“The universal language of humanity spanning across time and geography informs my work.”
– Kayla Bischoff

"Jibber Jabber" by Kayla Bischoff, 36x36in, acrylic on canvas (2015) $525 | BUY NOW — *"Jibber Jabber" by Kayla Bischoff, 36x36in, acrylic on canvas (2015) $525 | BUY NOW*

Masks have been a crucial element in religious iconography, particularly in primitive cultures, and by extension, visual art, which is, of course, how we know about those ancient worlds. Kayla Bischoff’s paintings are filled with faces rendered in simple terms that are nonetheless highly expressive. It is the most immediate way of identifying her work, and these most recent pieces reveal an ever-developing subtlety and variation in her painting. The artist describes it this way: “Gaping mouths, shrugging shoulders, flailing arms, and cackling faces occupy the surface in an overcrowded frenzy. On the surface my paintings are vibrant and playful; however, I invite the viewer to peer closer into the cluttered surface of detailed disorder to discover many of the abstracted figures experiencing some inner trepidation.”

“The style in which I paint is a balance of abstraction, representation, spontaneous expression, and conscious decisions. The characters are hurriedly drawn in frenzy, and then built upon with several layers of paint to enhance the depth of the surface. I convey my ideas in paintings because the immediacy allows for uninhibited mark making. The tactile nature of the paint feels authentic while connecting me to the earliest form of human visual expression.”

"Vamoose (diptych)" by Kayla Bischoff, 10x10in (each), acrylic on panel (2015) $275 | BUY NOW — *"Vamoose (diptych)" by Kayla Bischoff, 10x10in (each), acrylic on panel (2015) $275 | BUY NOW*

In “Vamoose” the figures are strikingly evocative of famous ancient formations such as Stonehenge and Easter Island, and Bischoff is clear that the references are intentional: “I seek to create a connection between contemporary art and that of past civilizations. I reference ancient artworks, such as figurines and masks from various cultures — Andean, Mesoamerican, Japanese, African, Aboriginal, etc. The universal language of humanity spanning across time and geography informs my work. The use of stylized figures acts as a communicative shorthand of body language and facial expressions. I am also greatly inspired by modern artists such as Keith Haring, Jean Dubuffet, and Elizabeth Murray. Through the playfully chaotic layers of figurative abstraction, my work comments on the plight of the individual and humanity as a whole.”

"Alter Egos" by Kayla Bischoff, 60x40in, acrylic & fabric on canvas (2016) $825 | BUY NOW — *"Alter Egos" by Kayla Bischoff, 60x40in, acrylic & fabric on canvas (2016) $825 | BUY NOW*

Bischoff’s second solo show Push/Pull: Paintings by Kayla Bischoff will be on exhibit February 1 - 26 at the Krempp Gallery in Jasper, Indiana. There is an opening reception February 2, from 5-7pm.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 24
Education: BA, (Magna Cum Laude) Studio Art: Painting Emphasis/Minors in Art History & Psychology, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY, 2014
Website: http://www.kaylabischoff.com/
Gallery Representative: Galerie Hertz

"The Watchers" by Kayla Bischoff, 24x26in, acrylic & fabric n canvas (2017) $475 | BUY NOW — *"The Watchers" by Kayla Bischoff, 24x26in, acrylic & fabric n canvas (2017) $475 | BUY NOW*

"Don't Lose Your Head" by Kayla Bischoff, 40x40in, acrylic on canvas (2016) $625 | BUY NOW — *"Don't Lose Your Head" by Kayla Bischoff, 40x40in, acrylic on canvas (2016) $625 | BUY NOW*

"Petty Pile" by Kayla Bischoff, 48x30in, acrylic on canvas (2015) $575 | BUY NOW — *"Petty Pile" by Kayla Bischoff, 48x30in, acrylic on canvas (2015) $575 | BUY NOW*

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Painting

Vignette: John Brooks

Josh Jenkins · October 20, 2016

*A photograph of John Brooks in his studio.*

"All Of A Sudden You Made Him Laugh" by John Brooks, 20x24in, oil on board (2016), $800 | BUY NOW — *"All Of A Sudden You Made Him Laugh" by John Brooks, 20x24in, oil on board (2016), $800* *| BUY NOW*

If you approach John Brooks’ with no foreknowledge of him or his work, his paintings may strike you as primitive, or an example of ‘folk art’. We might begin by acknowledging the limitations of visual art nomenclature, which often seems designed to pigeonhole an artist; semantics aside, that reading becomes fascinating when one hears Brooks speak about his work in such thoughtful and intellectual terms. In his artist’s statement he tells us: “Regardless of subject matter or media, within each work is contained its own emotionally charged atmosphere and each work seems to have both specific and nebulous meaning.”

Earlier this year, Brooks moved into a new studio space in the Portland Neighborhood, and he thought he would use the change of space to move his work in a slightly different direction. “I've been collecting overheard phrases for years and have used them in my writing but have never previously used them in my visual work. This work is a real departure for me - it's abstract but also features the concreteness of text. But what I like about the phrases is the ambiguity they take on because they have no context. Some harmless phrases, like "Mommy Has It," even take on an air of the sinister.”

