Figure 8

About

The artists in Figure 8 share an appreciation for storytelling and detail that is visually present in their narratives. Photography and painting are joined alongside mixed media, embroidered scenery and cast polyurethane snow globes.

By using thread as mark making, Michelle Kingdom explores “psychological landscapes” in her small-scale embroidered scenes. Her choice of medium simultaneously undermines and honors this tradition.   “Jua Kali” is Swahili for “Fierce Sun”, and photographer Tahir Carl Karmali personifies ideas he feels represent Nairobi, Kenya’s Jua Kali world. The images are created to look as if his subjects have adorned themselves with found objects, a mix of junk and super humanness.

Andrea Joyce Heimer creates autobiographical work using acrylics and pencil on panel. Her work reflects on the secretive, oppressive nature of stereotypes.  Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz create small, detailed scenes in snow globes. They are best known for their “Travelers” series, which depicts ordinary people in unfortunate situations.

Doodles are often dismissed as a way to help us relax and express our subconscious. For Phyllis Cedar, doodling is a serious art form. Cedar transforms her drawings into characters that amplify attitude and emotion.  By working with ink, Veronica Mortellaro feels she is able to let go and embrace imperfections and happy accidents that come with her medium of choice. Her work mines the universal human experience – the body in both its strength and fragility.

Elisabeth Higgins O’Connor works two and three dimensionally. She transforms common textile wearables into oversize mixed media creatures.  In her work, Rachell Sumpter targets global warming, women, family issues, and technological influence.  Groups reflect and gather in scenes that are bright and colorful, despite the grim content