Saturday, September 14th
dnj Gallery's opening reception for two of its current exhibitions, “Radiate”, by Karen Amy Finkel Fishof and “Aquatic Figments”, by Ryan Linke.
"Radiate" (in the Main Gallery) is a collection of photograms, camera-less images that are made by placing objects on sensitized paper, and exposing all to light. According to Finkel Fishof, this technique allows her to share her thoughts and ideas, and “I consider it drawing with light. It gives me the strong imagery and narrative, with hidden subtleties, … ” The artwork explores themes such as religion, parenting and politics. “Protest”, for instance, asks several questions regarding the Women’s March in 2017. “What was going through the minds of the women at the Women's March? Why were they there? Did they have a common purpose or did they come for different reasons?”
Born in the Bronx, Finkel Fishof became involved in the New York art scene in the 1980s, frequenting clubs with other known artists, such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, She apprenticed under artist, Marylyn Dintenfass and was greatly influenced by her dynamic color schemes and thematic artworks. Finkel Fishof attended Syracuse University where she received a BFA in painting. She studied a year abroad at St. Martins School of Art, London, UK, where she first started creating photograms under the same professors that worked with Gilbert and George. Finkel Fishof has generated art in a variety of settings, such as window display business creating designs for Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Dress Barn and HMV record stores. She then took courses in graphic design, which introduced her to arranging the details on a flat surface. Presently, a large amount of her work is in private collections.
In Gallery II, dnj Gallery introduces Ryan Linke with a project entitled “Aquatic Figments.”
His large-scale, wood panels merge colorful, photographic images with the pigment and
texture of a base material. An example of such combination is “Infinite Horizons,” which
especially illustrates the cross of colors between the image and the wood. Linke’s natural
color palette is inspired by the uniqueness of our massive ocean. His work becomes
almost meditative, and focuses our concentration on a single point of reference. According
to Ryan Linke, “There are certain places where natural elements create landscapes that
seem ethereal; unique colors that only happen a few times of year.”
Linke graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz, which allowed him to remain on the coast and continue his investigation of the water. He has since sold his artwork both commercially and privately, and exhibits his work in various venues around California. Ryan Linke lives and works in Venice, California.
