Magnificent Art by David Molinaro

Friedman Fine Art and http://www.chicago-artists.com is pleased to represent the exceptional works of contemporary Chicago local artist David Molinaro.

Designer and experimental artist David Molinaro brings energy into his pieces, creating complex, serious, and playful images. He earned a BFA from Kent State University, studying visual communication, design, and illustration. His works contain design techniques, depth, and complexity, evoking a variety of emotions from his audience.

Bulls Eye Popeye oil on canvas 44” x 44”

Molinaro has worked with graphic design and illustration, photography, painting, and even art direction. He expands on his interests of multi-media and the broad array of subjects he uses in his pieces. His finished pieces are described as balanced, elegant, colorful, and bold. He recently started working with oil on canvas, producing interesting images. He has works featured in numerous galleries online.

If you would like to view additional works of art by other local contemporary artists please follow this http://www.chicago-artists.com.

Marvelous Fine Art from Chicago by Rodger Bechtold

Friedman Fine art and http://www.chicago-artists.com are pleased to present the marvelous works of contemporary Chicago artist Rodger Bechtold.

The Green Between oil on canvas 60” x 60”

Nature-based painter Rodger Bechtold has painted uplifting interpretations of landscapes for over thirty years. He studied visual arts at the American Academy of Art, Chicago, and the School of the Art institute of Chicago. After many years in commercial art illustration, he decided to pursue painting landscapes full time.

Bechtold’s paintings have been seen in solo and featured exhibitions in museums and prominent galleries. His works are featured in many private and public collections including Charles Wm. Foster and Associates, Ltd. in Chicago. His works have been included in periodicals and books like The Artist and the American Landscape: Two Centuries of American Landscape Painting, by John Driscoll.

With his landscape paintings, Bechtold works between representation and abstraction to make his audience feel like they are at the featured place. Bechtold expresses energy, seemingly effortless brushwork, and vibrant colors. He focuses on Midwestern country sides, inviting his audience to develop an interest in the wondrous landscapes.

If you would like to view additional works by Rodger Bechtold and over 30 other fabulous contemporary local Chicago artists follow this link, Local Chicago Artists.

Marvelous Contemporary Art by Mike Hedges

Friedman Fine Art and http://www.chicago-artists.com are pleased to represent the marvelous works of contemporary Chicago Artist Mike Hedges.

 A Million Ways #30 Oil Acrylic on Canvas 2013 60″ x 48″

Born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, Mike Hedges uses oil-based paint or pastels to create vibrant colleges of color on each of his canvases. He is known for working on many paintings at the same time to work the paint in different directions and convey energy on the canvases. His paintings contain intense color relationships, balanced by form and texture.

Hedges begins his painting with drawing the form, which acts as a skeleton supporting the finished work. Then he applies mixed media with paints in energetic motions, making a surface with texture and color. His abstract, mixed media landscapes represent movement, vibrations, and conflict through color relationships. His works are admired for their elegant sense of control combined with chaotic movement.

Hedges spent two years studying at the Art Institute of Chicago and earned a B.A. in Studio Art at Loras College in Dubuque, IA in 1998. Since that time, Hedges has exhibited and sold his artwork throughout the Chicago area. His most recent exhibition was in 2013 at the Collage Collage Collage (Group Show) at McCormick Gallery Chicago. His works have been featured in private and corporate collections including Oak Park District Administration Building, Community Bank in River Forest, IL, and Delaney Law in Chicago.

If you would like to view additional works of Mike Hedges and other local contemporary Chicago artists please follow this link Chicago artists.

Chicago Artists Presents Mario Gonzalez Fine Art

Friedman Fine Art and http://www.chicago-artists.com are pleased to represent the exciting works of contemporary Chicago Artist Mario Gonzalez.

Z – mixed media on canvas 44″ x 40″

Artist Mario Gonzalez, born and raised in Chicago, was exposed to urban art forms and beautiful murals, which he used to develop his urban expressionistic style of painting. Gonzalez combines graffiti styles with pouring, dripping, and drawing to create stunning abstract paintings. His new urban style is referred to “ZORE,” which is now highly praised by local and international galleries and museums.

