Oh, yes! Greece-born, California-based artist Eugenia Loli is on the podcast! I have adored her work for so long and now that I know her story, I’m even more impressed. She went to school for computer science and worked in tech, specializing in backend databases, for years… ah, just like so many other artists… or not. She is completely self-taught and didn’t even start making art until 2011. WHAT!? I had no idea. I also had no idea what led to this major life change, although I had read here and there that an illness was involved. Well, Eugenia and I are covering that and so much more. Have a listen right under “Rising Mountain”, or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First, a few of Eugenia’s collages that I’m sure you’ll recognize:

Yes, yes, yes I love them all. And ok, I’ve written about all of them too. One of the things Eugenia often features in her collages … outer space. I loved her explanation for why and so, of course, I’ve included a few of my favorites here:

That mouth. LOVE.

Now, Eugenia mentioned this piece a couple of times. It’s an important one if you want to understand this artist. “Three Minutes to Nirvana”:

And as she mentioned, she has an in-depth description of this piece so that you can understand where she’s coming from in one fell swoop:

“The structure represents all that we can comprehend while in our human form. It’s also what keeps us within boundaries, limiting our existence, experience and understanding. 

The bottom level is about developing, learning, and trying out various routes. In the process, and among progress, there’s also war and misery (as evident by the fire in the background). The cube in the field is the teaser of the ultimate prize, placed in by the people on the top level (the “Ascended”).

The second level is about expanding our horizons further, making the leap towards an enlightened state. Notice the woman in black, ready to make the leap. The man in the staircase, calls her, trying to keep her back, but it’s too late. She has superseded him. She is intrigued by the possibilities. The man also signifies the various forces that will try to keep humanity back on its journey. Notice that the observable universe is also within the boundaries of the structure.

Two humans are attempting to reach the third level. One is climbing the old fashioned way, and the other one is using (transhuman) technology to get there — both choices are acceptable. At the end of their journey, they won’t be “humans” anymore anyway.
Notice the trophy award in the middle of the third level, right below the angels painting. These two people think that this is the ultimate prize. But that’s just a trap. The third level is the most difficult level towards reaching ascendance, because humans will have to leave behind all their vices, delusions, and personal limitations. Most never manage to do that. Their only enemy in this level is themselves. Notice the human skull, hidden by the flying spaghetti monster-like flower.

At the very top, the Ascended people are waiting for more people to make it to the top. In the whole artwork, they are the only element depicted outside of the structure, able to see the bigger picture. They’re beyond time and space. Notice the planet above their heads, alluding that there may be more levels. Knowledge and wisdom have no limits. There’s always something more to explore, know and live.” ~ Eugenia Loli

Beautiful and surreal!

That piece is one of her most important / favorite personal pieces. I asked her to send me a link to her other personal favorites, the more abstract pieces that don’t seem to sell as well. What? That is crazy to me… just look at these beauties:

That hair, oh my goodness, I love that hair so much.

And finally, here is Eugenia looking particularly cool… drop some outer space into those circular glasses and she’d have a ‘Eugenia Loli artwork’ on her hands. The towel and tote photo is from her Instagram feed … her collages turned into objects, and used at the beach on her last trip home to Greece:

So fun! Thanks to Eugenia for telling me all of her stories … so insightful, honest, and genuine; thanks to Saatchi Art for supporting the episode; and thank you for listening. There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. Eugenia’s blog posts re: creating/selling your collage work
2. Eugenia’s Online Shop (prints, bags, pillows, towels and more!)
3. Eugenia on Instagram
4. David Delruelle, collage artist

Are you wondering, ” What on earth am I looking at?” That is exactly how I felt last summer when I was lucky enough to see the work of Brooklyn based artist Dustin Yellin in Venice. Well, they are collages within several layers of glass… seriously. A few of his mind-blowing works were part of the Glasstress 2017 show and they were absolutely breathtaking. I’m not sure how many times I walked around each one of them, marveling at the multi-layered, glassy goodness. The detail is insane … hence the many, many close-ups in this post. That said, I know that flat images absolutely do not do Dustin’s work justice, so you have to watch this video to see him in action. It’s from a gorgeous series he did with the New York City Ballet. Beautiful craziness that you have to see to believe. Enjoy…

ps. Speaking of Venice… I’m going back to be one of the instructors at the ECA (European Cultural Academy) during their contemporary art week in June! June 11 – 17th to be exact. There are a limited number of spots for students, so if you’re interested pop over to their site for details. Hope to see you in Venice!

Whoa. Ok, clearly I had to include all of those closeups because, well, these details are fantastic! Flowers, figures, narratives… it’s all happening! This is the work of Sara Khan. She was born in England, raised in Pakistan, and now lives in Vancouver… that’s the super quick version of her life story. Now, how about the story behind these beautifully bizarre watercolor paintings from her series titled “Ubiquitous Follies”:

I am interested in the repulsion and beauty found in ordinary spaces and situations, and question the normalcy of the seemingly mundane matters in life. For example; how a man inside a woman leads to the birth of another human; turning the woman into a mound of soil in which a human germinates like a plant from a seed, and in the process disfigures the woman to the limits of possibility.

