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Philippe Charles Jacquet: Les Reclus (27 April–19 May, 2019)

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Will you be in New York City in April? Then you can’t miss Philippe Charles Jacquet’s surrealistic landscapes.

Philippe Charles Jacquet is an architectural painter: his haunting surrealistic landscapes are an exercise in precision, layered variety, and esoterism

Opening Reception on 27 April, 2019, 6-8pm
RSVP Required: info@hugogalerie.com

Les Reclus is a solo exhibition featuring the carefully articulated dreamscapes of Philippe Charles Jacquet to be exhibited at the Hugo Galerie in New York City. The show introduces new pieces by the artist in his celebrated style in which he builds his watery worlds with various and highly planned painting techniques.

Les Reclus’ title is more relevant to his canvas’ structural capacity than their figural; while most canvases contain more than one figure, rarely does a canvas contain more than one structure. The reclusivity of Jacquet’s built environments, dramatically poised within surreal and stretching landscapes, lends his paintings an enigmatic quality. Adding to their mystery is the fact that they cannot be quickly dismissed as make-believe—they are too realistic, too aligned with our own experiences of stone houses, wooden rowboats, reflection pools, receding tides, and cloud-filled horizons. Even the slope of a figure’s slouching shoulders is too… personal.

Jacquet is an architectural painter; he plans his landscapes and their built environments with measured precision, constructing them in a layered variety of media and methods until they are as real as they are imagined. The materiality finessed, from mirror-like water to rust-scored wood grain, brings his painted compositions to life. The combination of textures, geometric accuracy, and concise colors creates an esotericism that includes viewers rather than excludes them; Jacquet’s solitary structures do not reject but envelop the viewer with the familiarity of a feeling. As if we’ve been here before. Perhaps in a dream.

Hugo Galerie is a fine art gallery in New York City specializing in contemporary figurative painting and sculpture. The gallery represents an international roster of artists working in a variety of media and range of genres.

Le Reclus, oil on board, 311⁄2″ x 311⁄2″ (80 x 80cm)
Le Port d’Attache, oil on board, 283⁄4” x 351⁄2” (73 x 90.2cm)
Une Soirée Ordinaire, oil on board, 471⁄4″ x 471⁄4″ (120 x 120cm)

See Jacquet’s previous feature in Surrealism Today from 2015.

Marjorie Darrow

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Gateway to the Subconscious

Artist Statement

The main theme of my work has always been the connection and synergy of all living organisms. It’s symbolic of the delicate balance and inter-dependency of life. I see these interconnections as a perfectly choreographed dance where each element is singular, yet part of the whole. It’s a simple and timely message, and my hope is that the viewer recognizes this in my artwork and takes with them a sensitivity and awareness of all life forms on the planet. My art is a process. The physical act of drawing or painting taps into my creativity, and there are always new discoveries and surprises. I view this process as a gateway to my subconscious because it’s not analytical. It’s completely intuitive. I typically begin with an initial inspiration, such as an ancient bristlecone pine tree, or an exotic orchid, or even the structure of a single cell. Sometimes this initial inspiration is representational, and at other times it may become abstracted, or so stylized as to appear surreal. From that point on I trust in the creative process to lead me. I start every painting with a detailed drawing. The act of drawing is where most of my creativity happens. It’s like a stream-of-conscious where each new element leads to another, and the connections between them evolve – sometimes with surprising results!

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Anne Faith Nicholls

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Images from Calvin Klein’s spring 2017 campaign.

About Anne Faith Nicholls

Anne Faith Nicholls is an American contemporary artist based in California. Best recognized for her Neosurrealistic paintings, Nicholls has exhibited in collections, galleries, museums and fairs around the world, and also contributed to a variety of high profile commercial projects with renowned collaborators. Often exploring the subconcious, her works are layered and mysterious, creating symbolic and alluring narratives on the human condition, with a unique perspective.

Born in Victoria, British Columbia, with a backwards heart (a signature symbol that frequently appears in her paintings) Anne Faith Nicholls was raised in The Pacific Northwest, eventually making her way down the West Coast to California, and later around the world, creating her art all along the way.

Nicholls is an Honored Alumni of both Seattle Pacific University and The Academy of Art University San Francisco, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Illustration, and extended studies abroad in Art History. The artist credits her formative years in San Francisco, amid the rise of the Low Brow and Pop Surrealist Movements, as her break into the fine art world. In 2008 Juxtapoz, Vogue and Nylon Magazines featured Nicholls in print, and she was named the VANS Artist Brand Ambassador for two consecutive years following, cementing her status as an artist to watch, and collect.

