Matrix Fine Art

Sunday, October 4, 2015

The Estate of Amir Espat - First Friday Exhibition Opening

Viewers admiring Amir Espat's work

On First Friday, October 2, 2015, MATRIX Fine Art hosted a reception and exhibition opening for The Estate of Amir Espat, a special showing of the late artist's work. We were fortunate enough to be selected to host highlights from Espat's impressive body of work--and our October opening marked the first time a collection of Espat's paintings had ever been exhibited or viewed by the public.

Amir Espat's body of work spanned more than forty years of painting

Amir Espat

Amir Espat was a Latin American artist who retired in Albuquerque, NM to pursue his original passion of expressing himself on canvas. Amir’s interpretation of the world, including poverty, social injustice, suffering and pain could be seen through his art.

Espat painted surreal imagery that included Latin American magical realism.

Viewers of all ages enjoyed the opening reception

Espat's family, friends, and art lovers from the general public, came out to attend the opening

Amir was born in a small town in

Belize

in 1930. He began to demonstrate an interest in art at a very young age. Growing up, he expressed himself creatively in any way he could, be it with a paintbrush, crayons or pencils. During his early adolescence he moved to the neighboring country of

Guatemala

to complete his high school education. Though he still had the desire to create and express himself in the field of art, he realized that in order to support a family in the future he would have to pursue a different career. He moved to the

United States

where he studied and received his degree in architecture at Carnegie Tech. Upon completion of his higher education he returned to

Guatemala

to practice architecture. During the peak of his career he flourished in his field, demonstrating attributes in design which followed the great masters of the trade such as Wright, Gropius and Niemeyer.

Amir Espat's works address life itself--with both joy and suffering

Although his architectural career was full of triumphs and accomplishments, he was never entirely fulfilled. He soon returned to his original passion of expressing himself on canvas. Amir’s interpretation of the world, including poverty, social injustice, suffering and pain could be seen through his art.

"Sembrando/To Sow," Amir Espat. Oil on Canvas.

In 1978, Amir decided to retire to Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was captivated by the endless blue skies and fully immersed himself in his true passion of painting. Amir kept up with the ever-evolving mediums that came with the design world, from graphic design, to video compilations, to new technology of integrating past and present mediums. Amir continued to grow as an artist and human being and stayed current with the evolving times until the end of his days.

Amir was a well-cultured man, which attributed to his some 200-plus works of art. He was a humble man who saw much pleasure in the simple things, such as gardening and construction, but most of all painting. His love of family, life and the world can be seen through his art. Amir Espat, a true visionary, left a legacy that will live on through the canvas.

The exhibition was very crowded and well received, as friends, family and art lovers convened to experience the rich, lustrous oils and the sensitive engagement with subject that marks Espat's work. Irma Espat, the late Amir's wife, even said a few words to mark the occasion.

If you missed the opening, don't worry. You still have time to view Espat's works before they go back into private collections.

The exhibition runs October 2- 31st. Don't miss this rare opportunity to view them! They may never be assembled in one place again.

The exhibition was catered by Swiss Alps Bakery, which is owned by a member if the Espat family. They brought delicious goodies for everyone to enjoy:

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Human/Nature - Paintings by Alexander Eulert with a Mini Exhibition for Local Treasure Laura Wacha

Regina Held and visitors admiring Alexander Eulert's work

On First Friday, September 4, 2015, MATRIX Fine Art featured an exhibition opening and artist reception for our latest show, Human/Nature - Paintings by Alexander Eulert. The opening also featured a Mini Exhibition for Local Treasure Laura Wacha.

Laura Wacha, left, was recently honored with the title, Local Treasure

Alex Eulert’s paintings are abstract propositions of worlds where divergent forces coalesce into harmonious aesthetic interaction. He draws his inspiration from a life long fascination with man as an integral part of nature, his manipulation of it and nature’s process of reclaiming human creations with the passage of Time.

Eulert’s works reflect his interest in ancient civilizations and, at the same time, express the juxtaposition between the modern and progressive and the classical and timeless. Process oriented and expressionistically inclined, Eulert skillfully explores the confluence between geology and archeology, denoting a benevolent interplay between the natural and the man-made. Delicate and dynamic string lines of paint buzz and trickle around often-bold bands of color, evoking rhythmical compositions, emotional states and natural phenomena. The cubical forms are suggestive of monoliths, pueblos, golden-green fields, unearthed inlaid armor from a Homeric poem—or, at times, technology and urban constructs.

