Details of Audrey Kawasaki and Femke Hiemstra

Audrey Kawasaki

Still trying to catch up with posting all the art I saw last summer - this is from the dual show of Audrey Kawasaki and Femke Hiemstra at the Merry Karnowsky Gallery in LA, last August. Since you can see most the images on the internet (artists site links above) in their entirety, I've concentrated on close-in detail shots wherever I could. Femke's work is super small to begin with, so it was a bit difficult with her works. Both these artists have incredible skills and it is a treat to see the close-up textures in their works. Many images are cropped to show detail. Enjoy!

Audrey Kawasaki

Audrey Kawasaki

So nice to see a boy! Isn't he beautiful? - Audrey Kawasaki

Audrey Kawasaki

Audrey Kawasaki

Femke Hiemstra

Femke Hiemstra

Femke Hiemstra 

Femke Hiemstra

Seth Siro Anton’s Beautiful Nightmares

Seth is an artist from Athens, Greece and he covers all the bases in art - creating works from paintings, sculptures and digital photography - as well as music with his metal band Septic Flesh. His works have a darkly primal basis in anatomical breakdowns, de-structuring and peeling away - to reveal surreal textures, morphed beings and juxtapositions. They also have a clean elegance of design focus - hence he has created many killer album covers.

An excerpt from an interview with Paradise Lost:

“In my paintings, I usually start with something random and completely abstract. I take nude pictures as a subject whom I take through coloring and painting and eventually using Photoshop, I blend inside the painting. I add more painting on top of that with acrylics and other materials (oils, air spray etc) and I end up with a new picture. I am trying to create a composite technique combining sculpturing layout, painting and photography. I work the subject with digital processing using Photoshop and Painter. Naturally, I have been helped a lot by the experience gained when I was studying at the University of Fine Arts in Athens .” LINK

Seth's Website

(Originally posted in the Eclectix  "Bad To The Bone" Issue, Sept-Oct. 2011,

 along with the permanent online exhibit of anatomy-related art, LINK HERE.)

You've a few days left to catch Kelly Tunstall's wonderful show at 111 Minna Gallery, it's up until Friday, Sept. 30th. These are new works by local artist Kelly and the show is titled "Secret State". 

"The Secret State examines civilization’s long romance with the examination of the space that we inhabit and our scale within it; the exhibition itself is aimed not at providing any comprehension of our universe’s truths, but instead, at celebrating the joy of discovering new clues to their elaborate puzzles and the spaces between.  Large and small works present a think tank of characters; a seer, a scientist/naturualist, an astronomer, and a doctor/engineer all bravely led by Alexander the Great and a shape-shifting machine."

Boy Oh Boy! Julie Heffernan

Self Portrait Holding Up, (cropped)

Currently at Catherine Clark Gallery in SF is a solo show of Julie Heffernan's surrealist paintings, "Boy Oh Boy II". We love her art and was great to see these large and colorful works in person, the details really get lost on the web. The show is up thru Oct. 29th - be sure to get in there too see these. We took some detail shots from background and foreground areas for all you who might be interested. They are like little mini paintings within the larger work, incredible.

Detail from Self Portrait Holding Up (top)

Detail from Self Portrait Holding Up (top)

Budding Boy

Detail from Budding Boy

Detail from Budding Boy

Detail from above piece

Detail from above piece

Detail from above piece

Last Rites Double Header

Shelf Life by Tin

Last Rites Gallery in New York has two great shows opening this weekend. Previously we posted about Laurie Lipton's "Carnival of Death" and Tin's exhibition is titled "The Internal Clock". Both of the artists have beautiful and interesting perspectives to share.  A promising no-brainer for a festive start to our favorite month of October, if you are lucky enough to be in NYC!

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 1st, 7:00pm-11:00pm.
Show runs Oct 1st thru 23rd, 2011

LINK

Reunion by Laurie Lipton

The Mistress of All Pencil Pushers: Laurie Lipton

Lachrymose Lace - Lipton

Born in New York and very well traveled, Laurie Lipton currently lives in Los Angeles. She creates wonderfully detailed and super tight renderings of haunted Victorian scenarios. Working mostly in pencil, charcoal and etchings. Laurie's surreal worlds contain narratives of ghostlands - staid skeletons, vintage housewives and Big Brother - all hold court in a tapestry of gothic science fiction. Modern postcards anointed with mischievous glee, political stabs, fancy lace perfection and witty twists.

 Laurie’s upcoming solo show (above) opens Oct. 1st. at Last Rites in New York City, on view thru Oct. 23rd, 2011.

Link to Laurie Lipton's Portfolio & Website


(Originally posted in the Eclectix  "Bad To The Bone" Issue, Sept. 2011,

 along with the permanent online exhibit of anatomy-related art, LINK HERE.)

Varnish Re-Opens With A Kick Ass Show!

New Varnish Fine Arts

This week-end Varnish Fine Arts had their grand re-opening after closing down their former location - when the city of San Francisco nabbed their space, (using "imminent domain") for a transit project. The exhibit has art by many Eclectix favorites and every piece is fantastic - a solid and fascinating array. 

The killer pieces selected below are just a small sample of the quality and imaginative works packed into the new gallery. The space is a little smaller than their last, without a bar and is located very close to where their old space was. The best exhibition going on right now in the city, so get yur sweet selves out to see it!

Jennybird Alcantara

Jennybird Alcantara, John Mosbaugh and Al Honig

Isabel Samaras

Laurie Lipton

Wish we had a bigger pic of this one by Beth Bojarski

Craig LaRotonda

Here's the all-star line up of artists:

Chris Mars
Laurie Lipton
Annie Owens
Chuck Sperry
Edith Lebeau
Robert Bowen
Kevin Evans
Robert Williams
Isabel Samaras
Craig LaRotonda
Kevin Peterson
Aunia Kahn
Sri Zeno Whipple
Dylan Sisson
Jennybird Alcantara
Scott Musgrove
Nathan Spoor
Beth Bojarski
Ciou
Winston Smith
Skot Olsen

Karyn and Her Major Arcana

Local artist Karyn Crisis has a whole new body of works based on The Major Arcana, a suit of 22 cards in the tarot deck. From the looks of the show announcement and the progress shots (below)-  it will be a fierce body of work. The show is at Sacred Rose Tattoo's gallery - SR2 in Berkeley and it opens on Oct. 1st, just in time for our much loved haunting season. The opening reception is from 6-9 PM and the exhibition will be up until Nov. 1st. See you all there!

From Karyn's blog:

 "I've found that in learning about Tarot, there are cards which have been misread by people no matter what time period they are speaking to or being used in. So with my deck, I would say my clairvoyance is taking me to the core of each card. Here is where, in updated symbolism (or symbolism that speaks to me and my inner language) I am "updating" cards with codes that carry the information in a way that speaks to me the story."