Rachel Eulena Williams makes abstract paintings that feature painted cut canvas shapes and lengths of clothesline rope. Rachel talks about finding confidence in the physicality and magic of working in studio, ritual and devotional objects, growing up in Miami, giving her paintings a “haircut” and making artwork that evokes a sense of optimism.
Dave Hardy makes three-dimensional works that often incorporate cement infused cushion foam, panels of tempered glass, found materials and food items. Dave talks about the engineering and consideration that goes into his work, how becoming a parent improved his studio practice, the push and pull of doubt, and the relationships between derelict objects.
Pali Kashi makes representational and abstract paintings, and is the founder and director of Safe Gallery which is located in Brooklyn, New York. Pali talks about an interest in how art can intersect with life, the spirituality of place, accidentally starting an art gallery, her curatorial projects, admiring artists that challenge themselves and looking for the magic in art.
Sam Moyer makes sculptural work that often incorporates readymade slabs of marble, fabric covered MDF, glass, cast bronze and wielded metal armatures. Sam talks about how surfaces and materials communicate with each other, making sculptures that function like paintings, the importance of sincerity, baby rattlesnakes and the studio as a place to be your most authentic self.
David Kennedy Cutler makes sculptural works that often feature scanned images of clothing, body parts, tools and food, printed onto aluminum sheet metal that is then hammered and twisted into three dimensional forms. Dave talks about the labor and ecosystem of his studio practice, incorporating performance into his work, setting up obstacles only to destroy them, an imagined road trip with Caravaggio, and finding strange comfort within the artistic struggle.
Sara Greenberger Rafferty makes multi-media based works that incorporate painting, photography, sculpture, installation and performance. Sara talks about an interest in how images travel through culture, teaching as part of her artistic identity, using sports metaphors, being productively non-productive, comedy and making art for the right reasons.
Ernesto Burgos makes sculptural works that utilize cardboard, fiberglass, resin and paint among other materials. Ernesto discusses his responsive and reflexive process for realizing a completed form, intentionally interrupting daily routines and cycles, ambitious solutions for expensive studio spaces, and how new ideas are born out of the act of working and making.
Elias Hansen makes sculpture and installation-based works that incorporate hand blown glass, wood and metal support structures, tinted light bulbs and electrical components among other objects. Eli talks about how subterranean chemistry labs and distilleries have informed his work, working collaboratively with other artists, failure and error, straddling the craft and contemporary art worlds, the importance of apprenticeships, and championing curiosity in his life and studio practice.
Patrick Brennan makes abstract, mixed media paintings that are full of compositional vibration, technical and formal curiosity, and painterly truthfulness. Patrick discusses how he cedes control to his paintings, being a founding member of the artist run gallery space Essex Flowers, whether or not we should separate the artist as a person from the artwork itself, and feeling purposeful and at his best while working in studio.
Matt Kenny makes paintings that are influenced by thoughtful observation, surveillance, his research into domestic and foreign conflicts, and a reverence for traditional oil painting. Matt talks about a range of topics including Batman’s utility belt, the dilemmas of making content-driven artwork, the conceptual thru-lines in his work, the assassination of JFK, and a forthcoming poetry project.
Katherine Bradford makes paintings that often feature groups of people congregating around an impressive element, such as a massive bonfire, or scenes of swimmers floating and wading in water. Katherine talks about entering the atmosphere of her work, an urge to distance herself from old master oil painters, making epic versus intimate statements, and loving the overall intensity of being an artist.
Matt Leines makes precision detailed drawings and paintings that burst with allegorical narratives and technical control. Matt discusses the labor-intensive process behind his work, the constant struggle of getting images out of his mind and into his drawings, the oddness of finding success early in his career, his personal rules for making a drawing and how he is excited to break them.
Gina Beavers makes sculptural paintings that are influenced by social media imagery and often depict step-by-step instructions on how to apply make-up, images of caloric foods, or the chiseled muscles of a body builder. Gina talks about the labor that goes into producing her work, how she selects and utilizes reference materials, the many upsides of failure, teaching art in the NYC public school system, and the exchanges between applying make-up to a face versus paint to a canvas.
Brie Ruais makes ceramic sculptures that are informed by her own physicality and touch, terrain from the natural landscape, and the idea of the “center” as an important source of focus, reflection and power. Brie talks about being censored from a recent exhibition, the benefits of studio purges, embracing the fragility and restrictions of her materials and process, and finding a sense of purpose through her artwork and studio practice.
Adrianne Rubenstein makes paintings that shift between natural representation and abstraction, and feature a beautifully deceptive balance of seriousness, self-critique and humor. Adrianne talks about how the minutiae of nature has influenced her work, growing up in Montreal, the benefits of determined hard work, how working on behalf of other artists as a gallery director has shaped her own practice, and not being in a rush to make huge paintings.
Zak Prekop makes powerful and sharp paintings that are full of visual harmony, bold movement, and technical prowess. Zak talks about the process and tempo behind his paintings, how he prepares for an exhibition, growing up in a family of artists, and the sense of peace he feels after the paintings leave his studio.
An Hoang makes atmospheric and evocative abstract paintings that are influenced by observation and memory, and highlight an interest in how color can suggest a sense of wonder. An discusses how she prefers to have a blank mind while painting, the heartfelt joy of walking in the woods with her daughter, living outside of New York City and commuting to her studio space in Brooklyn, and learning how to facilitate and steer studio visits.
Nicholas Noe is a co-founder of Mideastwire.com, and a contributor to the BBC, Al-Jazeera International, The New York Times and The Guardian, among other celebrated media outlets. In this unorthodox, post-election episode, Nic talks about the 2016 presidential campaign, his pragmatic approach to analyzing and listening to vastly different political view points, the importance of human interaction, and the potential new roles artists might have in our current political discourse.
Walter Price makes sincere and compelling paintings that incorporate personal symbolism and exploration, landscape, and the suggestion of interior spaces. Walter discusses the push and pull of his work, growing up in Georgia, making art while in the military, and the genuine excitement of being an artist in New York City.
Eddie Martinez makes large-scale oil paintings that are full of movement, curiosity and joyful color. Eddie discusses his early days as a Boston-area graffiti enthusiast, self-producing his first gallery show in New York City, art as obsession and therapy, and much more...