Z. McCarthy Artwork at ArtBravo Group Show September 25, 2008

The 3rd Annual ArtBRAVO! visual art competition will showcase fifty 2D works of art, ten sculptures/3D works of art, ten Jewelry/small wares and several alternatives selected to represent the finest examples of art work being produced by today’s local South Florida artists. Entries were judged & juried by Elaine D. Gustafson, Director of Exhibitions & Collections and Curator of Contemporary Art at the Tampa Museum of Art.

Included in the selection is Z. McCarthy's "Negative Perspective Collage 1". The Negative Perspective Collage is a unique and original technique created by Z. McCarthy. This technique has gained much recognition and awards over the past year.

For McCarthy's recent body of work, the artist has been producing colorful relief style paintings that combine paint with handmade paper collage. These 3D works are based on art theory. The forms incorporated in the abstract works are based on scientific bio-scans. Using art theory, the artist has been pushing the mediums of paint and collage and working to overcome the challenge of creating a technique that will produce images that captivate the viewer. This collage technique is called the Negative Perspective Collage.

The Negative Perspective Collage uses a build up of McCarthy's own handmade paper, color theory and the grid to create a visual push and pull of space on a traditional canvas. The collaged areas protrude outward several inches off the canvas and visually appear as if they are receding in space. The painted areas have a volumetric appearance that look as if they are visually popping out. While exploring the process, McCarthy has employed Hans Hofmann’s theory, that an artist must be able to translate his or her own inner world into a medium, being careful to acknowledge both its limitation and its strengths (1). McCarthy plans to continue with the experimentation and create a large body of work over the next few years.

McCarthy has a BFA in Painting and Graphic Design as well as a BA in Art History and credits the interdisciplinary education with the ability to create and experiment in order to produce an extraordinary visual experience based on art theory.

Exhibit date:

- September 16, 2008: Exhibit opens to the public
- September 25, 2008 Reception and Awards Ceremony 6:30-9:00pm
- October 17, 2008: Exhibit closes

More of the artist's work can be seen at:
http://zmccarthy.com/

1. Cynthia Goodman, Hans Hofmann (New York, Abberville Press, 1986)

Official Website: http://www.artserve.org/