Milena Naef
Dutch artist Milena Naef, based in Amsterdam, comes from a lineage of stone sculptors stretching back four generations. Immersed in
The artist Jeff Elrod currently splits his time between Marfa, Texas, and New York. Back in the late ’90s, he refined his approach to abstraction. For instance by taking the Warholian or Christopher Woolian tactic of rerouting the painter’s touch with more industrial tools one step further: Elrod favors the mouse. He creates a series of smooth, vector-based, free-style design motifs — the backgrounds of Illustrator- and Photoshop-mimicking modernist color-field paintings.
Ultimately there is no foreground or background. The hyper-smooth surfaces resist any impressionistic sanctuary. The fast, sinuous marks that cut across the color are not weighted with the fragility of the human hand. But the marks are familiar, at least for anyone who has spent time in front of a graphics software program, and they are made by hand.
In the early days, Elrod would station a camera behind his shoulder, and as he scrawled dozens of designs on the screen. Then he’d take pictures that he’d turn into slides, select, and project onto a canvas. Afterward, he’d mark off the white computer lines with masking tape before applying his all-over palates of acrylic or spray paint.
‘I use automatic drawing as a device to make images with,’ he explains. ‘But I’m a formalist painter. It’s always about the form, the composition. My task is to get the painting off the screen and onto the canvas.’
Nevertheless, Elrod’s mediation still happens with his use of the mouse between him and the machine. ‘I’m very comfortable with the screen,’ he says. ‘For me, it’s a very natural way to draw. The space is a screen instead of a window.’
When Elrod first began showing in New York in 2000, he was perceived cautiously as a curious talent. Although, in the past year, the art world seems to have caught on to his prognostic experimentation. In fact, that might have to do with our increasing comfort with the screen and our changing relationship with digital intermediaries. After all, to see an Elrod up close is not to see an inferior rendition of a Photoshop file. It is to witness the points at which the human hand tirelessly works the surface to leave a clean trace.
Overall Elrod’s paintings may be the least convertible artworks for a web browser.
Dutch artist Milena Naef, based in Amsterdam, comes from a lineage of stone sculptors stretching back four generations. Immersed in
Born in Romania and raised in Spain, Denis Cherim is a photographer who has made Madrid both his home and
Delving into the intricate realms of time, potential energy, and archaeology, Danish artist Johan Rosenmunthe carves his distinctive niche in
Los Angeles-based street artist Thrashbird is widely praised for his rebellious billboard takeovers and political content. He portrays relevant social
Sander Wassink, a Dutch artist, shines a light on the often-overlooked. He transforms discarded objects and crumbling structures, challenging our
Amidst Australia’s awe-inspiring vistas, Tamara Dean stands as a visual poet, writing verses not with words, but with lenses and
Forever Studio, based in the Netherlands, searches for unfamiliar combinations in autonomous and commercial design. Launched by Bienke Domenie &
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Vikenti Komitski is currently based in Berlin. He graduated Sculpture in NAA in Sofia and Master’s
Originally from Örebro, Sweden, artist Tobias Bradford now splits his time between Stockholm and London. His work examines the gray
Independent Art & Design Gallery 0→1 © 2024
Stay in the loop with 0→1. Join our email list for curated news, artist highlights, and exclusive collections. No spam, just art. Unsubscribe anytime.
We use cookies to improve your browsing experience; details in our Privacy Policy →