AMY SHACKLETON "JUST IMAGINE" DECEMBER 2016 SOLO EXHIBITION

"Just Imagine" series 2016 

Just imagine a construction zone where nature is built in instead of torn out. This new series of work is inspired by buildings under construction in Toronto and New York. The structures are juxtaposed with waterfalls and mountain ranges from Iceland, California and Colorado.

My paintings are intended to portray urban life at its best, demonstrating ways that we can work with nature rather than against it. I envision post-industrial worlds where sustainable relationships exist between man and the environment. By exploring the continually evolving approaches to preserving our environment and living more efficiently, I suggest how we can implement innovative solutions for city planning and development with minimal impact on surrounding habitats.  

This synthesis of ideas is manifested in how I paint. As in real life construction, the architectural aspects of my work are calculated, measured and controlled in order to assure precise locations of each line. As in nature, the environmental elements are more spontaneous, unpredictable and liquid. Using squeeze bottles filled with liquid paint I build each piece from the ground up with hundreds of lines and/or dots. After years of experimenting with gravity and rotating my canvas, I am able to manipulate where and how each drip will fall. - Amy Shackleton

"NEW WORKS" BY KAREN COLANGELO Available for viewing and purchase NOVEMBER 2016

SURVIVAL: [ser-vahy-vuh l].  state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances. A natural process resulting in the evolution of structure.

“SURVIVING THE CONTRADICTION”

Karen has always had a constant desire to create bold works that stray from conventional application methods. At a young age she used small paint brushes to apply the paint to the canvas. Over her teenage years she changed to larger brushes, palette knives or other found objects around the studio like a CD jewel case. The colours followed increasingly becoming stronger and more vibrant.

Karen’s painting style is abstract; her medium is acrylic paint on canvas. She paints the concept of Contradiction. Karen has always been attracted to bringing opposite colour combinations together and thus what would typically be an opposite is now its complement. She uses large brushes and the opposite of brushes - sheets of plexi-glass to apply her paint to her large canvases.

Her work illustrates the dance or fight of colour. She drags acrylic paint across the canvas creating interesting shapes, impact, movement, and curiosity - ultimately creating a work of art that is in its purist form.

KAREN COLANGELO Takes the Concept of Contradiction into Survival Mode.

Karen’s recent work represents the theme of Contradiction illustrating opposing colours and application methods. Her work conveys either a fight or dance of colour. The final decision is left up to the viewer. It is a comment on challenges that individuals are faced with daily.

Karen tells us how the paint ‘survives’ during the painting process;

“In its purist form the paint leaves the tube and lands directly onto the painting tool. The paint is then dragged along the canvas. It has a purpose to survive by creating engaging shapes, impact, movement, and curiosity. It is happy and carefree. The paint is confident and vibrant in its appearance yet bold in its behaviour, but there are circumstances that the colours are faced with.

The colour needs to develop a controlled behaviour on the canvas surface. The colour battles with limits, patience and ultimately survival.   The paint soon realizes that its limits are being pushed, literally. As it travels and glides across the canvas, the edge is near and fast approaching.   It is decision time. It must decide to jump to the next canvas and remain in the spotlight, or it clings to the painting tool and allows its creator to decide its fate. If it falls off the canvas edge, it will try its best to leave its mark. It becomes a struggle between creator and survivor.

It is no accident when the paint decides to fall off the edge of the canvas. It intentionally marks every surface trailing its journey. The paint wants to survive and win the battle of its difficult circumstance. It decides to leave its mark by creating an eye-catching and engaging edge detail.” ~KC 

Karen extends her concept globally. “This series of work also comments on society and individuals as a whole. We all have a survival mode we all switch on when faced with challenges and life changing decisions. This mode allows us to dance or to fight our way through our battles.   We are always faced with taking a leap and jumping into something new or challenging. It is these decisions in life that need a bold, confident, and happy individual to take those chances and create positive impressions in the world, contradicting the norm.” ~KC

March 2016 KATHY KISSIK and DAVID FREDRIK

March 2016 The Elaine Fleck Gallery presents work by renowned American artist Kathy Kissik and introduces the work of David Fredrik.


