~ANDY MISTER & MICHELE ZALOPANY: BIG PICTURE . . GALERIE MANQUE – OPENS TO-NITE / FRI SEPT 9

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION . . . not to be taken, lightly.
on both sides of the . . equation.

EXPRESSIVE DRAWING . . . compelled by ‘aggressive’ events & ‘re-constructed’ on a large pictorial scale . . not to be missed.

GALERIE MANQUE . .

a new, recurring pop-up venue in Bushwick, will be presenting what looks to be . .
a sure-fire / fire-cracker of a ‘skills’ & ‘context’ relevant show featuring . . the awesome, political-in-tone, historical and impassioned . . realist hand-drawing, photo-based work . . of ANDY MISTER, & introducing us to the equally dynamic mind-set / skill-set . . of MICHELE ZALOPANY.

what makes this exhibit look so promising & compelling . . besides the fact that the images speak worlds – is their ‘mural-size’ (approx 8 x 13 ft.), decisiveness, and yet over-all ‘restrained’ expressionism – combined with an off-beat & emotional . . photo ‘tonality’.

what I find so personally fascinating about both artists’ work, is how each finds their own ways – to infuse what might have just been ‘photo-realism’ . . with a sense of ‘the hand’, behind the realism. (without falling into rustic expressionism). a certain ‘styl-ism’, as opposed to a straight-out / flat-out hyper-realism – that really steals . . the day.

again, if you are at a loss to begin breaking down the ‘style’ quotient, start with the unique ‘tonality’ – animating each artist’s work – the differing ‘vibe’ & over-all hue for what’s supposedly monochrome, almost photo-realism – couldn’t be richer in ‘imagination’ and pure artist expression.
translate: think Instagram or photo-shop . . ‘filter’.

in the vast sea of non-stop abstract “surfaces” & non-distinct “merging & morphing” human & organic ‘forms’, both sculptural & on canvas – that is currently threatening to drown the scene entirely . . . this show stands – gloriously . . apart.

the exhibition was organized by the gallery’s curator: GEORGE METESKY
and, he did a . . knock-out job. seriously.

‘BIG PICTURE’ – ANDY MISTER & MICHELE ZALOPANY
opens FRI SEPT 9, 2016 / 6-9 PM
the show runs thru SEPT 25, 2016
GALERIE MANQUE, 56 BOGART ST, 1R, BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN.

andy-mister-london-drawing

ANDY MISTER, ‘London’, graphite on paper, 94 x 150 in.

Brooklyn-based “ANDY MISTER . . depicts a very active (translate: aggressive ?) attempt on the part of Scotland Yard to ‘kettle’ a crowd of 5,000 protesters at a G20 summit in London in 2009 . . the cordoning off held the crowd – which included both violent and peaceful protesters, as well as bystanders – without access to food or lavatory facilities, while riot police pushed into the crowd with batons and shields . . for a number of hours.”

michele-zalopany-line-up-drawing

MICHELE ZALPANY, ‘Line-Up’, pastel on canvas, 88 x 156 in.

“MICHELLE ZALPANY, a Detroit native . . depicts a moment from the events that occurred in connection with the Sojourner Truth Homes in Detroit, in 1942. White Residents had vehemently opposed the creation of this federal housing project for blacks who had recently relocated to the city. On the date scheduled for the first residents to occupy the apartments, the prospective tenants were pelt with rocks and otherwise harassed by crowds of angry whites. A large number of black residents soon appeared to help the would-be occupants. The confrontation continued to escalate as the day went on. In response to the conflict, police arrested more than 200 blacks and 3 whites.”

see: ANDY MISTER – PORTFOLIO WEBSITE

see: MICHELE ZALOPANY – PORTFOLIO WEBSITE

note: images are courtesy the artists and GALERIE MANQUE