The 2016 Art Synergy Artists Profiles

The 2016 Art Synergy Artist Profiles

Media inquiries: ArtSynergyPBC@gmail.com

Art Synergy 

will be host to the 

3rd Annual Palm Beach Art Exhibition at 

Art Palm Beach 

from 

January 20-24th, 2016 at the 

Palm Beach County Convention Center located at 

65O Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401.

Get your tickets here

"ART SYNERGY will be presenting a selection of the best contemporary artists’ work to this international stage and offer representation, access to collectors, dealers, gallerists, and a dedicated staff." -Rolando Chang Barrero

Curator and co-founder of Art Synergy, Rolando Chang Barrero would like to express his gratitude to the jurors of the this year's exhibition: 

Jurors:

Richard Beau-lieu - Debby Coles-Dobay - Jane Harris 

Curator:

Rolando Chang Barrero

The Artists:

Gary Kroman

"Inspiration born of dimension. Multiple layers of pictures within pictures. Juxtaposition of elements related with texture and tactile feel with the addition of light, color and dimension.

Working on plexiglass, I then mount on a plain white board to lay space between the plexi and the backboard. The dimensionality became immediately apparent.

After creating a few more pieces I began adding textures and different materials for added dimensionality and doing more work on the backboard. Each piece opens a new avenue and asks more questions for the next piece such as what if I add this material or that piece of metal? Or how about a different mounting technique or a mixed media background and lining up the front image more exactly with the back image? Adding lights gives more depth. Every new piece goes a little further to enhance the "hanging in space" dimensional view."

John Rachell

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago 1977

"The garden is a place like no other, a place of company, a place of solitude, a place that continues to change but remains itself." His paintings are composed of complex natural forms almost chaotic images where an order seems to emerge that is both exciting and beautiful. This expression brings him joy that he is hopeful to share with the viewer. John most recently exhibited in the Palm Beach Cultural Council's Biennial 2015."

Manon Sander

Marin Art School, Novato, CA

"Painting is my way to bring attention to the beauty found everywhere in our immediate surroundings, seen by those who are willing to slow down and look.
I find inspiration for my next painting not necessarily in an object considered beautiful in the conventional sense since my desire to paint is mostly ignited by watching the light hitting an object a certain way. Illuminating something in all its brilliance while creating wonderful colors and designs in the shadows, light has the power to elevate an object from the mundane to the exquisite. How light influences color has been a source of endless fascination for me. Expressing my joie de vivre through loose brushstrokes in combination with a well thought-through design and a vibrant color choice translates into a painting that resonates not only with me as artist and human being but also with the viewer, offering him a view of things that might otherwise have gone unnoticed."

Barry Seidman

"Feast for the Eyes Inspiration is sometimes so illusive, but then there it is - like magic - in the splendor of nature.Feast for the Eyes took me on a voyage through the voluptuous shapes, pure colors and beautiful textures found at local greenmarkets.When you take the time to examine freshly harvested fruits and vegetables, they are extraordinary. They look different, feel different and taste better than the store-bought ordinary.Visiting greenmarkets became an obsession. While I would study the produce with my eyes, my wife would study with her taste buds. Fortunately, she is a gourmet cook, so my feast for the eyes also became a feast for the palate.As I study and choreograph my subjects, I find sensuous curves, hidden personalities and relationships of form: some are beautiful, some are strange, but all unique.With this series, I hope to bring attention and appreciation to those who plant, grow, harvest and make these feasts for the eyes available to us at our local greenmarkets and farms."

Cangshu Gran

Florida Atlantic University

"I'm interested in psychology, and I'm inspired by the people around me. I love jokes that are not funny. The awkwardness that I experience everyday gives me the motive to paint things with a weird sense of humor. I think of myself as an over thinking and paranoid person, and a lot of figures in my works are created as such. Nowadays in the world everyone experiences anxiety and paranoia at some point. We cope with our problems in unique ways. It is interesting that how different attitudes can affect what we are feeling every day. We are all creating our own versions of reality.
I try to capture the moments when emotion becomes mysterious. There are some moments when we suddenly lose ourselves. We don't know where we are or what is going on and everything becomes unexplainable. Meanwhile nature and creatures become our observers. When we find ourselves at a sudden loss, we are being observed and laughed at while being surrounded by the world's indifference. The moments when we merge into our surrealistic day dreams might be when we are closet to our "reality". A facial expression captured in a careless moment gives us a peek into our souls. It can show or disguise who we are. A very troubled soul could always have a smile on the face, and a very casual person might appear to be very serious. I paint interesting people that I ran across in my life. Their stories inspire me."

