Duy Huynh: A Magical Realist at the Crossroads of East and West

Floating Meditation
I’ve been neglecting my blog, but I am happy to have done a little bit of writing on Duy Huynh’s paintings–up now at Escape Into Life Online Arts Journal. For the most part his works are a mystical take on Magical Realism which is quite dreamy (in a good way). This image struck me as very like some of the reworkings of the Bhudda by contemporary Tibetan artists at the Rubin museum
Other paintings seem more into Western modes and tropes. Exempla gratis: man in bowler hat below.
Time Flies
Time does fly–it’s nearly fall. I’m looking forward to being more with you then. Until then, happy summer!

Julie Heffernan’s Constructions of Self


My article has been included in the new edition of Escape Into Life Magazine about the paintings of Julie Heffernan:

Julie Heffernan creates sensuous figurative paintings, like co-Yale MFAS, John Currin and Linda Yuskavage, but her luminous oils are patently unique among them and most working artists today. A Victorian impetus to conjoin, edging toward pastiche, creates artfully staged Surrealist environments. They avoid the mawkish or macabre by virtue of an evocative 17th century Baroque styling and the dignity with which she handles her primary subject, herself. Good construction is essential to the success of such works, built of disparate things suggesting disparate philosophies and ages. Yet the finished product is seamless, making it easy for the viewer to willfully suspend disbelief in the face of rampant artifice.

Heffernan currently has a show up at PPOW (which I have yet to actually see) in NYC, so go check out her fantastic, intriguing work if you have the chance. Her “Booty” show in 2007 made such a lasting impression on me I wrote this piece years later.

Sarah Lutz at Lohin Geduld

Burst, 2009

New work by painter Sara Lutz is going up at Lohin Geduld tommorow, and rather than noting the fact and tossing the release per my usual press release practice I wanted to share her work. Because of the gorgeous colors and textures of her oils, and because of the richness and playfulness of her work, I was hoping one of my lovely blog readers would go in my stead and report back with more images!

This is your mission should you choose to accept it.