Introductions 2012 March 10, 2012

Introductions 2012

This year, ArtZone 461 organized its first search by juried competition for Introductions 2012 Artists. We held our last Introductions show in 2010 and today continue to work with fine painters from that show.

The goal of Introductions is to present examples of works from both emerging and established painters that are at the same time diverse and individual as they are cohesive, complimentary and contemporary. Five artists captured the attention of our distinguished Jurors and won their place in this exhibition: Lynette Cook, James Edmonds, Lara Hoke, Hadley Northrop, and Elena Zolotnitsky. The Gallery also invited the artists that received honorable mention to contribute a work for the show so all top 10 artists are represented. They are: Amanda Bereny, Heather Capen, Diana Lee, Sonja Navin, and Deborah Stenberg-Service.

ArtZone is pleased to present a talented new group of painters whom we see as having successful careers ahead of them and a great fit with our current stable of accomplished artists. Please join us for a public artists reception Saturday March 10th 5-8 pm.

About the Artists:
Lynette Cook, inspired by the 'everyday' environment, is convinced that the mundane has, upon further contemplation, extraordinary beauty, and complexity. She is especially drawn to patterns of light and shadow and fascinated by architectural detail. For Cook these patterns are a metaphor for the human experience. Lynette got her MFA from the California College of Art in 1984. She currently lives in Daly City.

James Edmonds' inspiration comes from a combination of classic 19th century style and current impulse. Observing and humbly interpreting, Edmonds creates images that stand apart from the ordinary. His goal is to bring classical skills sets to a contemporary context. James earned a BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah (Summa Cum Laude) and now resides and works in San Francisco.

Lara Hoke's recent work presents Oakland at night; she captures the darkness and light of city's streets. These paintings explore the moments between here and there, evoking a combination of fear, expectation, and familiarity. "I am especially interested in light, form, and line and how they work together to create space and emotional atmosphere." Lara studied Art in Rome, Italy and received a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh. She currently lives in Oakland.

Hadley Northrop paints colorful scenes in oil on canvas. She paints the kind of people whose appearance catches her eye and places that look magical. An old world looking pub shining out in the night may inspire wonder and wistfulness. Northrop's paintings evoke an immediate feeling of recognition. Rich colors, softness of line and the velvety texture of oil paint create an atmosphere of warmth. Hadley earned her BFA from the University of California at Los Angeles. She lived in England before settling in San Francisco in 1997. Her paintings are in private collections throughout America and England.

Elena Zolotnitsky's inspiration is Beauty. Over the past few years her art has become increasingly personal and intimate, focusing more on the raw physicality of painting. Her medium is oil paint, sometimes using gold leaf to increase spectrum and bringing in more drama in shape. Zolotnitsky's goal is to create paintings that are both well-crafted and probe deeply into the mystery of the medium itself, widening the spectrum of that which is portrayed. That is what art does, she thinks: "it transforms energy of labor into feelings". Zolotnitsky earned a MFA in her native Moscow and have exhibited in the U.S since 1992 and in San Francisco since 2001.

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ArtZone 461 Gallery
461 Valencia Street (between 15th & 16th)
San Francisco, CA 94103

415.441.8680
www.artzone461.com
press@artzone461.com

Gallery Hours:  12-6 pm Wednesday-Sunday, any time by appointment

Official Website: http://artzone461.com