Swimmers by Hawaii artist Carol Bennett in Immersion

Hawaii artist, Carol Bennett uses water as a meditative journey through space and life.  

Her fascination with the swimmer imagery began when she was living in Los Angeles and swimming at the LA Athletic Club. According to Bennett, “The floor beneath the pool, with its ethereal skylight, was an underwater observation room...used by Olympic coaches in the 1920's. I would feel like a voyeur, watching the swimmer's private time and drawing in their beauty. I became the swimmer I observed in the images I later created.” 

We are featuring several of Bennett's paintings across different medium in our current exhibit Immersion.  

You'll see Oil and Acrylic on Wood Panel, Acrylic and Shellac on paper and reverse painting on Glass.

Here's a look at several of the pieces on exhibit through July 27 at The Design Studio, 2393 Main Street in Bridgehampton NY:

 

Carol's work has been featured in many solo and group exhibits throughout California and Hawaii. Carol has  created a number of public art commissions worldwide including “Water as a Point of Departure” for the Nawiiwili Harbor in Oahu and a 48' x 8' photovoltaic glass canopy for the Hawai'i State Art Museum Sculpture Garden.    

Her work is in numerous public and private collections including The Contemporary Museum of Art (Hawaii) and The Persis Collection of Contemporary Art.   Elisa Contemporary Art has been representing her work since 2008.

For more information visit, www.ElisaContemporaryArt.com

Immersion and the Artwork of Jeffrey Palladini

Last few days to catch the Elisa Contemporary Art exhibit Immersion at The Design Studio in Bridgehampton, NY.    Immersion is a deep dive into the Summer Season featuring the Swimmer artwork of Kaua’i artist Carol Bennett, New Orleans Hyperrealist Matt Story and San Francisco Minimalist, Jeffrey Palladini. The exhibit will run through July 27, 2015


We will also be debuting a paint and video “painting” by Jeffrey Palladini shown here

 Palladini is also using the water in his new series of work – combining painting and video --  to focus on the duality between stillness and motion, the passive and the active, and the tension created between the two.  The painted figures in the foregrounds physically occupy our tangible world, but are inert, motionless while the world and water in this case, moves on without them.  They are passive in the truest sense, helpless or unwilling to effect events unspooling around them.

Water and swimming pools specifically, have been featured in Palladini’s work for years, initially developed as part of his Hotel Series.   According to Palladini, “In addition to reflecting the work of influences like David Hockney and Eric Fischl, these works also originate from my youth in Southern California, and have come to symbolize for me not only the calm normally associated with water, but also a deep sensuality and intimacy.”

Jeffrey Palladini’s unconventional portraits evoke feelings of sensuality and euphoria. While the San Francisco-based artist studied at California State University, it was in Florence that his true creative spirit was pulled forth from the beauty that surrounded him.

Now his modern figure paintings breathe life with vibrant colors and flowing brush strokes. Unlike many portrait paintings, Jeffrey minimizes the amount of detail and information allowing the viewer to gain intense suggestions of emotions in an instant. The simplicity is reminiscent of Alex Katz.

Palladini has exhibited his work around the U.S. and the world for over twenty years.  His work is included in numerous private and corporate collections.  Most recently, Palladini was honored with an SFMOMA SECA Award nomination, and in 2013 was named one of San Francisco's Top 20 Artists by Asterisk Magazine
 

The Design Studio is located at 2393 Main Street, Bridgehampton, NY. 
The Design Studio hours are Monday-Thursday        10 am – 5 pm; Friday/Saturday 10am – 5:30pm; Sunday 11am – 4pm. 

For additional information, visit www.ElisaContemporaryArt.com or contact Lisa at Lisa@ElisaArt.com