Enid Blechman

A move to coastal Florida allowed me to eyewitness extremes of breathtaking natural beauty. I saw the sea turn dark with schools of baitfish, as larger fish and birds crowded their path to feast. One night, I observed the giant sea turtles make the laborious journey to lay their eggs. The Everglades captivated me with its absolute stillness and mystery, only broken by the flap of wings or the splash of water, yet teeming with life. I saw the stormy night sky with lightning cutting a swath across the sky hitting the ocean in crooked streaks. I felt a connection to our natural world that was new and fresh. Building was everywhere. The Everglades were fast being filled to create more land for housing developments, the beaches were eroding and being refilled, highrise towers were dotting the skyline. The contrasts were intense. Our intervention was changing the landscape.

How to make sense of images that alternately throbbed with life and gasped for breath? I grew concerned for the survival of so much beauty and began to worry about our natural resources and maintaining the splendor of my new state. In response to my observations, the fictional bureaucratic anti-corporation Adipose Industries was founded. Under their auspices, I address my concerns and interpret my visions. As CEO, artist and top scientist of Adipose Industries I currently lead a research team of experienced 'Pataphyscians, living, fictional and deceased. Adipose Industries has its roots in the field of fat repurposement, but has moved on to environmental conservation and ecological solutions for our changing and challenged landscape.

'Pataphysics, the international quasi-science of imaginary solutions is a natural fit. Unhampered by the constraints of science and art and backed by both science and art, we hope to initiate a process of questioning and encourage creative thinking as a catalyst for change. As our climate changes and natural resources continue to dwindle, we face a new era. Changes must be made to meet the challenges of the future and the artist's response has the potential to impact the outcome of these changes. Florida and our planet depend on us.

Emmanuel Gonzales

Palm Beach Atlantic College

"Emmanuel explores the past and present through realism and portraiture. His body of work includes a growing retrospect of American icons, where each piece is presented as a fragment in a larger American patchwork. Individually, his subjects attempt to characterize the social climate at a given moment in history. They are influential, recognizable images; relevant within specific ethnic and social groups. Some subjects are foreign to others outside of a particular group or generation. Just as one group identifies emotionally with a particular image through a shared social lens, outsiders will experience these images within their specific context. The “recognition factor” of his subjects reaffirms the identity and unique cultural perspective of a specific group while simultaneously establishing an ”otherness” in viewers outside of a given group. The artist uses pencil, pastels, oil, and watercolor to create movement and energy. He brings intimacy to large-scale pieces with detailed attention to subtleties often missed by others.

Mark Allen

B.F.A., Hobart College

"Although I work in all medium I prefer to work in (oil) pastels blending colors with my fingertips for a complete tactical experience rendering fun and vibrant images.
While I take my art seriously ,I don't take myself or life seriously.It's all about how I feel and what I see in that very moment.I'm not going to look at any anything/anyone per se as an inspiration "see bird,paint bird" but rather,"see bird..what does that bird make me feel and in what colors do I feel it?"

Laura Jacobs

"My work represents a timely message about the standards of beauty and cultural mores at the start of the 21rst century. I touch on the inclination of women to succumb to society's dictates and the tragedy hidden behind our culture's desire to be desired. Combining both elements of sexuality & comedy, my series provokes questions on the perception and image of women in society."

Tony Arruza

I am stirred by all the life that surrounds me, in particular the irresistible allure of the sea. From very early on I have been drawn and driven by the beauty and raw power of the ocean. The nervousness that sweeps over me is inevitably countered by the pure feeling of liveliness when I am in the sea with little more than a pair of swim fins, camera in hand, alone in my own space, my element, surrounded by the constant movement of water and wind. It is this feeling that I try to capture and invoke in others through my work: to capture instances that are all but fleeting when my senses must be finely tuned to notice them lending themselves ultimately to an innate sense of spiritual gratitude.

I bring this same approach of looking inwards toward my subjects on land. It is always been my belief that, for photographers and viewers alike, the intent is to respect and admire. Consequently, much of my work deals in realism, strong content and the often overlooked or underappreciated. I look to showcase, as in my underwater photography, the fleeting instances, the power of the human spirit that escapes many. In viewing the images my goal is to have the viewer reflect on the emotion, the character of life and on those moments they have yet to or may have already, but hurriedly, experienced. Being a photographer is like having a key to life. Doors have been opened that otherwise I may never have walked through and the experiences and insights I am able to reveal have manifested themselves through a medium of self-expression, communication, education and introspection.