Gonzalez graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1993, where he studied graffiti and fine art. Soon after, he began traveling to other countries to study art and participate in exhibitions. In his most recent trip, he traveled around the world for 64 days from a temporary residence in South Korea. He painted streets and subways in addition to murals and taught in galleries and museums internationally and locally. His works have been featured in Dwell and Healthy Homes Magazines in addition to online galleries. In 2014, the US Consulate sponsored him to represent Chicago in the International Meeting of Styles in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Styles – mixed media on wood – 48″ x 48″

Gonzalez opened a studio at the Zhou B Art Center in Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, continuing his marvelous work. His works are famous for their presence in the acclaimed TV series “Chicago Fire.” Current exhibitions included solo exhibitions at the Zhou B Art Center and the Torres Gallery of the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago.

If you would like to view the works of the Mario Gonzalez and other local contemporary Chicago artists please follow this link Chicago artists.

Fine Art of Chicago - Natasha Kohli

Fine Art of Chicago - Natasha Kohli

http://www.chicago-artists.com and Friedman Fine Art are pleased to represent the marvelous works of Chicago contemporary artist Natasha Kohli.

Natasha Kohli was raised in the Chicago area, brought up in an environment that readily encouraged her to draw from wide range of influences and sources of inspiration. Although she grew up in an Indian-American household, it can neither be said that she was brought up “traditionally” Indian nor “traditionally” American. Traveling across the world, from Delhi to Florence to New York, has led her to the understanding that no one place is an island. Instead, Kohli feels that each location is simply a part of the larger whole, both possessing unique traits and combining universally human elements in its own way. This has led her to develop a strong core identity that melds aspects of many different cultures and walks of life, occasionally in unconventional or unorthodox ways. This confidence in herself and her vision inspired her to pursue her own creative path without formal training, create her own small business without formal schooling, and continually redefine herself and her work in response to her experiences.

Yellow Jacket, Oil on Canvas

 

Natasha’s work is not meant to be observed from afar with detachment; rather, it is meant to spur the observer to actively appreciate how the work complements the space it inhabits. When starting a piece, she first starts with the emotion and actions that she seeks to inspire. From this point she allows this impression to inform the artistic and aesthetic decisions she must make to that end. She begins to explore the medium upon which she is working, learning its limitations, boundaries, and strengths. From there she contemplates how it would appear in its finished form, be it on a wall or in a different installation. This inspires her to move beyond color and shape into the abstract realm of object-relations. Natasha states that her work “draws on the feelings evoked by shape, space and color” in the service of “challenging perfection” and “arousing new or buried emotions”. She accomplishes this by utilizing her unique sense of palate and reconfiguring shapes/lines to bring out their interrelationships. As of late, Kohli has found working with glass an engaging and rewarding medium, as it encourages her to consider both how the finish piece would appear on its own and how it would appear in an environment. The source of her inspiration lies in her lifestyle, striving to eat right, exercise, and participating in the vast range of experience that life has to offer. She finds beauty in the relationships that she has with loved ones, reading literature to seek outside perspectives, and searching her own internal dialogue to find truth and meaning. Her pursuit to harmonize these forces results in the highly stylized impact of her art.

 249 Oil on Canvas

This body of work embodies modern concern of the relationship between beauty and inhabited space. Contemporary urban life finds us constantly considering this interaction, as redesigned lofts, exposed brick halls, and the use of light cause us to gain a new appreciation for how the old can be repurposed to great effect. In this piece, the flatness of glass is explored through the vivid presentation of lively lines expressive splatter. The minimization of color augments the artworks’ relation to the space surrounding it. As the sheen of the glass combines with the contrast of the paint applied to its surface, the resulting whole of the piece encourages the viewer to become participant, actively drawing the interior through gaps in the piece. The total effect of the piece leaves the observer in a contemplative state, considering the dynamic action that takes place as space and art combine to form a new whole.

393 oil on canvas 26 in. x 42 in.

If you would like to view additional works of Natasha Kohli and other local contemporary Chicago artists please follow this link Chicago artists.