"Untitled #1" by John Brooks, 30x40in, oil on board (2016), $1800 | BUY NOW — *"Untitled #1" by John Brooks, 30x40in, oil on board (2016), $1800 | BUY NOW*

Yet Brooks found himself turning back to more familiar ground. “Thinking about the sinister and multi-dimensional meaning in that series of text-based paintings led me to return to my previous subject matter - faces - but with an eye on the mood of uncertainty that's seemingly overtaken the world, at least here in the US. This is a series still very much in progress, but they are about the zeitgeist, all that's happening in 2016: the fear of terror, the fear of unknown, the fear of ‘the other’.” Brooks certainly does see the new work as undeniably political, but he also believes they have an individual identity of their own; both personal and universal.

Brooks is a Kentucky native. He studied Political Science and English literature at the College of Charleston, in South Carolina, and art at Central St. Martins and the Hampstead School of Art in London, England. His work is held in private collections in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Germany, and India. Brooks has exhibited extensively in the United Kingdom and Europe, as well as Art Chicago. He moved back to Louisville, KY after several years in Chicago, Illinois. His last solo exhibition in Louisville, It Is So Beautiful Here, was at Swanson Contemporary in May 2015.

Hometown: Frankfort, KY
Age: 38
Education: BA in Political Science, College of Charleston; Studied art in England at Central St. Martins College of Art and Design, the Hampstead School of Art and the Camden Art Centre
Website: http://www.johnedwardbrooks.com

"Untitled #2" by John Brooks, 24x36in, oil on board (2016), CFP | BUY NOW — *"Untitled #2" by John Brooks, 24x36in, oil on board (2016), CFP | BUY NOW*

"Untitled #3" by John Brooks, 30x40in, oil on board (2016), $1800 | BUY NOW — *"Untitled #3" by John Brooks, 30x40in, oil on board (2016), $1800 | BUY NOW*

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Please contact josh@louisvillevisualart.org for further information on advertising through Artebella. — *Please contact* *josh@louisvillevisualart.org* *for further information on advertising through Artebella.*

Painting

Vignette: Jeremy Brightbill

Josh Jenkins · October 19, 2016

*A photograph of artist Jeremy Brightbill in studio.*

Jeremy Brightbill has been an abstract painter for years, although some level of representational imagery was present in previous work. Most recently, he is creating densely layered compositions of pure abstraction that almost have the feeling of textiles; the broad, coarse brush marks interwoven almost as strands of fiber might be worked on a loom. We anticipate tactile textures in textile work, and Brightbill’s painted surface is a primitive, elemental exploration of interconnectedness.

Yet, all of that may sound too serious for the artist himself, who emphasizes human experience and self-awareness when discussing his paintings. “My current work explores play and experiment, love and memory, and self-delusion,” explains Brightbill. “We tend to create narratives around our experiences that may or may not be accurate. This fascinates me, and, I believe, comes through in my work.”

"Blood Would Drip From The Honey" by Jeremy Brightbill, 24x24in, acrylic on wood (2016), $400 | BUY NOW — *"Blood Would Drip From The Honey" by Jeremy Brightbill, 24x24in,* *acrylic on wood (2016), $400 | BUY NOW*

Brightbill is a self-educated artist who began making artwork in Charleston, West Virginia, in the mid-nineties. In 1999, he moved to Bloomington, Indiana, where he lived and worked for just over sixteen years. He briefly lived in Annapolis, Maryland, and is currently based in Louisville, Kentucky.

You can find his work displayed in Bloomington, IN at Dimensions Gallery, and he currently has a solo show up at the offices of Sold Sisters Realty in Ripley, WV.

Age: 41
Hometown: Charleston, WV / Bloomington, IN
Education: I worked in museums for 19 years. I did not go to school for art.
Website: www.jeremybrightbill.squarespace.com

"Lost Shoes" by Jeremy Brightbill, 16x20in, acrylic on wood (2016), $200 | BUY NOW — *"Lost Shoes" by Jeremy Brightbill, 16x20in, acrylic on wood (2016), $200 | BUY NOW*

"The Best Path Is The One That I've Taken" by Jeremy Brightbill, 24x24in, acrylic on wood (2016), $400 | BUY NOW — *"The Best Path Is The One That I've Taken" by Jeremy Brightbill, 24x24in,* *acrylic on wood (2016), $400 | BUY NOW*

"Map For The Blind" by Jeremy Brightbill, 24x24in, acrylic on wood (2016), $400 | BUY NOW — *"Map For The Blind" by Jeremy Brightbill, 24x24in,* *acrylic on wood (2016), $400 | BUY NOW*

"Pretty Much The Opposite" by Jeremy Brightbill, 21x28.5 in, acrylic on wood (2016), $425 | BUY NOW — *"Pretty Much The Opposite" by Jeremy Brightbill, 21x28.5 in,* *acrylic on wood (2016), $425 | BUY NOW*

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primitive

Vignette: Kayla Bischoff

“The universal language of humanity spanning across time and geography informs my work.”– Kayla Bischoff

Vignette: John Brooks

Vignette: Jeremy Brightbill

“The universal language of humanity spanning across time and geography informs my work.”
– Kayla Bischoff