taking a contemplative walk through the woods with a glam-rock monk. Maggie is represented here in Washington by G Fine Art.

Steven Cushner: New Paintings

overall view

center: OVER,UNDER,SIDEWAYS,DOWN, 2009 acrylic on canvas 77" x 78"

left: SAPLING, 2010 acrylic on canvas 68" x 53"

right: MORE OR LESS, 2009 acrylic on canvas 74" x 86

Steven Cushner has a show of new paintings at Hemphill Fine Arts. Steven is a luxurious abstract artist whose work features organic geometric shapes and romantic, masterful painterly hues. Below are a few of his new pieces at the show which runs April 8 to May 28, 2010. Opening is this Thursday the 8th from 6:30-8:30 in George Hemphill's immaculate gallery. Artist William Willis is also featured with works on paper.

SAPLING, 2010 acrylic on canvas 68" x 53"

detail: SAPLING, 2010 acrylic on canvas 68" x 53"

LOST AND FOUND, 2009 acrylic on canvas, 58" x 67"

detail: LOST AND FOUND, 2009 acrylic on canvas, 58" x 67"

Flatfile at Hemphill Fine Arts: (again) Steven Cushner

Works on Paper stored in a gallery's flatfile's are an excellent resource for learning more about artists you're interested in, and are more than likely at a lower price point than a painting. Here are just three works on paper by Steven Cushner that Hemphill has in their flatfiles.