Favorite: Jorge Nieto

These images appeared in my inbox the other day and I had to post them. At first I was unsure of what I thought of the work. I’m not a major fan of photo collage that isn’t hand-rendered in some way. Of course, the artist didn’t send me a description of the process, and I wasn’t able to find one online, so I’m going off of what I perceive via my computer interface – not the best way to observe art. While these look to me to be mostly digital illustration, I didn’t dismiss them right away. Perhaps I’m warming up to the technological age of art after all! What I love about Jorge’s work is his visual depiction of a free-flowing creative process that manages to be both orderly and planned as well as spontaneous and random. The digital medium provides this “clean room” creation – sterile subject matter placed almost mathematically against a white background. But then, the objects that comprise the subject are so random – a pile of chairs, bits of antenna, an array of bottles. These works make me want to know more, which is the whole point of art in my opinion.

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“Observed By Clouds” Solo Show by Mario Wagner

"The Hero's Return"

SAN FRANCISCO – July 30, 2010 – Gallery Heist is pleased to announce Observed by Clouds, an exhibition of new work by Mario Wagner. This event is highly anticipated as it marks the artist’s first solo show in San Francisco since relocating here from Cologne, Germany earlier this year. Utilizing imagery from the 1950s and 60s, Wagner’s pieces convey a sense of vintage futurism in beautifully anachronistic micro-narratives that describe one visual point in some larger, unknown story. Executed through a stream-of-consciousness based process: spontaneous, free flowing and of the moment, Observed by Clouds will be expressed through the techniques of painting, mixed media, collage, and installation and will present more than a dozen new artworks. An opening reception will be held at Gallery Heist on Saturday, September 4, 2010 from 7-11pm and the exhibition will run from September 4 – September 25, 2010.

Imbued with a sense of cinematic intrigue and sci-fi fantasy that speaks to the era from which he draws reference, Wagner’s pieces depict a time when futuristic fascination was widespread, space travel was imminent, and the possibilities of technology were limitless. Observed by Clouds will present a collection of work exploring some of the darker and more illusive narratives that have been steadily evolving in Wagner’s artistic oeuvre. As Wagner puts it, these new works “feel like the next step in a line.” Dreamlike scenarios of morose pallbearers assembled in funeral formation, masked marauders on horseback full of hidden agendas, and watchful strangers with questionable intentions lurking in shadows point to mysteries that border on the eerie, begging at the viewer’s imagination and inviting him to contemplate the origins of the story’s beginning and its probable end.

Mario Wagner, born in 1974, works as an artist and illustrator in San Francisco/USA. Wagner creates his works using analog methods of collage incorporating vintage print media. The execution requires finesse with scissors and glue to ultimately transform his vision from the mental to physical plane of existence. His work has been shown internationally and across the US in exhibitions at SCOPE, ART Basel Miami and the upcoming NADA Art Fair with the Pool Gallery from Berlin. Wagner’s commercial illustrations and artworks have been commissioned by Esquire, Playboy, Vanity Fair, and The New York Times Magazine.

For more information visit www.galleryheist.com

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A&O Exclusive Interview With Steven Riddle

Steven Riddle. Untitled. airbrush acrylics, oil based monotype, cut paper collage on paper. 20x23. 2010

Baltimore-based artist Steven Riddle recently emailed to share some images of his work with me. What immediately struck me about the work was his sense of color and geometry. Rock formations, mineral clusters and geodes are placed in stellar formations that suggest some sort of inter-galactic composition. I wanted to learn more, so I asked him to do a quick interview for A&O, to which I’m grateful he agreed. Be sure to follow the link for more beautiful images and a more thorough explanation of the work in the artist’s own words.

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Cosmic Folklore: The Art of Aaron McLaughlin

I really love these mysterious and somewhat extraterrestrial pieces by Aaron McLaughlin. Hovering geometric objects float above picturesque landscapes like some alien landing craft or a psychedelic apparition. Having worked with the medium of collage with prior works, McLaughlin has swapped scissors for mouse for this series, culling digital images and reworking them in photoshop. The artist points to a sense of folklore in the work but there’s an element of otherworldliness that no doubt borders on cosmic. Here’s what McLaughlin had to say about the work: “The idea was to produce ‘natural’ visuals in an ‘unnatural’ synthetic medium – to fuse the two objectives together. Ive always loved the idea of people working entirely with digital source material, to create something beyond digital stereotypes and harsh graphics. In music and art, there’s a beauty in the folk that accomplish something so organic using only machinery.” View more of Aaron’s work here.

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Souther Salazar on Etsy!

"Good Morning", Ink, Pencil, Marker, Collage, phone doodle on Paper, 6"x3.75"

I just received an email from Los Angeles-based artist Souther Salazar announcing the launch of his new Etsy shop. The shop features prints, zines, phone doodles, and other fun things he finds around his studio.  As Souther puts it, “It’s fun to sell things for 75 cents!” Be sure to check back often as items that sell will be replaced by new, exciting things.

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Favorite: Collage Pieces by Cheryl Molnar

"House of Morgan"

Tired of seeing a lot of the same old things, I spend a good deal of time scouring the Internet for new and exciting work. Somewhere along my virtual travels I stumbled across these gorgeous pieces by New York artist Cheryl Molnar. Her pieces are

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New Plexiglass Works Available by Mario Wagner

German artist, Mario Wagner, has created a series of 16 new plexiglass works in a series of 10 each that are available online through his European representation, 2agenten in Berlin. The works are paper collage sandwiched between plexiglass, measuring 3.9″x3.9″. See more of Mario’s collage work here.

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