A Unique Local Chicago Artist: Keiko Nemeth

http://www.chicago-artists.com and Friedman Fine Art are pleased to represent the marvelous works of Chicago contemporary artist Keiko Nemeth.

The following is a review by a local Chicago art critic and author, Mr. Victor M. Cassidy on my work.

Painting is a “really compelling thing,” says Keiko Nemeth. “Painting transcends time and allows the mind to enter experience that’s otherwise not possible.” When she paints, time stands still and she speaks directly, intuitively to the viewer.

Nemeth responds to the beauty and energy of landscape. A walk in the woods may inspire a painting, but she provides no specifics of what she saw. Instead, her imagery only suggests water, trees, vegetation, light, and shadow. Nemeth grew in Japan and California where she was inspired by the light and scenery. The work she makes in Chicago embodies much of these experiences, while she continually probes the expressive possibility of her medium.

A key influence on Nemeth is the semi-abstract artists Richard Diebenkorn, who painted the brilliant colors of the California and New Mexico landscape from an aerial perspective. Diebenkom’s color is easy to recognize in Nemeth’s work, and she uses it expressively to make a strong painting – and never as decoration. Nemeth’s small canvases suggest the she also responds to Diebenkorn’s compositional sense.

Another influence is the abstract expressionist Joan Mitchell, whose large landscape-inspired paintings are known for their vigorous brushwork. The eye recognizes Mitchell’s impact on Nemeth’s large canvases, also in her murals.

Terra No. 80. Oil on canvas. 56×44”

“Terra” means “earthly experience” to the artists who responds to the light, color, and constant change of nature, but puts no specific details into her paintings. Thinking in purely visual terms, she satisfies the demands of the painting as she works.

Terra No. 84. Oil on canvas, 56×44”

 Life is full of surprises! The artists thought that Terra No. 84 would suggest her response to nature, but the painting took over and two figures appeared in it as she worked. On the left is a woman gowned in dark red with her tangerine-colored skirt lifted by the breeze. A man in dark colors is visible at night.

Mana Nos. 1 & 2 (pair of oil on canvas paintings that each measures 76×82”)
     

Divided diagonally, Mana No. 1 contains familiar landscape forms and colors in its upper half while the lower half is tougher and less lyrical. There’s a touch of Monet in this painting.

If you would like to view additional works of Keiko Nemeth and other local contemporary Chicago artists please follow this link Chicago artists.

Chicago Artists Presents Mario Gonzalez Fine Art

Friedman Fine Art and http://www.chicago-artists.com are pleased to represent the exciting works of contemporary Chicago Artist Mario Gonzalez.

Z – mixed media on canvas 44″ x 40″

Artist Mario Gonzalez, born and raised in Chicago, was exposed to urban art forms and beautiful murals, which he used to develop his urban expressionistic style of painting. Gonzalez combines graffiti styles with pouring, dripping, and drawing to create stunning abstract paintings. His new urban style is referred to “ZORE,” which is now highly praised by local and international galleries and museums.

Gonzalez graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1993, where he studied graffiti and fine art. Soon after, he began traveling to other countries to study art and participate in exhibitions. In his most recent trip, he traveled around the world for 64 days from a temporary residence in South Korea. He painted streets and subways in addition to murals and taught in galleries and museums internationally and locally. His works have been featured in Dwell and Healthy Homes Magazines in addition to online galleries. In 2014, the US Consulate sponsored him to represent Chicago in the International Meeting of Styles in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Styles – mixed media on wood – 48″ x 48″

Gonzalez opened a studio at the Zhou B Art Center in Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, continuing his marvelous work. His works are famous for their presence in the acclaimed TV series “Chicago Fire.” Current exhibitions included solo exhibitions at the Zhou B Art Center and the Torres Gallery of the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago.

If you would like to view the works of the Mario Gonzalez and other local contemporary Chicago artists please follow this link Chicago artists.

Marvelous Fine Art from Chicago by Rodger Bechtold

Friedman Fine art and http://www.chicago-artists.com are pleased to present the marvelous works of contemporary Chicago artist Rodger Bechtold.

