Alexey Adonin

"Frozen In Time"  oil on canvas  80x80cm  2011

"Afflatus"  oil on canvas  80x80cm  2010

"Dream Symphony"  oil on canvas  80x80cm  2011

"The Red Planet"  oil on canvas  50x60cm  2008

One of my rare abstract entries is by an artist originally from Belarus and now residing in Jerusalem. There's a resemblance to abstract science fiction illustrations from the 1960s (like Robert Powers) that immediately appealed to me. I do not think the similarity can be accidental as there is a distinct homage to science fiction in some of his work as in "The Red Planet" above. While the images are essentially abstract and are, according to the artist, created without any preconception there is always a strong hint of figuration or more commonly landscape. He builds up layers using a variety of techniques with large windows in each, so that the final images is a kind of collage of textures. You can see more of his work on his Flickr page and also on Bluecanvas.com

Aron Wiesenfeld - 2

"The Wedding Party" oil on canvas  70" x 95"

"The Crown"  oil on canvas  23" x 19"

"The Night"  oil on canvas  19.5" x 30"

"The Well"  oil on canvas  64" x 87"

"Drain Pipe"  charcoal on paper  14" x 10"

I just received an email from Aron Wiesenfeld with a link to a preview of his show opening this weekend at Arcadia Galley in NYC (you can see the preview here). I don't know that I have a whole lot to add to what I said before about his work (see my previous post back in Dec. 2009) but I'll try.
I'm a tremendous fan of his ability to create haunting atmospheres, compelling characters and intriguing narratives. These are stories. They draw us in compelling us to participate in the creative act, demanding that we ponder what led up to, or will follow the events depicted. They are mysteries. Not mysteries to be solved but to be savored. They do not address real life, but rather how life sometimes feels. Emotions are heightened. And one of the most powerful is that unnameable sense of being different, unique, alone; a feeling that can be full of both dignity and despair. Trapped in the uniqueness of our own experience it is a wonder that we can communicate at all. That even this sensation can be conveyed is something of a small miracle.
You can see more of his work on his website (aronwiesenfeld.com) or on his flickr page.

George Boorujy

And the Plains Opened Up Before Us, ink on paper, 43" x 85", 2009

And the Plains Opened Up Before Us (detail)

Glacier, ink on paper, 38"X50", 2008

Glacier (detail)

Settlement 4 (dammed water), ink on paper, 49"X92", 2007

Settlement 4 (dammed water) (detail)

Ring-billed Gull , ink on paper, 30"X44", 2007

I had to include more than the usual number of images because the details are so important. Surprise often lurks in the details. While the pieces I've selected here are mostly landscapes, much of his work is of animals reflecting an early interest in biology that has stuck faithfully with him. Clearly the natural world is at the center of his interests. Although, as he might point out, what other world is there? Man's role in it is portrayed as a more tenuous thing than one might think looking out from your front windshield on the way to work. But perhaps he's right about that after all. Our grand civilization hasn't been here all that long and may not last all that long either. Who knows? What we can be certain of is that the natural world isn't going anywhere. It is tenacious and full of surprises and Mr. Boorujy revels in that. His depiction of it, and our place in it, is imbued with both a stark solemnity and a wry sense of humor. It is these contradicting implications that beg the viewer to look longer and ponder. Of course the detail doesn't hurt. Most people love to pore over exquisitely rendered realism. So feast your eyes on more of his work at www.georgeboorujy.com.

Susan Bennerstrom

"Gage"  32" x 48"  2009

"Spiral no. 1"  32" x 48"  2008

 

"Hotel Boss"  47" x 53"  2010

"Ebey"  18" x 26.75"  2010

"Rise"  40" x 48"  2010

 Susan Bennerstrom's art employs realism but ultimately has another objective. The artist works from photos but the photos are merely a starting place for spatial abstraction. She simplifies the forms, removes extraneous detail and carefully models the lighting to create the illusion of complex geometric spaces. There's plenty of references left to identify the location. It's a fine tuned reminder that abstraction and representation are more closely related than most people think. She began her career working exclusively in pastels, both chalk and oil. But in 2008 she switched to oil paints and has worked in this media consistently ever since. The pastels lent her earlier work an atmospheric quality which was appropriate as she concentrated more on light, depicting landscapes as well as buildings and interiors. But her gradual focus on these these interior architectural forms has made the switch an appropriate one. The light in her work is still a prominent feature, but it is subservient to the forms themselves, helping to carve them out with sculptural precision. The brushwork lends the whole a tremendous sense of solidity.

Though the essence of these paintings is one of stillness, the dynamic of narrative is nonetheless powerfully present. For narrative is such a deeply human instinct that the lit stage, even without the actors can be as compelling as any play. and the promise of a story as powerful as story itself. Her quiet sets seem saturated with possibilities and perhaps, even a little mystery.

You can see much more of her work on her website: www.susanbennerstrom.com