figure2015openshelved

Painting: Nude 2 by Noga Zohar

It is our great honor to present the second ArtisTTable figurative exhibition, The Figure. In the time that we have been presenting these ArtisTTable exhibitions we have had it made so clear to us how everyone responds to art in such uniquely person ways.

It goes without saying that artists are a special breed, the individual perspectives are just fascinating to observe and many cases feel like we are actually a part of.

This show that features the human figure as its subject is always so interesting. We decided to mix it up a little bit in this exhibition. We divided the work into four categories and the work in each of the categories was only judged against the other work in that particular category. The work was divided up as follows:

• Women that create Art of the Female Form

• Women that create Art of the Male Form

• Men that create Art of the Female Form

• Men that create Art of the Male Form

Our juror, writer, Audrey Hoffer did an outstanding job in reviewing the work and her notes show a depth that we think you will appreciate. As you read her observations and what she has taken away from the submissions you will understand the sensitive and serious way she undertook this task.

Juror's Notes

Women by Women

This is a wonderful exhibit of female imagery from myriad perspectives. Not many are actually happy faces but rather a mix of serene and contemplative, coy and playful, angry and worried, fretful and somber. Ink drawings, painting, photos, collage, watercolor, clay and even wire create an engrossing panorama. Artists pour their soul into work and each piece resonates with inner tension and subliminal meaning. They explore personal views of gender and a woman’s role in society today. All the art deserves a prize but here are my picks based on skill, complexity, emotional sensibilities conveyed to the viewer and creativity.

Winner — Pregnant Woman by Sharon Ben Yehuda

It takes abundant imagination and manual dexterity to turn unremarkable gray metal wire into an emotional long-suffering woman and that is what we have in this life-size sculpture. A woman, I think carrying a child, stands with head bowed seemingly resigned to the fate awaiting her, which doesn’t seem to be a happy one. She is frail, thin and carries burdens only a woman would understand. Varying thickness of wires are twirled and angled delicately so that her physique is firm and statuesque while her muscles and skin are light and almost whimsical.

Honorable Mentions

Rosie Burns - Augustina — This cardboard cutout looks like linoleum cut but has a softer edge plus a glaze, which make it both gentle and strong. The bulk form and shadows are lovely.

Lois Cantor - Music to My Ears — There’s a mystery in this beautiful painting and collage that synthesizes the changing faces and roles in a woman’s life and society. Chagall imagery adds a touch of humor.

Danielle Colucci - Curled Nude in Blue — I can feel her skin as she lies on the bedspread, arms tucked in. I can’t tell if she’s at peace or worried but at least she is in repose at the moment.

Beautiful technique and color

Leigh Dyson - Downward — Exquisite charcoal and oil rendering of a 21st century female. Beauty, suffering and despair mingle. The colors are soft, the image is strong.

Renata Grillo - The Warmest Color — The dozen shades of shimmering blue give this woman’s body a firm foothold in life.

Nataly Grosman - United — Two bodies merge in love or pain — we cannot tell — but they will console and help each other. Horizontal and vertical strokes mix ecstatically with vibrant and soft tones.

Kristin Ingram - Tribe — The bold colored party skirts contrast uncomfortably with the embarrassed discomfort of the half-naked women. Too often society doesn’t treat its women with respect.

Sima Kirchner - Good Girl 3 — Child abuse especially of little girls is frightening and should enrage us all. This photographic image captures the terror and unspeakable tragedy millions of girls face.

Moan Lisa - Untitled #5 — The contradictory images of women here are timeless yet contemporary. Is she a sex object or a sweet girl being drawn into an unwanted lifestyle? The colors and textures are a discomfiting clash but work well visually.

Tracy Watt - Fallen Apple — The age old Bible story is retold here in fleshy truthfulness.

Men by Women

A wonderful synthesis of man portrayed in all their complexity by women. The drawings, paintings, photos are beautifully rendered though I’m a bit overwhelmed by a sensation of gloom. So many of the men appear downtrodden but I can be uplifted by the spiritual flavor that promises better times are around the corner.

Winner — Swimmers on the Beach by Kim Alemian

This is a lovely mirage of figures on a beach or waterfront. Their personalities, pleasures or problems, situation or destination are unclear but I feel hopeful as the colors of air and background swirl around. The sentiment portrayed is analogous to many men today who are unsure of their position in a fast-changing society. I’m reminded of Picasso’s 1905 painting Family of Saltimbanques, which is similarly repressed in tone.

