Dark Unknown Pleasures: Ryan Alex, Sam Jones, Heather Hudanish, Krysta Davenport
Ryan Alex
Artist Statement:
“Darkness, so pure not a single ray of light can find it’s way to me. How long have I soaked in this darkness…eternity? Though at times I think just a moment. I feel nothing, as though there were nothing and I am floating in it. I have preserved my sanity, have I not? Or did I lose it somewhere? And yet in this darkness and its fantasies, one thing is still clear in my mind. That alone like lighting splitting through the darkness, she appears so vividly in my mind. Over and over again it swells and sinks like the waves of a tsunami. Hatred, friendship, jealousy, indignation, emptiness, love, sorrow… They all come together in a single great storm. Driving a stake through my mind, holding my consciences together. The one who cast me into this darkness, she is now my anchor. The woman whose life was once in my hands. When did I fall under your control? I see you now, radiating so brilliantly it blinds me…”
Adoration (24”x36”) $400
Insouciance (24”x36”) $400
Fortitude (24”x36”) $400
Realization (24X36”) $400
Caressed by Melding Hollows (18”x24”) $225
Abandoned Alongside Dejection (18×24”) $225
Nurtured by Means of Intuition (18”x24”) $225
Immersed in Light’s Gaze Through Unremitting Darkness (18”x24”) $225
Sam Jones
Artist Statement:
In this series, I explore two modes of working. The first is about paint as a medium on the surface; the second looks at the sense of atmosphere produced from paint. Through pursuing these two modes of working, a power is released which emanates from within the paint itself.
Hills Of West Virginia (6”x6”) $125
Memories of Capen (6”x6”) $125
Purple Moon, Blue Mountains (6”x6”) $125,
(or set of three for $325)
Imagining The Southwest (8”x8”) $225
Road Earth (8”x8”) $225,
(or set of two for $400)
Effervescent Daydream (12”x16”) $400
Emanating Thoughts Of The Human Mind (16”x16”) $550
Eminence Lost Within The Throes Of Wonder (22”x28”) $800
Heather Hudanish
Artist Statement:
My paintings challenge the viewer to construct a history for the moments I have captured. The scenes are uncomfortable, grotesque and fantastic. I choose to paint my subjects in a manner that puts them obviously on display, to communicate directly or indirectly with the viewer. I use oil paints with heavy textures to sculpturally build the figures up from their non-descript backgrounds to emphasize their voyeuristic roll. By excluding environmental clues, I ask the viewer to construct a time, place and history for the event. I have a strong interest in women’s issues, which comes through in my art work. I want to confront the male gaze with an unsettling grotesque beauty. The subjects are victims of the viewer. They are enemies of the viewer. They are welcoming the viewer. They are startled, disinterested, upset by the viewer. They are on display for any number of reasons, which the viewer should participate in through gut reaction.
I am a Bachelor of the Arts major with a concentration in painting at the University of Southern Maine with a minor in Women’s Studies. Oil paint has been my primary medium for six years. I feel the robust colors along with the manipulation and layering allowed for by oils aids me in creating these intimate and monstrous visions.
Paintings:
Jolene (24”x30”) oil on canvas, $100
You Asked For It (24”x36”) oil on canvas, $125
Two Figures (24”x36”) oil on canvas, $125
Uniwhore (30”x40”) oil on canvas, $150
Untitled (28”x48”) oil on wood, $150 [This painting is not in the shape of a perfect square]
Krysta Davenport
Artist Statement:
The goal of my work is to provoke wonderment. I want the viewer to take what is presented to them, and elaborate on the scenes presented with their own imagination. Painting is a way for me to create an escape from the ordinary into an indulgence of unworldly pleasures. Aesthetically, I’m attracted to an abundance of bright colors, which I use to entice my viewers and welcome them to take a closer look.
Self Portrait in Black and White (12”x16”)
Autumnal Equinox (14”x18”)
Daydream at Sunset (18”x18”)
Untitled (18”x24”)
A Late Summer Night’s Dream (30”x40”)
Gaga (30”x40”)
Use Your Imagination (18”x21”)