KATHY KISSIK
Kathy Kissik is a Miami-based artist known for her fusion of contemporary and historical photography with found objects. Kissik earned her BFA degrees from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA and Tufts University where she was a fifth year Travelling Scholar recipient, then enrolled in a post-graduate program at the University of New South Wales.

Photography Based Mixed Media Collage by Kathy Kissik

Trained primarily in photography and welding, Kathy Kissik’s mixed media collages are often architectural. She photographs her subjects – with a traditional medium format camera and occasionally digitally – from slightly skewed perspectives, recording the shifting of light with the passage of time. Then Kissik builds out sculptural collages with contrasting textures and found objects for a multifaceted effect. Metals have an unspoken vocabulary in her practice that subtly transmit information to the viewer.

"My vision has always been to evoke how a place feels." -Kathy Kissik

DAVID FREDRIK

David Fredrik's mixed-media works blend chaos and harmony, all while expressing different “stories from the streets”.

David’s extensive world travels inspire his focus on global subcultures. His paintings aim to reflect the beautifully imperfect surroundings of urban city life. A focus on dense layers and coarse deconstruction form his signature pieces. His background in Advertising, Graphic Design, and Typography heavily influence his compositional approach.

In 2014, David was named an "Artist to Invest in Now" by Saatchi Art. 

The Elaine Fleck Gallery has moved to 1351 Queen Street West. Our last location of eight years, 888 Queen Street West, was a wonderful venue and location but frankly did not have enough space for us to grow any further in. Our new location consists of 1500 square feet of usable gallery, office and inventory space with a wonderful court yard in the back. We have moved literally 5 minutes away or 1.7 km west.

I want to warmly thank Bill Riopka, Mark Liam Smith, Inger whist and Juliette Vermeersch for their great contribution to the move and renovations, they are true friends to the gallery and the Elaine Fleck Gallery is enriched because of them.

After a month of moving, renovating and organizing we are now hanging our first show in our new gallery space featuring brand new work by Elaine Fleck Gallery represented artists Karen Colangelo and Lloyd Arbour.

I encourage everyone to come out to the gallery to view and purchase this exceptional artwork. As emerging artists quickly gaining a strong following the price point of their work is still a bargain.



KAREN COLANGELO

My latest work is a Contradiction. I begin each piece with the primary colours. I allow these three contenders in the match to create a stage for mixing and matching. A dance that invites in secondary colours and eventually pushes out the final players…the tertiary colours.

I am going for the impact of colour as I lay complementary colours next to each other. As Monet once quoted in 1888, "colour makes its impact from contrasts rather than from its inherent qualities....the primary colours seem more brilliant when they are in contrast with their complementary colours” and eventually when placed next to each other, complements making each other appear brighter. This is the excitement I am trying to create for the viewer of my performance.

My painting technique uses the opposite of brushes. I putty up sheets of plexi-glass with an acrylic paint and drag the paint along the canvas surface creating my movement. As one colour dries I drag its opposite complementary colour across it. Working in this style I am creating layers of brilliant colours that grab your attention.

My goal is to create peace from Contradiction. Warm tones against cool tones. Dark colours against vibrant ones. Dry paint looking wet. All that contradiction turns into a beautiful visual harmony that is pleasing to the eye. I want the viewer to experience an inner sense of order and balance.






Lloyd Arbour

Arbour’s most recent work experiments with architecture, trains, maps, blueprints, photography and collage. Mediums play off, challenge, or complement one another. He creates unique urban designs that incorporate the new with the old to create imagery that is impactful. His recent work is a face lift to ordinary day to day elements of an urban city. His work allows the viewer to explore another perspective to the subdued or ordinary views of city life.

He uses advanced programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator and various techniques to construct his complex pieces of art.

The Elaine Fleck Gallery presents "NEW WORKS" featuring KATHY KISSIK and KAREN COLANGELO for the month of July.

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KATHY KISSIK

The New York City series

“The NYC artwork never sleeps. When the lights go down the paintings change. I have used light reflective tape to highlight composition and lead the viewer’s eyes on a tour throughout each artwork. The result is a completely different painting depending upon the light in which it is viewed, calling to mind ideas about perspective and what meaning it gives to content. Tall skyscrapers, helicopter views, graffiti, and broken surfaces combine much like the city itself.  These pieces are a study of the dynamic world we live in; pulsating, changing, and polarizing.” 

