 PTG.25 lborelli>dgregorini, 2003 Ink and acrylic on canvas, six joined panels, 89 x 108.5 inches ChanSchatz Augmentation Massimo Audiello is pleased to present "Augmentation", a solo exhibition of paintings and portraits by ChanSchatz (the collaborative artists Eric Chan and Heather Schatz). ChanSchatz's paintings present the canvas as a context for change and ceaseless reinvention. To create each painting, ChanSchatz invite guests to select images, colors, and texts that set the starting point for each work. The artists utilize the selections of each guest in separate and joined panels, unifying them into an overall composition. The artists blend traditional painting techniques with styles that reflect the influences of photography and digital media. Brush strokes are placed side by side with airbrushed color fields and photographic blurs. Detailed patterns are interspersed with bold color cut-outs and nearly psychedelic color blends. By fusing painting styles, ChanSchatz create paintings that emphasize predominant characteristics of abstraction, and layers and levels of detail made possible because of their highly integrated media production process. ChanSchatz's portraits represent many overlapping worlds - including the New York worlds of art and culture, fashion and style. Each guest's selections of ChanSchatz signature characters, colors, and texts are integrated as source material to create complex and enchanting worlds. The portraits focus on creating visual identities around the individual, orchestrating the person's interaction, even immersion, into the final image. ChanSchatz begin each portrait with a high-resolution digital image taken at a photographic sitting. They refine the image and build the pictorial space using techniques similar to cinematic filmmaking. Scale, color, and texture are transformed as the artists create an overall visual narrative that results in the final large-scale photographs. When viewed as a complete suite of elements comprised of individual guest selections, "Augmentation" outlines a paradigmatic shift in the creation of objects and the establishment of relationships as a result of the exchange of information and customization vis-à-vis culture today. ChanSchatz received their MFAs from Columbia University where they are faculty members in the School of the Arts. ChanSchatz's work has been the subject of recent solo exhibitions including Lemon Sky Gallery in Los Angeles, the Contemporary Arts Forum in Santa Barbara, CA, and Grand Arts in Kansas City, MO. ChanSchatz are currently preparing for solo exhibitions at the Urban Institute of Contemporary Art in Grand Rapids, MI, and Marella Contemporary Art in Milan. ChanSchatz live and work in New York City. September 12 - October 18, 2003 Hours: Tue-Sat 11 am - 6 pm Massimo Audiello Gallery 526 West 26th Street No. 519 New York, NY 10001 Telephone +1 212 675 9082 Fax +1 212 675 8680 Mail info@massimoaudiello.com www.massimoaudiello.com |
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