Cat Balco

Cat Balco's colorful mandala-like paintings suggest centripetal motion and radiate energy. They’re thrilling to look at as beautiful abstractions, and at closer viewing her expressive paint strokes appear to have depth due to her subtle use of shadow—a skill she developed from her time as a tromp l’oeil painter—and they start to feel like depictions of objects or environments that can’t quite be placed. Her paintings call to mind a disparate array of associations that seem somehow to be connected such as stars, suns, industrial machinery, instruments of torture, carnival wheels, female genitalia, and religious iconography.

You can view Cat's paintings in person in Get Loose, an exhibition at Rick Wester Fine Art in New York City featuring Cat Balco, Ben Godward, and Jason Rohlf through August 3rd.

Follow Cat on Instagram: @catbalco

And visit her website: catbalco.com

Cat Balco's colorful mandala-like paintings suggest centripetal motion and radiate energy. They’re thrilling to look at as beautiful abstractions, and at closer viewing her expressive paint strokes appear to have depth due to her subtle use of shadow—a skill she developed from her time as a tromp l’oeil painter—and they start to feel like depictions of objects or environments that can’t quite be placed. Her paintings call to mind a disparate array of associations that seem somehow to be connected such as stars, suns, industrial machinery, instruments of torture, carnival wheels, female genitalia, and religious iconography. Follow Cat on Instagram: @catbalco And visit her website: catbalco.com

Cat Balco, Om Halt, acrylic and flashe on canvas, 48" x 48," 2017

Cat Balco, Lunch Flower, acrylic and flashe on canvas, 48" x 48," 2017

Cat Balco, School Sun, acrylic on canvas, 18" x 18," 2018

Cat Balco, Loop Weave, Latex on Wallboard, 15' x 80,' 2010

Another angle of Cat Balco's Loop Weave.

Jacquelyn Gleisner

Jacquelyn Gleisner is fascinated by textile patterns, the expansive and cyclical nature of time and space, and the relationship between fragility, vulnerability, and strength—especially in the context of feminism. She works primarily with gouache, creating colorful repeating designs on 30-foot-long rolls of paper which she calls “scrolls.” More recently she’s been painting depictions of detailed multicolored knots on small sheets of paper. Her large scale painted scrolls reference weaving patterns that in the mind’s eye could continue into space forever. All of her scrolls have been removed from the gallery setting and placed into outdoor environments—some of them hung like banners or flags from the sides of buildings, others left on the ground. Many of the scrolls have been cannibalized and metamorphosed into new works of art.

Jacquelyn’s detailed knot drawings, with no beginning or end, are also tied to her interest in the infinite, while also exploring the longstanding importance of the knot both as a universal symbol and a word containing multiple meanings.

You can follow her on Instagram @jacquelyn.gleisner

[TRANSCRIPT HERE]

Jacquelyn is fascinated by textile patterns, the expansive and cyclical nature of time and space, and the relationship between fragility, vulnerability, and strength—especially in the context of feminism. She works primarily with gouache, creating colorful repeating designs on 30-foot-long rolls of paper which she calls “scrolls.” More recently she’s been painting depictions of detailed multicolored knots on small sheets of paper. Her large scale painted scrolls reference weaving patterns that in the mind’s eye could continue into space forever. All of her scrolls have been removed from the gallery setting and placed into outdoor environments—some of them hung like banners or flags from the sides of buildings, others left on the ground. Many of the scrolls have been cannibalized and metamorphosed into new works of art. Jacquelyn’s detailed knot drawings, with no beginning or end, are also tied to her interest in the infinite, while also exploring the longstanding importance of the knot both as a universal symbol and a word containing multiple meanings. You can follow Jackie on Instagram @jacquelyn.gleisner

Jacquelyn Gleisner's Scroll I, 2017 after hanging down the front of The Institute Library and braving the elements in New Haven, CT for two weeks.

Jacquelyn Gleisner, Ouroboros, 2017. Dimensions variable. Mazmanian Art Gallery, Framingham State University, Massachusetts. February 21 - March 24, 2017.

Jacquelyn Gleisner, Knot October 17th, 2017, gouache on paper, 8 by 12 inches.

An example of Jacquelyn's most recent work in which the knots have evolved into variations on DNA strands.

Jacquelyn Gleisner, Log Cabin, 2015. Ink, gouache on shaped canvas, 36 by 54 inches (outside dimensions).

