MIX MASTERS
CUTTING-EDGE WORKS EMPLOY TECHNIQUES AS VARIED AS THE ARTISTS WHO CREATED THEM. WRITTEN BY JESSE BRATTER / PRODUCED BY CARA GIBBS
ELISA GOMEZ MIXED MEDIA Whether it’s the energetic rhythms of an upbeat salsa number or the transportive sounds of a classical opus, all music moves Elisa Gomez in an indescribable way. The Austin-based abstract painter translates this feeling to canvas using brushes, palette knives or even her bare hands. The graffiti effect in Am I Free From This Dream #2, left, is a result of her fast-paced strokes and layered textures; it's part of her series with local composer Walter Nichols—a visual portrayal of his musical arrangements. Of her wish for viewers to have the same reaction to her art as she has to music, she says, “I hope people are taken to a deeper, more meaningful place.” elisagomezart.com
TROY SIMMONS CONCRETE Troy Simmons is so captivated by Brutalist architecture that he translates the vernacular to canvas, juxtaposing raw concrete against sleek pigments (see Durchbruch, left, shown vertically, and Serendipity, below). Approaching each piece like a construction project— his heaviest weighs 300 pounds—the Miami artist creates 3-D renderings and drawings before chiseling away at the cement. “My creative process reflects who we are as humans,” Simmons says. “We all carry complex yet beautiful experiences in our souls.” See his work this May at JanKossen Contemporary Art Gallery in New York. troysimmonsstudio.com
SARAH RASKEY MIXED MEDIA The Swarovski crystals in Sarah Raskey’s 24kt Gold and Glamour, above, is a good indication of the high fashion that permeates her work. The elegant result is a far cry from the mad-scientist process that gets her there: picture materials spilled over, others set on fire, and power tools strewn about her Chicago studio. “I love the dance that takes place among art, fashion and self-expression,” says Raskey, who, as an art therapist, helps others find healing through creativity. “I want viewers to feel that my art encourages the human spirit.” Raskey will be incorporating Maya Romanoff’s handmade textiles into her work for an exhibit at its Chicago showroom this April. sarahraskey.com
SIMMONS HEADSHOT AND DURCHBRUCH PHOTO: ALDO ARGUELLO (DURCHBRUCH IS PART OF A PRIVATE COLLECTION, WHERE IT IS DISPLAYED HORIZONTALLY). RASKEY PHOTO: TIM MANNING. REARDIN HEADSHOT: LAUREN FLEISHMAN. DANCH PHOTOS: DETAILS OF FLOWER FIELD FOR MACY'S, LEFT, AND FLORAL GARLAND FOR AOL'S CANVAS SERIES, ABOVE, DAVID ZUCKERMAN. PREVIOUS PAGE: MOONLIGHT BABY PAINTING BY ELISA GOMEZ.
RADAR / ART