Jerome Glickman

"I approach my canvas with an open mind. With the model, I may use props, music, and drapes, with

some expectation of a direction for the work. Our personal conditions, world and local situations, plays, movies, music or remembrances of the past all come into play and the process begins with scratching or clawing at the blank surface. At that point the relationship with the work begins.
The delicate nuances of the body, all body parts, begin a dialogue with color, attitudes and evolving shapes. The experience moves so quickly that I am only aware of the painting/drawing process and I am driven to capture not only the physical appearance but also emotion, as forms in the composition. Colors come pounding in and the understanding of the statement becomes clear. This shared experience, exploring our collective imagination, takes us through mankind and nature's evolution and allows these representations to be a living record of the experience."

Karen Curtis

1999 Bachelor of Arts. Anthropology.

Florida Atlantic University. Boca Raton, FL

"Kinesic States" is a construct I created that places the viewer squarely in front of anticipatory gestures embedded with psychological content inciting primal urgency. Some images rely on more discreet messages than others. "The Connector" suggests a sense that something is about to happen in an unknown dimension, whereas in "Supersymmetry or The Enfant Terrible", a medical event has caused a reenactment of an infantalized state. This series was inspired by my anthropological interest in social evolution. Gestures in a single moment carry unspoken connotations that silently drive societies cause and effect and ability to integrate. They help us grasp meaning when there are no words or sounds.

Kris Davis

BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

"My current body of work consists of figures swimming above and below the water. I enjoy the play between the
abstract shapes of the water and the realism of the figure. I try to create a sense of movement using the light and
ripples to guide your eye across the canvas. Being weightless in the water can give us a feeling of freedom and
peace but water is also powerful."

Craig McInnis

"Art is the path that leads me to clarity; without it, I am lost. I create art because I have to and I love to. It is for me first, but then for the world to digest, dissect and hopefully react to. My goal is simple; to stay focused and effective as a creative, always making sure that I give back with my talents. Art lifts us up and I need to be a part of that for as long as I can."

Ilene Adams

"I work in both mixed media and photography, each with a different focus.  My mixed media paintings rely on old family and vintage photos creating stories that evoke a feeling of nostalgia.

My photography looks at nature but through an eye that sees in intensified color and transforms the ordinary into the sublime, often in a painterly style that leaves viewer wondering if it is painting or photography."

Deborah Bigeleisen

Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC, New York.

"I continually push the boundaries of my vision of a single image of a flower. Because flowers are my subject, I am often asked if I was inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe. The similarity is that as artists we are both identified by painting flowers; however, that is the mutual point of departure. I identify more with the Dutch master artists not only because of how their techniques have influenced my work, but to paraphrase Rembrandt "he loved what he painted and only painted what he loved."Whether creating evocative representational images or more deceptive abstract visions, I focus on the movement, and use richly layered transparencies to seduce the viewer into the numerous complexities. At times I work with strong contrast to mold the forms and give them an almost sculptural-like definition, and at other times I use softer tonal transitions to create a more diaphanous ethereal quality. The mystery is further enhanced by the play of warm hues against cool hues to produce astonishing richness and depth in the shadows and vibrant luminosity in the highlights.I do not subscribe to rules; although I do adhere to a few classic principles for establishing the forms, the shadows and the highlights. Though I have a general vision at the onset of a new painting, I have had so many serendipitous discoveries during the process that have taken the finished work somewhere that I never foresaw initially. I always use a carefully selected limited color palette; often, I will juxtapose colors as they appear naturally to deliberately challenge my senses as well as the viewer's imagination and emotions. Every painting is a fresh beginning and a new journey; and I cherish the unpredictability.I continue to create work that fulfills my vision of beauty; paintings that are engaging and provocative with the complexity to withstand the test of time - especially in today's culture where trends are in and out in a nano-second, and where the paradigms of beauty are changing equally as fast. I want to disrupt the status quo. In this digitally driven, short attention span, instant gratification culture that we live in I am asking viewers to put down their devices, to take the time to pause and really look at the world around them, and to see and question more than meets the eye.
My paintings are represented by galleries across the US, have been exhibited in many international art fairs, and enhance private and corporate collections world-wide. My work has been featured in numerous international art books and design publications including New Art International, Art and Antiques, and Florida Design. My paintings have been recognized with awards; and have been selected for museum exhibitions including the Boca Raton Museum of Art, the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center in Brooklyn, NY, and the Pratt /Bornstein Galleries at American Jewish University in Los Angeles."

