“Optical Disillusion - contemporary surrealism
Chicago, USA - John Giesa of Hasbrook Galleries submitted these works as part of their online show Optical Disillusion, launching on April 15.
Notes from John:
The Inspiration for the show was initially derived from our conception of contemporary surrealism, and how reality and dream scape, from the darkest reaches to the heart of the sun, are becoming ever more indistinguishable and malleable. This idea morphed into a larger sense of disillusionment and how it fits into surrealism. Using our web platform as a space these fleeting differences will be prevalent as we start with surreal photography and move through the space into a looser reality.
We seek to host online shows loosely grounded in stories. While many other online galleries organize works based on mediums and pricing, our goal is to curate thematically, to give the viewer a more authentic gallery experience. Using an online platform to showcase work broadens accessibility to viewership and we hope the gallery will visually delight viewers and illuminate lesser known artists.
http://www.hasbrookgalleries.com/about.html
Instagram: @hasbrookgalleries
“Gate Left Open,” natural dyes, oil, and assorted fabrics on linen, 40x60 inches, 2020
Casey Bolding is a Brooklyn-based artist working primarily in painting. His work is comprised of subliminal scenarios affecting the waking mind. Fragmented, dream like compositions point to the interconnectivity of inner and outer worlds.
Dominik Jalowinski - "if you move box you get ham," 100x80 cm, oil on linen, 2020.
Purchased from an estate sale. The signature reads O’Rourke, this was film photography printed using Marshall oils.
Nick Mistele, "Unititled" 35 mm film photograph with digital print.
Nick Mistele writes, "I shoot photography because of skateboarding. The act alone bring you to some of the most unique landscapes. It also comes with real connections that one may never experience otherwise. It is these relationships that really inspire me to shoot photo's." The rugged backdrop of midwestern urban landscape add a flavor all its own, but the interactions between subjects in these spaces is what I'm interested in sharing."
“Last Draw,” mixed media on paper, 9x12 inches, 2007.
Jim Picco is an intuitively motivated artist whose work displays a passion for irony and comic surrealism. He is currently working out of Italy. “The interaction of my unconscious impulses and the interplay of art material put me on high alert for unforeseen occurrences that arise along the way”
"Unhumancentipede," oil on linen, 50x60cm, 2020.
Dominik Jalowinski is an artist based out of Warsaw, Poland. He says, "My statement is really simple, I'm just painting whatever I like from the things and images which surrounds me, trying to preserve some of them, cause they are disappearing quick nowadays."
Abby French, "I Only Want a Proper House," 24x30 inches, mixed media.
Abby French’s pieces are often drawings done with various medias collaged onto acrylic paintings, because She is drawn to the visual depth unique to mixed media. Portraits with narrative are important to her, specifically those related to love because she is fascinated by the endurance of human relationships. She wishes to further explore her identity as a woman with a chronic illness, focusing heavily on the chronic pain involved with Fibromyalgia, and how this has affected her idea of youth and reaching adulthood. Parts of her pieces are left slightly unfinished, while other parts are highly rendered. This juxtaposition is paired with a conversation between innocence and maturity in subject matter.