Alexander Eulert

A native of the Southern California backcountry, Eulert developed a profound connection with the desert and the life-giving force of the stream that ran through his childhood land. The topography of the place, with its boulder outcroppings, multi-layered cliffs and rugged hilltops strongly influenced his aesthetics. The five years in England as an art student cemented Eulert’s love of age-old structures and highlighted aspects of human contribution to and relationship with natural environments.

Works by Alexander Eulert

Back in San Diego County, the wildfires of 2007 had a significant impact in Eulert’s life and creative process: they swept away his home and studio, and, while rebuilding his own residence, his creative focus shifted toward architecture and landscape design. His interest in man’s interaction with nature intensified as he experienced first hand the abrupt dissolution of years of creative efforts, and took an active role in reconstructing his space while adapting to nature’s demands and challenges.

More viewers admiring Alexander's work

We also hosted a mini exhibition for Laura Wacha, in honor of her recent award from the AABA. Laura is one of 9 lucky artists to receive the permanent title of Local Treasure from the Albuquerque Arts Business Alliance, which is an incredible honor.

From the AABA website: For several years in a row, Laura has been named “Best Artist” by the readers of Albuquerque, The Magazine. This does not come as a surprise since her work is humorous, entertaining, obsessive, accessible, well-made and intelligent. She is a full time teacher, raising two children and dedicating all her spare time to creating art and sculpture, writing books and being creative on every level. Her imagination is boundless and her work continues to grow both in technique and content. Laura was very active in the community she began her personal journey through breast cancer three years ago.

Laura Wacha's Local Treasure exhibition

New sculpture by Laura Wacha

Viewers discussing Wacha's work

Laura Wacha says of her work:

I am motivated by the potential theater of the painted picture. My work is narrative in nature, and my focus is to create a visual itch that lingers in the mind like an unanswered question. On each canvas I paint images both familiar and fantastic, giving equal importance to topics domestically mundane and globally tragic or vice versa. Tucked between cartoon-like creatures and patterned backdrops are brightly colored dollops of intrigue and ambiguity that serve as an invitation for the viewer to fill in any perceived narrative blanks.

Naturally, opportunity exists in the act of painting to create a pleasurable anxiety not only through the characters present in each narrative, but also in the manner they are portrayed. Both composition and color urge that I take full advantage of their potential through balance, discord and repetition. In my work, for every action there is a reaction or rebuke, for every blue there is an orange or green, for every shape there is it’s echo and void. I work on these aesthetic aspects of my paintings rather intuitively, keeping at it until the canvas feels like the controlled explosion of design and color that best expresses the tenor I am aiming for.

Did you miss the opening reception? Don't worry. Both exhibits run through September 25, 2015.

More shots from the opening:

Friday, August 14, 2015

Exhibition Opening - Freedom and Constraint

Viewers enjoy Freedom and Constraint

On First Friday, August 7, 2015, Matrix Fine Art hosted a reception for our latest exhibition, Freedom and Constraint: Fused Glass by Lisa Chernoff & Paintings by Rachel Popowcer and Raul Dorn.

The dynamic mix of media really enlivened both the space and our visitors!

Lisa Chernoff’s fused glass pieces evoke a soothing tension between the bold use of color along with the cold density of the glass itself. She captures intricate subtleties within the layers of glass and which are reinforced by the shadows projected on the wall.

Lisa Chernoff poses with her work

A shot of Lisa's work (right), looking into the smaller gallery

Lisa Chernoff's fused glass works are a feast for the eye! Painterly and ephemeral.

Rachel Popowcer carefully builds up her paintings with layers of color and personal symbols such as hummingbirds, lines, and the female form.

Rachel Popowcer poses with her work

Rachel Popowcer's work offers a vibrant, textured experience

Work by Rachel Popowcer (right) and Lisa Chernoff (left)

Rachel Popowcer

Raul Dorn’s pieces “have no prescribed footwork - only impulse, no finger on the map - just direction. His work has become increasingly less cerebral and calibrated, gaining contact with the turbulence of painting from the gut.”