American painting has long embraced the philosophy that bigger is better. From Jackson Pollock to contemporary artists like Mark Bradford, large scale works have been a consistent part of the modern American tradition. [caption id="attachment_8091" align="alignleft" width="301"] © JAMES SIENA, Untitled 2009
19-1/4" x 15-1/8"
Courtesy PaceWildenstein, New York[/caption] Lately though, there has been a shift. I noticed it first in the younger artists studios and then in the work of well known contemporary artists like James Siena. Instead of making epically scaled paintings, these artists are making work that is smaller, painterly, intimate and inviting. It was through my interest in James Siena's painting that I discovered the work of Ben Pritchard, a Brooklyn based artist creating small, heavily labored drawings and paintings. Siena included Pritchard in two exhibitions that he curated, first at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in 2009 and again at DC Moore Gallery in New York City in 2010. The surfaces of Pritchard's paintings are quite heavy and evidence layers of under painting. Gone is the grand format and familiar clean canvas edge. Instead, Pritchard's paintings are human scale and sit on awkwardly shaped surfaces where the forms appear to wrestle with the uneven edges. The intense workmanship and elegant simplicity of the final image combine to make Pritchard's work both charming and compelling. Ben's drawings are also intimate labors of love. Although in his drawing there is no layering or masking of the work involved. The detail sits on the surface and the finished image is an intricate concoction of marks that conform to a set of rules established by the artist at the outset of the drawing. All this work is squeezed onto a piece of paper not much larger than your average A3 sheet. Again the forms appear to wrestle within the asymmetrical edges of the paper to create intriguing, dynamic compositions. Pritchard's work represents a beautiful shift towards intimacy. He has stepped away from the massive, bold 'look at me paintings' of the past while skillfully preserving that certain something in painting that compels the viewer to take notice - only this time, it is not from a distance. To view more of Ben's work, visit his website or his TWFineArt print portfolio. [caption id="attachment_8138" align="aligncenter" width="494"] Oscar Fate, Ben Pritchard 2009-14, Oil on canvas, 24/28"[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8135" align="aligncenter" width="542"] Title Unknown, Ben Pritchard[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8093" align="aligncenter" width="405"] Santa Theresa, Ben Pritchard Ink on Paper, 2011,48/65cm[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8094" align="aligncenter" width="429"] Potatoe (Rhizome) Ben Pritchard Ink on paper, 25.5/19.5, 2012[/caption]          

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                [divider] Infamous New York Street artist Tony DePew has created an exclusive limited edition series of prints in collaboration with TWFineArt. DePew creates unique, personal portraits of iconic creative figures including artists Kenny Scharf & Chuck Close, costume designer Rebecca Weinberg and New York's reigning cake diva Sylvia Weinstock.  

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We are so pleased to be working with the fantastic Abby Goldstein! Her intricate, gestural work celebrates painting and looks gorgeous in limited edition print. “There is a great movement underway, an attempt to cure painting of the explanationitis virus that has spread like a leaden blanket over our culture. Painting is painting and can happen in a million ways. What lends intensity to each piece is the feeling with which it is made and not the genre to which it might get apportioned.” Lucio Pozzi on Abby Goldstein. The work of Abby Goldstein has been exhibited widely across the United States at galleries including Pierogi Gallery, Marina Gallery and Kentler Fine Arts. Goldstein previously directed the Visual Arts Department at Fordham University where she currently a faculty member. Abby has created several commissioned public artworks throughout Brooklyn in NYC where she lives and works. [caption id="attachment_7160" align="alignleft" width="538"] Untitled, Abby Goldstein 2002[/caption]

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For those of you unfamiliar with the rising art star Carlson Hatton, this is a very worthwhile read. Hatton is featured as February's Artist of the Week and the accompanying interview gives a fantastic insight into his work. "I want to tap into the complexity that we’re surrounded by. We have to walk with blinders on so that we can get through the day. I always liked the thought that the cubists were portraying the complexity of how we really might see our surroundings." CH For limited edition Cotton Rag prints of Hatton's work, visit TW Fine Art and browse through his print portfolio. These are true collector pieces!   [caption id="attachment_3954" align="alignnone" width="253"] Strangers # 1, Painting, Carlson Hatton 2012[/caption] http://theawards.co/carlsonhatton/

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