Honorable Mentions

Anne Corlett - Tell Me Why — A beautifully rendered soft, transparent watercolor. There’s great feeling in the man’s gaze, as if he’s waiting for something good to happen momentarily.

Zhenya Gershman - Alighting — These men are struggling to find themselves. Some are losing their grip of comfort in our pluralistic society because women are encroaching on their previously held territory.

Nataly Grosman - That Beauty — The eternal struggle of man from ancient times is on full show here. His gaze seems hopeless but maybe out of the bricks and mortar he will derive the strength and inspiration to forge ahead.

Eva Hurskin - Grand Street, New York, NY — The central figure in this gritty urban scene is carrying the mass of humanity as well as his troubles in one plastic bag. The viewer wishes his fortitude.

Taehyub Lee - Man in Gray — This profile calls to mind a Renaissance man and leaves open the questions: Is the red hand a glove or blood? Is the instant portrayed before or after an event?

Laurie Nelson - Chronos — I see G-d looking at his papers to review His people and the cities He has built. The scene is a spiritual reverie connecting Him to the world.

Rebecca Venn - Go — Excellent drawing and shadows. This man shows strength he’s not afraid to use.

Marcy Ann Villafaña — A creative portrayal of man’s eternal struggle, which isn’t skin deep. Rather the body is fully engrossed in achieving satisfaction.

Women by Men

As a woman I’m always fascinated to see us portrayed by men both in visual art and in the written word. Here we have a wide collection of multi-media images of girls and ladies reaching for the world. They’re exploring with open eyes and outstretched arms, they’re seeking solace and pleasure, and they’re dressed brightly or not at all. I think men adore women in all their guises and see both perfection and a need for improvement.

Winner — Women Crate by Eldad Pnini

This staged set of photos is fabulous….showing woman in all her glory and guises. It’s fun to look at, interesting, playful, clever and sophisticated. I see the piece as a reflection of the beauty and wonder of women, and as a measure of their complexity. The cardboard boxes are frames for their inquisitiveness, boredom, thought, skepticism and intelligence, really all the qualities that comprise the magnificence of women.

Honorable Mentions

Paul Pinzarrone - Rebirth of Venus — A contemporary take on the1960s psychedelic nude. This blue-tinged lady is suffused with color but ambiguous in feeling.

Eldad Pnini - The Last Supper — I love this absolutely provocative photograph. It’s an assault on the fringes of religion and speaks to me of the dangers of not being able to poke fun.

Bill Qualls - Pastel 2 — I like the warm and bright pastel colors. The faceless but tough woman is sensual yet determined. I hope she’s sitting there on her own accord.

Christopher Reid - Christinas — Beautiful drawing and sparkling shadows of light on the skin.

Troy Bunch - Roses Are Red — The figure painted in grey flesh tones emerges from the colorful field of falling or floating flowers. Strong, confident, hopeful and feminine.

Men by Men

This show is largely a collection of men who are yearning for something greater than they have and are suffering from the lack of it. In multiple shades of color and black-and-white, I see man’s physique as strength and his despair as the weakness pulling him back. The artists have captured contemporary images that are imbued with a timeless pathos.

Winner — Agony of Defeat by Christopher Reid

Life today is so hard for many people but none more so than black men. This man’s shoulders are heaving under the weight of Atlas. He has lost so much although we don’t know what….perhaps a ball game or a fight or a wager or even a job. Maybe he was ridiculed or humiliated. Now he must pull himself together and start anew. His endurance should motivate all of us. I’m touched by the emotions in his figure, the casually strewn objects, his desolate position on the bench and the warm colors. Even though his face is partially obscured, the feelings are intense. He captures the image of a contemporary man.

Honorable Mentions

John Hogan - The Race — I’m struck by the eternal struggle of humankind to get ahead, to live and survive. I see here the push by China to edge away western leadership no matter what it takes out of their people.

Jeremy Paul Schilling - Womb — I’m captivated at first sight because this man is exploring and I believe will successfully find something new. He’s at the edge of floating and fitting in.

He symbolizes the search for meaning that is at once hopeful and cautious.

Please enjoy this show, you will find that the human form in every size, shape and color, and be sure and participate in the People’s Choice Awards. Every piece of art has a button under it that will allow you to cast your vote for your favorite piece.

The Figure Artists