One Subject. One Dress. A Bunch of Fabulous Paintings By Erin Cone.

above: Erin Cone, Evade, 2011, acrylic, 40" x 36"

Texas born artist Erin Cone was named one of Southwest Art Magazine's "21 under 31" to watch in 2003. Since then she has had numerous individual and group shows at galleries all over the United States. Currently showing at San Francisco's Hespe Gallery and having just participated in a group show, In Portrait, at the Blank Space Gallery in New York, Erin's latest works continue her bold take on contemporary figurative realism.

Reminisce:


Looking a bit like a cross between mannequins and photo-shop filtered images, her latest acrylic paintings, clearly self-portraits, avoid direct confrontation with the viewer in almost all instances, like one of my favorite water-colorists, Ali Cavanaugh. This is more prevalent in her work since 2009 - in many her earlier works, specifically in 2005, she confronted the viewer with an almost expressionless gaze.


above: Erin Cone, Underwater, 2005, acrylic, 24" x 26"

In her recent works, she continues to use flat bold colors and geometric shapes to make up the backgrounds, setting off the figure's red dress, which is featured in 15 of the paintings shown in this post. In some cases, small rectangles are represented by negative space as in the case of Repartee 1 and Repartee 2 and in others, small rectangles of color are added as in Allude, Debutante and Assemblage. Still in others, the dress or background is faceted into a series of rectangles, playing up the multiple planes of color.

Here's a look at many of her 2011 pieces.

Repose:

Discourse 1:

Discourse 2:

Debutante:

Charade:

repartee 1:

Repartee 2:

Adieu:

Allude:

Assemblage:

Rouge:

Vignette:

and Ennui:


In addition to the above paintings, other pieces of Erin's newer works feature herself in other clothes, but they still feature one lone figure against flat colored backgrounds, in which the face is partially obscured or turned away from the viewer:

Falter:

Halt:

Yield:

Axis:

Pivotal:

Refuge:

Hold:

Discrete:

Subtle:



Erin Cone:


"I emphasize visual impact over narrative context, focusing on the subtle orchestration of my subject within a framework of design. I create a deliberate push-and-pull between near-photorealistic detail and my own vocabulary of visual glitches that challenge that very realism. This duality is central to my work and allows the figures I paint to remain wholly representational while functioning abstractly — evoking emotion without defining it."
-- Erin Cone

Erin Cone is Represented by:
Hespe Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Lanoue Fine Art, Boston, MA
Melissa Morgan Fine Art, Palm Desert, CA
Nuart Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Rosenbaum Contemporary, Boca Raton, FL

Nostalgia On Canvas. Allan Innman Paints Childhood Toys.

above: Full Metal Jacket, oil on canvas

If toys from your childhood like Mr. Potato Head, plastic Cowboys and Indians, Lego®s, Strawberry Shortcake, Play•Doh and View-Masters take you back, the paintings of Allan Innman will be like a trip down memory lane.


above: Dump Truck, oil on canvas, mounted on board

Rendered in oils and acrylics, Allan paints classic toys from the 70s and 80s in a realism style, capturing their colors and spirit. From Gumby and Pokey to Talking Teddy Ruxpin, his collection of works called "Back In The Day" will have yearning to bring out that Susie Bake Oven or indulge in some paste-eating.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Blue Play Doh:

Turnin' The Corner:

Here's Looking At You Kid (Lego Minifig):

Legos:

Lime Chiffon At Charmkin's Flower Mill:

Cowboys and Indians:

Sunday Afternoon Nap (Teddy Ruxpin)and Pretty Pony:

Tater Head:

The View Master:

Gumby and Pokey:

Assorted Toys:


In the artist's own words:

I was born and raised in Oxford, Mississippi. In May 2006, I graduated with a BFA degree in Graphic Design from The University of Mississippi. I currently work for the University of Mississippi Department of Art as the Visual Resources Specialist maintaining the slide library and digital image library.


above: Allan in his studio

My interest in art extends to all sorts of different mediums. In the past, I have pursued design, printmaking, and painting. My current series of paintings focuses on the idea of evoking nostalgia through childhood toys.

Allan is also an accomplished landscape painter and works in mixed media as well. See all of his work here.

Surreal Artwork by Deborah Hamon Combines Photography & Painting In Photoshop

above: Deborah Hamon's The Game combines a painted figure with a photographic background.

41 year old artist Deborah Hamon, born in Adelaide, Australia and now living and working in Marin County (my own home town), was recently named one of PDN's 30 Photographers to Watch and has been featured in New American Paintings, Israel's Picnic magazine, Flak photo, has a permanent piece (Wonderland) in the prestigious Crocker Bank Art Museum Collection, and has been the recipient of numerous awards, honors and mentions.


above: The artist, Deborah, in her studio, alongside Queen of The Hill (also shown below):


Her unusual work consists of both 'constructed' photography and complete paintings. Her surreal photos (c-prints) combine a study of fiction and reality, placing flat graphic painted figures (almost always girls) usually confronting the viewer, with photographic backgrounds of exterior settings. She uses Photoshop to construct her photographs with figures from her paintings.


above: detail of Forever and Ever shows the contrast of the painted figure with the photographed tree, combined in Photoshop.

Here are a few examples of her Constructed Photography:

Facade:

Forever and Ever:

Grandma's House:

Huff and Puff:

Manicured:

Sandtrap:

Snowbound:

Tree Fairy (left) and Walkabout (right):

Wonderland:


It seems as though her photographs have received more attention than her paintings, likely because of the unusual combining of media. But, as you will see from the images below, her large acrylic paintings which consist of similar subject matter, are also very compelling and thoughtfully rendered.

Here are a few examples of her acrylic paintings:
Poolside:

Cowgirls and Butterflies (left) and Rope Swing (right):

He Loves me, He Loves me Not:

Haven:

Red Arrow:

Victory:

Deborah Hamon