Ebb & Flow brings together artists whose work draws upon the rhythms and cycles of nature and its elements. Their influences encompass patterns, geometry, and movement in nature, as well as landscape, flowers, and the ocean. Illia Barger redefines floral painting with her large-scale paintings focusing on the shadows and texture in the petals of flowers. As if responding to Georgia O’Keefe, her luxurious and indulgent subjects glisten with personality and complexity in their focus and simplicity. The introspective and psychological space in Mary Ellen Bartley’s photographs of the sea provides a self-reflective atmosphere. They are poignant and minimal while maintaining the vastness of the horizon. Tom Brydelsky uses the process of encaustic to conceal and reveal his natural subjects, from cherry blossoms to Central Park. Layers of encaustic are poured in soft grids over the photographs, juxtaposing the looseness of nature and the control of the hand. Aakash Nihalani’s work brings to mind patterns in nature among other things. He plays with perception and perspective in a refreshing and deliberate format. Bright colors of tape are applied to a surface responding to a place or a space. His powder coated aluminum sculptures and acrylic paintings are more contained but still deal with similar concerns. Will Ryman is known for his large-scale sculpture and public art works. He uses the iconography of familiar objects such as flowers and birds, and makes them all consuming – larger than life, bringing to mind a more solid and structured Claes Oldenberg. Scale is an important feature of his work, as is the texture of his chosen materials. Beatricia Sagar’s paintings incorporate texture, mark making and color. Edges of sections are defined and she organizes the space for the viewer so there is a sense of calm and order amidst the movement, activity, and life of her work. Russell Sharon’s paintings are derivative of landscapes and utilize gestural abstraction and an emotional response to command a multi-layered and activated surface. The work of Donald Sultan reflects on mass culture and the provocative drama of the pressures of space within a landscape or still life as a commentary on content and form.

The dynamic environment that is created when the work of all these talented artists is combined encompasses its own cycle and complexity. Various textures, patterns, and colors are all held together within the framework of being influenced in some way by nature and its many roles in our lives and world.

Illia Barger
Mary Ellen Bartley
Tom Brydelsky
John Grande
Irene Mamiye
David Moore
Jeff Muhs
Aakash Nihalani
Will Ryman
Beatricia Sagar
Russell Sharon
Donald Sultan