The Falls ID 11799

Christopher Mir’s paintings invite us to experience a series of unsettling juxtapositions. Astronauts have insect wings, sleepwalking children walk barefoot in mountainous terrain, and spiderwebs extend over the sky. Futuristic machines are placed in primal and mythical settings.  Yet the ordered composition and strong technique counterbalance the poetic and irrational themes, creating a realistic dreamscape.

Triad ID 10414

To create this kind of painting, extensive planning is involved. The painting begins with a digital composite, like a “virtual collage” — but once it is recreated on the canvas in paint, the image is brought to life and becomes something entirely different.

Vanishing Point ID 11178

Mir’s work has received extensive critical acclaim, including a favorable review in Artforum, arguably the most prestigious art magazine in print. For over a decade he has exhibited his work in solo exhibitions across the globe, from Spain and Switzerland to New York City.

Energy of Life Spiral ID#12589

Jessamyn Hoshikawa emigrated from Japan to the United States when she was eighteen years old. This fact is critical to understanding her work, which offers an authentic fusion of both Japanese and American styles. Many artists have attempted to infuse Asian influences into their art, but none succeed in doing it as organically as Hoshikawa. Although she never set out to “break the rules,” she is certain that “it is not the traditional calligraphy/Sumi-e painting.”

When she gets an idea for a scene that has a simplistic and minimal appeal, she works in the monochromatic, calligraphic style. But when dealing with layers of emotional complexity, she switches to oil, making vibrant works which depart not only in technique, but subject matter — creating imagined landscapes and images that seem to be in the midst of a fantastical story.

Gate ID#10457

Her work is influenced by tapping into the unconscious. Curious about the connection between dreams and art, she has practiced “lucid dreaming” techniques, which, with training, allow a person to control their actions in a dream-state by being aware they’re in a dream. She states, however, “I am sure that what I express in my art is what I want to see.”

Ant ID#11564

Hoshikawa has exhibited widely on the east coast, and her book, Nostalgic Ink Strokes, features her recent works.

Recently returning from an artist’s residency in Vietnam, artist Sloat Shaw paints by stretching her brain beyond its everyday capacity, expanding her ability to see through her meditative practice. In this edition of Artist Up Close, we asked Sloat to answer a handful of fill-in-the-blanks to get to know the person behind the paint.

For more information about this artist or his artwork, please contact an art expert at ArtBarcs by emailing staff@artbarcs.com.