June 09, 2014, 8:51am

Delicate Details with Allison Watkins

Allison Watkins (NAP #109) uses hand-stitched embroidery to bring her drawings of clothing to life, creating a sort of trompe l’oeil effect where her textile “paintings” are imitating and standing in place for other textiles.

Allison Watkins | Hers and His, hand-stitching on fabric, 52x64 (life-size), 2011. Courtesy of the artist.

Watkins uses her own clothing as source imagery and inspiration for her work, which is why there is probably such a feeling of warmth, comfort, and familiarity embedded in the very fabric and overall feel of the pieces. In her works, each item of clothing hangs fantastically in an undefined closet as if floating in an otherworldly space where it is just us—the viewers, and the clothes. These items take on a life of their own, calling attention to the uniqueness of our clothing and the delicate details that differentiate and define our very own dress and style.

I spoke to Watkins about her art and inspiration, shedding light on her process and plans for future projects. – Ellen C. Caldwell, Los Angeles Contributor

June 02, 2014, 10:46pm

Heartache, Turmoil and Hope Abound: Raul Gonzalez III & Elaine Bay

The turmoil of existence is a central theme to Raul Gonzalez III’s work as demonstrated in this exhibition through portrayals of displacement, disillusionment and hope in the American dream. In this collaboration, Elaine Bay’s make-shift rafts add weight to Gonzalez’s scenes of characters sailing away from their homelands, starting our journey and transforming the space at Villa Victoria in Boston’s South End into a moving storybook. Guided by the heavy use of art historical symbols of country and hardship, the handmade rafts and painted sails signify the wayward traveler. These small scale installations bring Gonzalez’s work into the viewer’s space, forcing us to walk around and internalize these feelings of leaving and loss. – Anna Schindelar, Boston Contributor

Raul Gonzalez III & Elaine Bay

May 23, 2014, 1:54pm

Alex Lukas: Converse Wall To Wall

Alex Lukas (NAP #92) is one of the most prolific artists I know. When he's not experimenting in his studio or attending an artist residency, he is driving across the country gathering images of the US landscape for inspiration. In fact, I bet if he's traveling by plane nowadays he's rather bummed out. 

Boston, home of New American Paintings, was lucky enough to have him create an installation for the Converse Wall to Wall project. Check out these fantastic images of the installation process and final product. Enjoy! - Andrew Katz, Associate Publisher

If you're in town, here's where to go check it out in person.

All Photos By Ryan Sheapare and Alex Lukas.

May 20, 2014, 9:14pm

“The Territory of Our Longings” with Caroline Sharpless

Caroline Sharpless (NAP #108) paints interior spaces, breathing life into the very heart of the walls and architectural environments she creates. Her rooms oscillate between featuring mundane, muted colors lacking details and interiors highlighting bold bursts of jewel tones with precise intricacies. Both styles tap into and recall familiar memories we all have from the spaces we have inhabited, visited, or come to know.

These spaces seem to carry a human presence, as if some very essence of our earthly being has seeped into their walls. Her paintings remind me of the feelings we have all encountered when packing up an apartment or home. There is always a moment during that process when we stand back and look at the space and see it stripped down to its bare architectural form – furniture, décor, and memories all neatly packed away. And there is always a pang of longing and bittersweet realization, for me at least, that somehow I no longer belong in this space I once called home.

Sharpless captures this mix of poignant and oh-so-human feelings beautifully and seamlessly. - Ellen C. Caldwell, Los Angeles Contributor

Caroline Sharpless | Time’s Decision Shook, 30 x 30 inches, oil on canvas.