After early years of struggle and success with several groundbreaking galleries, Anne Faith Nicholls moved from San Francisco to Downtown Los Angeles, California, where she established herself with mentors and collaborators from all corners of the city’s diverse creative landscape. Connecting with artists, celebrities, interior designers, and entrepreneurs, Nicholls thrived in the melting pot of creativity unique to L.A. and sought to expand her brand with new, unexpected partnerships.

In 2010, Anne married director Jacob Arden McClure and together they moved to Paris and embarked on the first of many extended residencies in Europe, focused around art. Inspired, the couple moved back stateside, to Venice Beach California, and opened CURIO Studio & Collection. As an artist-operated gallery, CURIO enjoyed years of popularity, producing curated exhibitions of art, photography, and sculpture by emerging artists, and exhibiting at some of the world’s leading art fairs and museums. During this time, Nicholls’ own work continued to grow and garner exposure, attracting several respected art agencies, including Martin Lawrence Galleries, who went on to represent the artist from 2014-2018 at their multiple gallery locations nationwide, alongside masterworks by Basquiat, Picasso, Magritte and Dalî.

To date, Anne Faith Nicholls has produced hundreds of original works, most acquired by notable collectors around the world. Recently the artist debuted a new collection of paintings at her solo exhibition titled The Subconscious Observer at Martin Lawrence Galleries, New York, hailed by the press as “a uniquely revealing and refreshing look at the soul of the modern woman”. The summer of 2018 will see the launch of AFN Collection, exclusive offerings and female-focused collaborations from artist Anne Faith Nicholls, at www.afncollection.com

The Studio of Anne Faith Nicholls is currently based in Palm Springs, California, from where the artist continues her steadfast dedication to exploration, research, and technique… Forever committed to the craft, consumed by wanderlust, and compelled to examine and communicate social consciousness through the universal language of art.

Excerpt from interview with LA Weekly

An ongoing series of Q&As with some of L.A.’s most active and eclectic contemporary artists, introducing themselves to you in their own words. This week it’s painter Anne Faith Nicholls, who embraces the smooth perfection of surrealist fantasies, inflected with narrative and psychological symbols and emblems of female power.

(Entire Interview: Meet an Artist Monday: Anne Faith Nicholls)

L.A. WEEKLY: When did you first know you were an artist?

ANNE FAITH NICHOLLS: I was born an artist. I’ve always been creative. That said, like a true artist, I question this identity daily.

What is your short answer to people who ask what your work is about?

I call my style Neosurrealism, and I create works that explore the subconscious and self-realization, through symbolism and narrative.

What would you be doing if you weren’t an artist?

I often fantasize about being a clog maker, an erotic novel writer, a park ranger or a Realtor.

Did you go to art school? Why/why not?

Yes, I loved art school. I am a proud graduate of the Academy University, with a BFA in illustration. I also studied art history abroad in Italy. I’m the first female in my family to earn a college degree. I was raised by a single mom, and my family and I worked really hard to put me through school. Making the decision to move away from the Northwest, where I grew up, to go to art school in California, was a radical shift that reset the course of my life. That said, I don’t believe art school is absolutely necessary to be an artist, as I know many successful artists who are self-taught.

But for me and my family, education was, and is, very important, and I really do feel my art degree legitimized my practice. It also armed me with an academic knowledge of art, essential for the lectures I now give at other institutions. I think that part of being an artist is forever being a student … always watching, always learning. In that spirit, since art school, most of my travel has revolved around art, and I’ve made a point to see many of the world’s masterpieces in person. These art trips have been the best times of my life, and there’s nothing like seeing a masterpiece in person. I’ll always be a student of art.

Read More: Meet an Artist Monday: Anne Faith Nicholls

Websites

http://www.annefaithnichollsart.com/
https://www.afncollection.com/

Instagram: @annefaithnicholls and @afn_collection

The Art of Mark Hopkins

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Mark Hopkins Surrealism

The landscapes of Mark Hopkins are as gorgeous as they are mind-bending. Hopkins’ surrealistic techniques include playful visual distortion, juxtaposed symbols, and abstract surrealism in combination with a mastery of the craft of painting.

The first painting in the gallery above shows the Buddha hovering in the air in an archetypal temple. The scene is calm. Juxtaposed with this peaceful imagery is the ‘fallout shelter’ symbol on the tiles of the floor. The repetition of this symbol in an otherwise serene environment startles the viewer. It invites us into the work with Hopkins to reflect and process. Other symbols (which you’ll need to discover for yourself) further add the complexity, ambiguity, and depth of this image.

