Conrad Marca-Relli  (1913-2000)  collage on canvas 54.3"x 67.7"
www.ronchinigallery.com

Marca-Relli was an american born of Italian immigrant parents in Boston, Mass. He attended Cooper Union and would become part of the abstract expressionist movement in the mid century. His work was influenced by Italian painters Alberto Burri (1915-1995) Georgio Morandi and De Chirico. Architecture, the figure and the natural world were the touchstones for his  compositions. Although his style would be mimicked by countless designers and found on everything from curtains to fabric design in the 50's and 60's, his unique vision and commitment to that vision still captivate today.

Anja Schwoerer  "Untitled"  38"x34"  2001 bleach on fabric


www.nicellebeauchene.com

Schwoerer's painting is hand intensive, reductive, additive and evocative. All the afore mentioned are elements used by good painters. Her process of dying the fabrics of her paintings via a batik method using bleach on velvet or linen is not new, however, the application of this technique in her hands yields extraordinary results. Her statement "making ornaments to express the indescribable" is an apt description of her process based painting that is infused with a mystics eye for the sublime.