It is in dealing with these observations that I draw them out, to find a place for things that are neither here nor there. Slowly laying out translucent layers of watercolour, I work toward pronouncing some areas, while covering others entirely, almost decoratively as if to say “you didn’t belong, but now you do, or you did belong and now you don’t.” I leave some questions to chance, answer others more definitively, hovering somewhere between restraint and complete spontaneity. The idea is to develop a space or landscape with both extremes in it; the abhorrent and the fantastic. Coexisting to form one complete picture; thriving in the gray areas, it’s a subtle dance between “is it” and “is it not”. ~ Sara Khan, 2017

Whoa, again.

Ahhh, the passionate and painful ups and downs of love. This is the neon work of British artist Tracey Emin. Her portfolio is full of paintings, drawings, installations, needlework and, of course, these romantic / heart-breaking / hilarious / very personal neon pieces. This is just a teeny teeny tiny snapshot of the neon work she’s created over the years, but I thought they nicely covered the range of emotions from “I forever belong to you” to “Sorry, flowers die” …

“Tracey Emin’s art is one of disclosure, using her life events as inspiration … Emin reveals her hopes, humiliations, failures and successes in candid and, at times, excoriating work that is frequently both tragic and humorous.”

Yes, that they are. Happy Valentine’s Day… or not.

A chapel to celebrate shape and color? I’m in! “Chiaozza Chapel” is the latest work by Chiaozza – the collaborative artistic team of Adam Frezza and Terri Chiao. Oh, and ps. it opens TONIGHT at Cooler Gallery in Brooklyn:

“Historically a chapel is a non-religious place of worship and contemplation; a small, non-conforming annex to common and prevalent modes of spiritual practice. The Chiaozza Chapel, installed within Cooler Gallery, is an intimate sanctuary celebrating color, light, and form. Five painted wooden wall works fill the 6- by 7-foot gallery. The formal compositions reference natural and metaphysical concepts such as horizons, atmosphere, time, landscape, and ritual. Repetitive motifs such as grids, diagonals, and arcs augment the visual vibration of the room.

In Chiaozza’s work, color is a vessel for experience. Matte opaque pigment blurs the presence of the sculpture’s surface and its surroundings, emphasizing the interaction of color and space. Light bounces off the painted wooden planks, creating reflected chambers of color that animate the air around and within each piece.”

Amen! Go tonight … Cooler Gallery, 22 Waverly Ave, Brooklyn 7 ~ 10pm

Ah, yes. Sometimes, usually on Mondays, paintings that exude a sense of quiet calm is exactly what I need. These succulents and cacti are the work of American painter Teagan McLarnan. She usually works with oil paint, but this lovely series has been created with egg tempera. Those muted colors and matte finish make these pieces even more lovely… happy Monday to you. {I need more coffee}

Look, the heart wants what the heart wants, ok!? … And yes, my heart desperately wants these insane flowers by American artist Angela Deane. I’ve written about her fabulous ghosts before, and then earlier today I stumbled across that first rose, and well, here we are. Weird, hilarious, and fun … with just a touch of pure ‘Alice in Wonderland-ish’ terror. Happy Friday!

Sigh. I have loved the work of Brooklyn based painter Samantha French for YEARS. Now, Sam is known for her large-scale, underwater oil paintings, which I’ve written about several times and even had her on the podcast to talk about. I’m so smitten with her aqua blue pools filled with reflected sunlight,  so I often just pop over to her website to see what she’s up to…  and this time I found these! Smaller works on paper using gouache…. love, love, love! If you’re looking for a more affordable way to add a Samantha French original to your collection, this might be the way. Also… gouache!? ♥

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Ok, so, it’s no secret how much I love the work of LA based painter Wayne White, especially his text pieces. Look how brilliant that last painting is?! Those ladies from the original thrift shop painting popping up in front of his gorgeous letters. How? I don’t know. Wayne has a new show opening tomorrow night, titled  “I TOOK THE MACHINE APART BUT COULD NOT PUT IT BACK TOGETHER”, at the Joshua Liner Gallery in New York.

The show will be composed of five main components: his signature “word paintings” on vintage offset lithographs, as well as text-based works on paper over the Artist’s painted abstract backgrounds, mixed-media marionettes, and an installation of drawings. The fifth element encompasses the entire gallery, which is painted over with White’s personal doodles, words, and phrases, pulled directly from his notebook. 

Sigh… I want to take a deep cleansing breath while also jumping for joy! These absolutely gorgeous paintings are the work of American artist Rochelle Redfield. They are all part of her “Confetti Skies” series which are inspired by “Hudson Valley skies and person moments of stormy optimism.” Beautiful.