Helen Kagan

"I believe art heals. A refugee from Russia, my art reflects an existential view on Life, desire to bridge Realities, and heal the Past. Coming from a family of scientists, I've been always fascinated by a left-right brain relationship. A holistic therapist and artist, I developed my unique technique and style as "Healing Arts"- a powerful form of self-expression that can enhance healing to those in need. My art is my unique way to integrate Fine Art and the Arts of Healing, and through healing frequencies of color, positively charged intention and energetically balanced composition - to enhance well-being in a viewer.
I grew up in a Communist State where oppression and control were a daily reality. In 1991 my quest for freedom led me to the USA, whereto I brought my Jewish heritage, a couple of graduate degrees, and an unending thirst to explore the World and its meaning.
I work mainly with oils and acrylics, lately am experimenting with mixed media. I've been painting as long as I remember, since 2005 do it professionally. A holistic therapist and artist, I believe art as a powerful form of self expression is a vehicle for emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being and can enhance healing to those in
need. Being on a Journey, going towards the Light, awareness of 'Here and Now', and of course - 'j'oie de vivre' - are the spiritual messages always present in my art. I believe in the inter-connectedness of mind, body and spirit, and my passionate art is a statement of my beliefs."

Sidney Escowitz

School of Visual Arts in New York City.

"I am a glass fusion artist living in South Florida. After a successful career in fashion as the Creative Art Director of the Vogue and Butterick Pattern Company I moved to Florida and began creating sculptures in glass. My pieces are a reflection of the beauty of women, flowers, birds and colors."

Susan Oakes

Briarcliffe College, A.A.S., Graphic Design.

"Through my work and teaching, I demonstrate that art and technology are not antagonistic, but can coexist and should be used to enhance each other. In my digital work I blur the borders between photography, painting, and digital illustration to achieve my artistic vision."

Photo by Jacek Gancarz

Erin B. Fromkes

Graduate SUNY New Paltz

"I use my artistic voice to tell the tale of the unseen by showcasing the ability that can be found in disability. Many works that transpire relate to my life with MSIDS, Lyme & co-infections. Using a contemporary style of art, I document life through art making, as moments that fill my world become subject matter. When viewed separately each work stands on its own, a captured moment. Together, pieces form a dialect. The body of art work as a whole mimics time. Painted imagery, symbols and fragments will become a culmination of moments that will serve to depict my life. Mixed fragments aid in story telling and give a visual history. In a style that blends painting and collage, glued papers and daily scraps fill backgrounds to create movement and flow. By adding paint, I create my vision. I love the time capsule quality. Cardboards and brown paper grocery bags are preferred substrates that I use in addition to traditional canvas painting.
To raise my vibrational frequency of energy that is depleted by illness, I inject personal belongings and amp up environments with pigment to aid with healing. Supercharging my world with color, paired with daily art making, are ways to paint myself out of the darkness. Up-cycled paint clothing & whimsical head piece creations express presence of spirit, strength and perseverance. I can be spotted in these looks on rare occasions, when I leave the house. They are celebrations of the voyage out. When I'm unable to lift a paintbrush, glue or craft, I switch mediums to accommodate. Digital art making beneath the covers "bedits" and bed sketching keep my spirit alive."

Carol Erenrich

BA Art History, Boston University, Boston, MA

"Making photographs has been for my pleasure for many years. But the thousands of my collected images are only the beginning of my creative process. I combine my photos to create images with a new meaning emphasizing the use of texture, color and light. These new surprising images have become a passion. The splattering, mixing, shredding, ripping, reversing, inverting (and sometimes reverting) of my images has, paradoxically, helped me become a better photographer and often gives me an outlet to comment on social issues. At their most successful my images combine a depth of color, light and texture. There can also be surprise, mystery and narrative. I am never satisfied with a piece unless it transcends the original image(s), engages the eye, and gives a new perspective on the subject."

Leo Arbeznik

University of Akron's Myers School of Art

"These works are part of my "Color Blind" Series.They challenge, celebrate and transcend personal boundaries, stereotypes and cultures - in the process of transforming an abstractly painted 3D living body into the compressed space of a 2D plane.
My artistic interpretation of the human figure pushes the edges of perception through the process of hand painting the real person as a canvas with luminescent material and then capturing their radiant state with ultraviolet and infrared lights.
This combination method of painting and photography techniques veils the commonly expected dimensional representation of form and enhances the individual subjects into the realm of visual poetry and conceptual art."

Debbie Mostel

"Ever since I was a child I've had an ongoing fascination with the objects I found washed ashore on the beach. They became totems of the world to me, never knowing where a vertebrae or mangled and rusted pile of wood came from. It made me feel connected to the whole planet.

As time went on it was the technological refuse that intrigued me so deeply that the deconstruction of

technology and subsequent reconstruction of nature became my passion and obsession.

Globes, vintage curios,old photographs along with childhood toys all speak a language of our connected history and our future paths."