Hopkins’ gorgeous contemporary surrealistic paintings are both profound and ineffable.

Mark Hopkins Artist Statement

My paintings consist of elements assembled into stories or into ‘mood-scapes’. I place the recognizable into the supernatural as a way to invite a viewer to co-create a narrative from their understanding of what’s in a given composition. There is content, for sure. But it is flexible content or perhaps it is ‘content under construction’. Why? Perhaps it’s because I want more out of a work of art than straight representation can offer. My work adjusts to mood, current events, individual personalities, and to itself. It is possible come away with a different interpretation with each viewing. Bang for buck.

There are a few things I hope to say through the oeuvre of my work; That the Earth is precious, time is precious, life is precious, that our mind is amazing, that history is way more profound than we think, and that there are mysteries lurking which can provide insights into who we are, why we are here, and how ‘it’ all works. Graham Hancock calls us a people who have forgotten our past. My paintings both acknowledge and challenge that: We are finding what we forgot – awakening and reconstructing our past – but we might want to hurry.

I hope my work pleases my audience. I hope they play with it, enjoy the quirks, the color, and find it satisfying.

hopkinesque.com

Alice Zilberberg

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Alice Zilberberg merges traditional photography and computer illustration, creating images that bridge the platforms of photography and painting. Her work marries reality and fantasy, echoing elements of surrealism and baroque art. Using photo-manipulation metaphorically, her images explore themes such as female power, the natural environment, personal identity, and the human condition.

The series Goddess Almighty is a reinterpretation of the first recorded goddess, Mother Nature. Worshipped in a time when nature was depended upon and respected, she epitomized fertility, the life cycle and sexual freedom, all embodied in a woman. Today, by contrast, we domineer and destroy nature. Our primary religions convey god as a man and traditionally devalue women. Reminiscent of baroque art, the work reestablishes the goddess to her origins, defining her as strong, mysterious and defeating. Dancers are used for their physical strength, their muscles digitally exaggerated.

Influences by the surrealism movement, The Dreaming Girls is an homage to the surrealists working from the 1920s to the 1960s. This project uses surreal art photography to channel the unconscious and unleash imagination. Writing down dreams and visual ideas for weeks, the project was made using different images taken in different places. The images were put together, with colouring and toning digitally.

As the themes in Alice’s work change, the fascination with the surreal stays.

alicezilberberg.com

Interview with Alice Zilberberg

Where are you from?
I grew up in Israel.


Where do you live now?
Downtown Toronto, Canada.

How has that affected your work?
Some of my work like my project “Home”, speaks about my background and belonging. In this project, the bottom half of the images were photographed in Israel, the country I grew up in, while the sky was shot in Canada, the country I currently reside in. When I arrived in Canada I found it difficult to connect to other, and when I came to visit “Home” (Israel) after many years, I realized that in Israel I was Canadian, and in Canada I was Israeli. The landscapes are digitally manipulated to appear otherworldly, like a different planet, representing a place I am estranged from. In them I see a familiarity, a place that is so beautiful, that has recognizable features, but somewhere I feel alien.



What concepts or stories do you often return to? Why?

I have made a few projects that are eco-feminist in nature, which explore the connections between femininity and the natural environment. I return to these themes because I like to take ideas I’m interested in and make metaphoric connections that appear in my work. In the future, I see myself making direct connections to personal experiences and my life in my projects.


What artists do you look up to?
Some contemporary artists I admire are Ray Caesar, Erwin Olaf, Natalie Shau, Miss Aniela, Erik Johansson, and Brooke Shaden. I also love artists such as Dali, Rene Magritte, Frida Kahlo, Frans Snyder, and Jan Weenix.


Your work is surrealistic and you work in digital photography. How did you come about to choose this combination?

I’ve been drawing and painting since I young age. I started playing with digital illustration and photo-manipulation before I picked up a camera. My style developed when I discovered photography I saw that I could manipulate photography in the computer and create surrealistic images. I’ve been working in this technique for over ten years.

Feminism seems to be important in the two bodies of work we are featuring. Who or what has influence your thinking on this?
As someone who grew up in a small kibbutz in Israel, I’ve always felt very connected to nature. As I child I remember always playing outside and being in nature as opposed to being connecting to technology. Owning my own business and being entrepreneurial in nature, I feel the connection to empower women.

alicezilberberg.com