Polly Shindler

All images taken from pollyshindlerpainting.com

Polly Shindler, Laundromat, 2017, Acrylic on canvas 11" x 14"

Polly is a prolific painter, who over the years has toggled between abstraction and realism. She has long been a collector of objects, images, textures and ideas. In the past couple of years, Polly has become fascinated by furniture, interior design, and imagined domestic spaces decorated with objects she finds both in the real world and on the internet. Her paintings deal with myriad subjects, a few of which are the human yearning for privacy, the push and pull between real and imaginary, as well as the complex history of painting.

Follow Polly on Instagram @pollyshindler

[VIEW TRANSCRIPT HERE]

In this podcast, David Livingston Interviews the artist Polly Shindler. Polly is a prolific painter, who over the years has toggled between abstraction and realism. She has always been a collector of objects, images, textures and ideas. In the past couple of years, Polly has become fascinated by furniture, interior design, and imagined domestic spaces decorated with objects she finds both in the real world and on the internet. Her paintings deal with myriad subjects, a few of which are the human yearning for privacy, the push and pull between real and imaginary, as well as the complex history of painting. Go to http://firststopart.com to view the discussed artworks.

Polly Shindler, Living Room at Sunset with Morris Louis, 2018, Acrylic on canvas 11" x 14"

Polly Shindler, Pink Room with Marble Table, 2018, acrylic on canvas 11" x 14"

Polly Shindler, Any Night, 2017, acrylic on canvas 9" x 12"

Polly Shindler, Early Morning Riser, 2017, acrylic on canvas, 9" x 12"

Polly Shindler, Black Floral Couch with Ceiling Fan, 2018, acrylic on canvas, 20” x 16”

Polly Shindler, View From Balcony, 2018, acrylic on canvas, 14" x 11"

Polly Shindler, Pink Couch on the Ocean, 2018, acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

Polly Shindler, Wood Credenza with Framed Geometric Painting, 2018, acrylic on canvas, 11" x 14"

Jeff Ostergren

Jeff Ostergren, Death Mask (Pink and Blue) - Cast plastic, Loestrin (birth control), Ciprofloxacin, Zoloft, Strattera, Viagra, pigment - 2017 - 14” x 9” x 3”

Jeff Ostergren is a multimedia artist working in sculpture, painting, performance, and digital video. His work tackles addiction, desire, corporate greed, legal drug abuse, philosophy, and gender among other things. In much of his art Jeff examines the ways in which our bodies absorb substances like pharmaceuticals and processed food and are altered by them. He also investigates how the corporate messaging for these products can lead us into a physical and psychological dependency while at the same time becoming its own kind of mind-altering and habit forming drug. 

Follow Jeff on Instagram @jeffostergren and be sure to visit his website.

[Podcast Transcript]

Please find the works discussed on The First Stop below:

An interview with the Jeff Ostergren, an artist who makes art using crushed pharmaceuticals and processed "food." Go to https://www.firststopart.com to view accompanying images. Jeff is a multimedia artist working in sculpture, painting, performance, and digital video. His work tackles addiction, desire, corporate greed, legal drug abuse, philosophy, and gender among other things. In much of his work Jeff examines the ways in which our bodies absorb and are altered by pharmaceuticals and processed food, as well as the way in which the corporate messaging for these products leads us into a dependency for these substances while also becoming its own kind of mind altering drug.

Jeff Ostergren, Ask Your Doctor, Single Channel Digital Video, 2:34, 2009.

La Mer d’artista (Second Movement), Single Channel Digital Video, 6:44, 2009.

Jeff Ostergren, Multiplier - Corn Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, 5 Hour Energy, Pharmaceuticals (Viagra, Zoloft, Rozerem, Luvox, Strattera, Tofranil, Lunesta, Birth Control, Luvox, Ciprofloxacin), Ivory Wave "Bath Salts", Jack3D Fruit Punch Flavor Workout Supplement, Mio Water Enhancer, Robitussin DM Cough Syrup, Linseed Oil, and Oil Paint on Canvas - 28" x 22" - 2014.

[From the synthetic paintings series]

Jeff Ostergren, Profit, Mio Water Enhancer on Canvas - 66.5" x 37.5" - 2013.

[From the synthetic paintings series]

Jeff Ostergren, Split Screen - Oil Paint, Acrylic, Birth Control, Enamel, Flashe, Gouache, Green Superfood, Luvox, Mirapex, Blkwater Energy Drink, Purell Hand Sanitizer, Sea Salt, Scope, Sharpie Oil Markers, and Viagra on two canvases - 40" x 60" - 2017.

Jeff Ostergren, It's Your Future, Be There - Oil Paint and Pharmaceuticals on Magazine Ad - 2015 - 11.5" x 17"