Works on Paper

About

This international group of painters, all former students of The Art Students League of New York, is united by their untraditional and evocative use of watercolor.

Although these five artists have all surrendered to and embraced the unpredictability of watercolor as a medium, each artist approaches the material with his or her own distinct style, content and technique. Whether illustrating architecture, nudes, cityscapes or nature, the works blur the line between figuration and abstraction. Each piece shows off not only the finished product, but offers a glimpse into the emotional artistic process as the visible drips and splashes of paint prove to be integral to the composition. Collectively, the works in the exhibition celebrate the delicate medium by challenging expectations and pushing the boundaries of traditional watercolor work.

The artists in the show come from a range of diverse backgrounds but all currently live and work in New York City. Chicago native Larkins produces large-scale, deeply saturated images that offer a new way to consider familiar, public spaces, such as airports and urban streets. Influenced by her long history in architectural rendering Japanese artist Chizuru Morii Kaplan creates highly detailed paintings of classical buildings. French painter Norbert Waysberg masterfully presents his precisely rendered subjects amongst frenetic brushstrokes and drops of paint. Mitsu Haraguchi had a varied history in biochemistry, film, production and animation before he began creating his mysterious watercolor explorations of nature ten years ago. BDG has been working with Elizabeth Allison, originally from Chicago, for the last several years. She is known for her rich, layered pieces of dark land and cityscapes marked by their visible watermarks. All five of the artists will be present at the opening on October 1.