PAINT PLETHORA is a group show consisting of artists that use paint with an intuitive approach. Be it abstractions, semi-figurative, narrative paintings, photography, or video, the artists of PAINT PLETHORA are interested in creating a "visual intimacy." The brilliant artistic misfits in this show are foremost painters. Coming from different backgrounds,they weave their plethora of influences with the poetic, reflective and at times ironically humorous. By emphasizing the visceral, they do not shy away from the essence of what painting is. These artists let their expansiveness of paint do the speaking for them. Exhibiting in PAINT PLETHORA are Anthony Harazin, Bernardo Palau, Carlo Ricafort, ColleenFlaherty, Dominic Alleluia, Juan Carlos Quintana, and Nelson E. Enriquez.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Anthony "Weerdo" Harazin: Harazin's gritty paintings are influence by what he experiences on the streets of his East Oakland neighborhood. He sees beauty in all aspects of life, including the "dirtier" sides of things. Originally from Chicago, his intuitive paintings can reference painting in its heyday of the 80's or the emotive rawness of the Chicago Imagist. Harazin approaches his paintings with honest abandonment and welcomes the unpredictable outcome as if his art is taking a wild ride down International Blvd.
Bernardo "El Bernie" Palau: Mexican born Palau's paintings are aesthetically pleasing but Palau uses this in order to "trick" the viewer into seeing his world view where things are not as perfect as they seem. Meticulously made with old master precision, Palau's work has a sadness and nostalgic aura that speaks truthfully of the dichotomy of life and death. For this exhibit, Palau will be exhibiting his recently found photographs manipulated so that only a fragmented glimpse of what once was thus questioning reality, time, and space.
Carlo "Carlito's Guey" Ricafort: Manila, Philippines born Ricafort's cryptic paintings are a master of disguise. At first glance they are abstract but upon further viewing what seems like a head appears or a chow mein chicken wing comes out of left field and knocks the viewer off kilter. Ricafort approaches his paintings or "funky abstractions" as if he is a jazz man ready to rip an improvised riff. Infused with cultural wit and a keen sensibility of cultural paradoxes, Ricafort's works are free associative visual commentaries on our complex times.
Colleen "cooldrops" Flaherty: Cleveland born, California raised Flaherty's abstract paintings are fierce. There is no pussy-footing or trendy tricks involved. Painting from a subconscious level, her intuitive mark makings are transcendental. Her highly formal explorations of materials use lines, webs, dots and other forms that challenge conventional modes of perception. She creates a mnemonic mental cartography where a visual intimacy speaks of another realm but yet are also grounded in the real.
Dominic "Dom" Alleluia: New York city born and San Francisco based since 1958, Alleluia is a painter and interdisciplinary artist. Alleluia describes his art practise as a "commitment to total epic art making". He oscillates between mediums including painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and video creating a body of work that challenges "good taste"aesthetics and begs the question, "Is this art?" Working with mostly found materials and in different styles for over 5 decades, Alleluia's works are charged with a vibrant energy and a has a pulse on the issues that matter most in world that is becoming more and more disjointed and fragmented.
Juan Carlos "1ka" Quintana: Born on a sugar-cane refinery in Southeast Louisiana of Cuban lineage, Quintana's works references a pre-post-anti-pro revolutionary gumbo/ajiaco potpourri of image making that navigates between narratives and abstractions. Whimsical in style, Quintana embraces ambiguity and contradictions. His oeuvre is infused with irony and satire that often speaks of current events, idealogical conundrums, and lost idealism.
Nelson E. "Nelsua" Enriquez: La Habana, Cuba born Enriquez is a multidisciplinary artist primarily focusing on painting, photography and video; often combining all 3 in a single art piece. Enriquez imbues his work with an awareness of issues that pertain to both social and biographical. Through his art, Enriquez explores themes of immigration, travel, mental and physical borders, consumerism and material scarcity. For this exhibit he is showing his video, "Engravitar". The piece is about a house which was abandoned by a family who left Cuba for the United States in the early 60 's after the Cuban Revolution. The house remains abandoned till this day.