- K.K.

KATHY KISSIK

Star series

“Stars at night have provided a source for contemplation and inspiration for millennia. It is our innate nature to seek a relationship to these distant lights that reflect down upon us to challenge our collective perceptions, experiences and beliefs and thus further strengthen our ties to our original source. The 13 stars I have created fold into pyramids and can be manipulated to bend into a multitude of positions. They can adapt to the space they are presented in highlighting that it is the limitless imagination that gives meaning and content to our existence.” – K.K.

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KAREN COLANGELO

The inspiration for my paintings comes from the vibrant colours of nature. I represent these colours in layers. To apply the paint, I rarely use a paintbrush; I'm attracted to objects that I use in every day life. I use large sheets of plexiglass to apply the layers of paint to the canvas and as a result of this un-conventional method; the paint when dragged across the canvas evokes a spectrum of colour and movement. It is through this process of layering that these vibrant and whimsical worlds of abstraction are created. - K.C.

April 2015 at the Elaine Fleck Gallery "LIGHT SHOW" by Amy Shackleton - Gravity Painter - Sustainable Future Visionary!

SHOW STATEMENT:

This new series of work is inspired by colour and brightness—the visual sensation produced by light. Light Show could refer to a natural occurrence (like a sunset or colourful sky) or an artificial display (like festive or urban lights). Everyday, we rely on a balance of both—and as solar technologies continue to emerge the division is blurred. Sunlight is a key ingredient in sustainable building projects. Drawing inspiration from the visible light spectrum (all the colours of the rainbow) I explore the beauty and energy of both natural and artificial light in California, New York and Toronto.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

With my work I aim to stimulate dialogue and propose new possibilities for co-existence between man and the environment. My paintings are intended to portray urban life at its best, demonstrating ways that we can work with nature rather than against it. I explore continually evolving approaches to preserving our environment, living more efficiently and using fewer natural resources. My art suggests how we can implement innovative solutions for city planning and development with minimal impact on surrounding habitats. I developed a unique technique to complement my themes. I don’t use paintbrushes—I drip paint with squeeze bottles to build layers of organic lines (by spraying water and rapidly spinning each canvas) and straight lines (using a level). As in real life construction, the architectural aspects of my work are calculated, measured and controlled in order to assure precise locations of each line. As in nature, the environmental elements are more spontaneous, unpredictable and liquid.

December "Holiday Show"

For the month of December and the Christmas Season…we're presenting the Holiday Show! featuring work by Gallery Represented Artists - Kathy Kissik, Amy Shackleton, S.Vote, Michael Conway, Marcel Guldemond, Rhiana Sneyd, Susan Fisher and Gary Ray Rush and we're introducing you to the work of ten new talents discovered from the many submissions to Elaine Fleck’s Catalogue of Contemporary Fine Art, fall/winter 2013.

The Elaine Fleck Gallery 

Presents

C A P I T A L

Michael Conway

“In this century, it will be the city—not the state—that becomes the nexus of economic and political power. Already, the world’s most important cities generate their own wealth and shape national politics as much as the reverse.” Parag Khanna, When Cities Rule the World.

"Capital” is a large scale (36”x48”) photomontage series that re-imagines / re-constructs various global cities. By dissecting these cities through the physical cutting of photographs, the work explores emergent aspects of the nation in a time of increasing cultural hybridity and planetary interdependence. Michael Conway. 2013.

Michael Conway B.Arch, Dip-Arch Tech, OAA

Opening Thursday September 12, 2013 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Show runs the month of September.

How to Succeed in the Art World Seminar

Join us Sunday May 19th from 2-5pm for our Seminar "How to Succeed in the Art World." With over 20 years experience as a Curator and Art Dealer, Elaine Fleck has designed this seminar that explains the pit-falls in the Art World, how to navigate around them and promote your work successfully.  Suitable for artist, photographer and art dealers, the seminar explains what to expect when dealing with buyers and galleries, how to promote your work and made it in the Art World.

With only a few seats left, confirm your attendance today!