The Green Between oil on canvas 60” x 60”

Nature-based painter Rodger Bechtold has painted uplifting interpretations of landscapes for over thirty years. He studied visual arts at the American Academy of Art, Chicago, and the School of the Art institute of Chicago. After many years in commercial art illustration, he decided to pursue painting landscapes full time.

Bechtold’s paintings have been seen in solo and featured exhibitions in museums and prominent galleries. His works are featured in many private and public collections including Charles Wm. Foster and Associates, Ltd. in Chicago. His works have been included in periodicals and books like The Artist and the American Landscape: Two Centuries of American Landscape Painting, by John Driscoll.

With his landscape paintings, Bechtold works between representation and abstraction to make his audience feel like they are at the featured place. Bechtold expresses energy, seemingly effortless brushwork, and vibrant colors. He focuses on Midwestern country sides, inviting his audience to develop an interest in the wondrous landscapes.

If you would like to view additional works by Rodger Bechtold and over 30 other fabulous contemporary local Chicago artists follow this link, Local Chicago Artists.

Magnificent Art by David Molinaro

Friedman Fine Art and http://www.chicago-artists.com is pleased to represent the exceptional works of contemporary Chicago local artist David Molinaro.

Designer and experimental artist David Molinaro brings energy into his pieces, creating complex, serious, and playful images. He earned a BFA from Kent State University, studying visual communication, design, and illustration. His works contain design techniques, depth, and complexity, evoking a variety of emotions from his audience.

Bulls Eye Popeye oil on canvas 44” x 44”

Molinaro has worked with graphic design and illustration, photography, painting, and even art direction. He expands on his interests of multi-media and the broad array of subjects he uses in his pieces. His finished pieces are described as balanced, elegant, colorful, and bold. He recently started working with oil on canvas, producing interesting images. He has works featured in numerous galleries online.

If you would like to view additional works of art by other local contemporary artists please follow this http://www.chicago-artists.com.

Greg Milne – Chicago Contemporary Artist

http://www.chicago-artists.com is pleased to have Greg Milne as one of its many professional contemporary local artists included on our website.
I bought my wife with my poetry. She was the editor of the our college poetry magazine, and my submissions evidently took her by surprise, she assuming that she knew all the poets in our very small liberal arts school. But I was no longer a poet, having morphed into an undergraduate biology major. The poetry that served as the dowry I wrote between the ages of thirteen and fifteen. She published the three I submitted. But I understood, then, the power of creativity – what it could purchase and, eventually, I would learn, what it couldn’t. In any case, I committed my life ever since to the birthing of objects.

I began the information series approximately 10 years ago. More accurately, five years before that, at a dinner where I wondered out loud if this relatively new Internet might serve as just that…a net. Could it be used to gather vast amounts of information? If so, what would the results look like. Could I make a piece containing the name of every body of water on earth? The name of every movie ever released? Eventually, using spiders and other data mining software, the scientist in me succeeded in procuring the raw material. The artist in me then took over, trying to give form, poetry, and meaning to this, the detritus of our existence.


Everywhere Else

The work, Everywhere Else, was a piece conceived as part of a series dedicated to the gathering and displaying of information. If the endeavor, in this case gathering the name of literally every single place that humans inhabit on the planet, was quixotic, printing it out as a single file was literally impossible. Approximately eight years after the inception of this series, printing technology caught up, and the piece graduated from its virtual existence. Everywhere Else is composed of the approximately 6 1/2 million names of every city, town, village, and hamlet on earth. At five feet by fifteen feet the piece cannot be read without the use of a powerful magnifier. It is, perhaps, the most information ever printed on a single piece of paper.
The heart of the work lies in the manner in which it imitates its subject. The world is large, as is the piece. The elements that make up the work, the names, are tiny, just as the vast majority of human settlements are miniscule, composed of nothing more than a few abodes. A smattering of inhabitants. Every single place humans call home is contained within this work… except for one. The place the piece resides. I believe the work highlights one of the more beautiful traits of humankind, a trait that led us to inhabit every corner of this sphere. A penchant, a love, for everywhere else.


Everywhere Else (detail)

Follow this link for more fine art from our local Chicago Artists. For more information, please contact us.