Tria Gallery presents “Malescapes? ~ Contemporary Male Landscapes & Mindscapes

Friday, 02 January 2009 19:53

New York City - Tria Gallery presents “Malescapes”. On display will be oil and mixed media paintings by five male artists:  Daniel V. Anderson, Paul Hunter, ChungHwan Park, Antonio Puri and Erick Sanchez. On exhibition January 8 through February 7, 2009. Do men perceive the world differently?  As gallery directors we often hear the comment, “that work is very masculine.”  What does that mean? 

We decided to explore this question by inviting five male artists to contribute paintings of landscapes, either of the external world or of their own internal landscape (a “mindscape,” if you will), and the result was this bold, powerful exhibition, which we have entitled “Malescapes.”  The artists’ work varies in style, form, color, texture, geography and mood…but is there a unifying theme of masculinity?  And, if so, what exactly is it that makes these work masculine?  We look forward to hearing the viewers’ opinions. 

Daniel V. Anderson

After completing his B.F.A. at Syracuse, Anderson was mentored by nationally renowned painters and illustration professors.  Studying painting in Florence, Italy exposed him to different styles and further developed his appreciation for the classical and traditional, but left him wanting to develop his craft along more contemporary lines. His passionate energy for creative expression along with his early influences – Picasso and cubism, Boccioni and futurism, and Dali and surrealism – have informed his current body of work.  Currently showing in New York and London, this emerging artist is one to watch.

Paul Hunter

Paul Hunter paints vast imaginary landscapes directly onto gold leafed canvases.  His new paintings combine 23 karat gold leaf with bronze, copper or white gold leaf.  In some paintings, transparent pigments allow the gold to shine through the paint and create an effect of depth.  In others, opaque paints that absorb all of the light create a contract to the exceptional glow of the gold and to the oxidized and patinated areas of metal leaf.  Hunter uses techniques that were developed by the old masters to create minimalist modern paintings. Luminosity is the underlying theme in all of this work.  An established artist, Hunter has exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the U.S. and internationally.

ChungHwan Park

Born in Korea, Park received his B.F.A. from Hongik University in Seoul and then traveled to New York to earn his M.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts.  In his refined abstract paintings, Park utilizes the Korean traditional painting method, using ink, mineral color pigments and Korean paper.   His current paintings are minimalist, abstemious in their use of space, colorful, and powerful.  Park has had seven solo exhibitions in New York and Korea, and has participated in dozens of group exhibitions worldwide.

Antonio Puri

Born in India, Puri came to the U.S. and became an attorney, but his remarkable talent as an artist drew him from law to painting.  A practicing Buddhist, Puri explains:  “my art is my means of identifying with the universe.  Therefore, I use symbols, forms, and a spatial concern as a means to express my need for universality.  My inspiration comes from the unity between the microscopic and the macrocosmic.  By using materials that resist one another, I am able to reveal several layers of paints, which would ordinarily get covered up.  Introducing a hybrid of techniques, symbols and various mediums, I am hoping to create Oneness.”  Over the past ten years Puri’s abstract works have been exhibited in galleries all across the country as well as in India, and he has received numerous grants and awards.

Erick Sanchez

Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Sanchez received his training at the Art Students Leagues of San Juan and New York.  Since 2001 Sanchez has been the resident of Galería Sanchez in Old San Juan.  His current body of work is a series of great landscapes and seascapes inspired by his natural, tropical surroundings. With his work he hopes to transport the viewer to an “ideal place that is full of peace and harmony.” He has received numerous awards and recognitions of his work, including being named one of the 100 contemporary international artists of the European Communities Artists Library in Spain last year and being honored by UNESCO/P.R.  His work has been featured in exhibitions all over Puerto Rico, the U.S. and Spain.

Tria Gallery specializes in contemporary painting and mixed media by established and emerging artists.  In addition to artwork on exhibit, the gallery maintains an inventory of select works by its featured artists.  Tria’s three directors, Carol Suchman, Paige Bart and Latifa Metheny, are committed to presenting artists with compelling bodies of work, and ones whose stories, should, in their opinion, be told.

Tria is located in the heart of Chelsea, at 547 West 27^th Street, Suite 504, NYC - Hours are Wednesday – Saturday, 11:00-6:00. For more information please visit www.triagallerynyc.com .