Summer Group Show of Innovative Artists At Axelle Fine Arts Galerie July 22, 2010

Axelle Fine Arts Galerie is pleased to present a summer group installation featuring Albert Hadjiganev, Francois Bard, and Brian Stephens from July 20, 2010 until August 7, 2010.

Albert Hadjiganev captures the simple moments of daily life with only a few elements. In approaching a canvas, he reflects, “I do not know what is to come; it is the canvas that decides….I become very small.” Hadjiganev freely transfigures reality to create a mysterious environment filled with grace; depicting landscapes, interiors and nudes, he invites the viewer to experience their depth and intimacy. His choice technique and deep sensitivity allow him to “put his heart in his paintings” and invites the viewer to meditate and dream. In essence Hadjiganev believes in allowing his work to reflect his philosophy on life, “One does not need to say too much to say it all.”

Francois Bard experiences a magnificent dimension when observing his subject and is determined to represent the physical and metaphysical in each work. Bard's bold canvases demonstrate his fascination for the horizon, which recalls the vast limits of human existence and expresses the light and dark, the seen and unseen. His subject matters are an endless exercise of composition, rhythm and struggle that involve multiple layers of oil and medium. The result provides an in-depth work, where one can experience the complexity of what is known and unknown and question the vitality of each theme. There is freshness to Bard’s paintings that are particularly impressive due to a paucity of sentimentality and lack of being cliché.

Brian Stephens interprets the rural landscapes of Connecticut with its inhabitants. Continuously inspired by his environment, Stephens depicts animals with a humanistic quality. His figures at time approach the viewer from a layered abstract background of varied horizontal vantage points. This allows the viewer to connect to the balance he represents in nature between animals, figures, and/or children. Working with a palette knife, Stephens manipulates the layered paint's texture to create movement amongst his subjects. Further, he explores a type of patterned texture with the use of imprinted circles of various sizes. These impressions create various focal points for the observer and one may take in the balance in his compositions.

We invite you to view our summer group installation July 20 – August 7, 2010. Visit us this season at Axelle Fine Arts Galerie, 535 w. 25th street, New York, www.axelle.com.