Michael Peck’s artistic practice is concerned with the sensation of disorientation and dislocation that is often felt within the post modern world. Exploring issues regarding the loss of cultural identity, his work particularly focuses on the effects within minority groups and individuals existing on the fringe who are challenged to assimilate within the larger community. (more)

Michael Peck was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1977.

Previously on Skandalon : Paul Roberts, photorealistic paintings of bodies in or on water.

About Aaron Romine:

In Aaron Romine’s recent paintings his characters have become stand-ins for something larger. Although obviously recognizable as specific people (they are all actually his friends), the work is contemplative and the scenes are a commentary on current culture. His painstaking paintings have become psychological allegories. He has looked past pure sexuality into how his subjects relate to each other, pushing their relationships to a level of intimacy. While influenced by such artists as Manet, Piazetta, Gaugin, Sargent, and Velazquez, his work has recently veered away from (strictly) historical references. (PragueBiennale.org).

First spotted via This Isn’t Happiness.

Previously on Skandalon.

Artist statement:

“I use photos as references for my drawings but I am not after a perfect reproduction at all. I use a photo very loosely once the proportions are established. I usually work as if I were drawing from a live model actually. I work with movement and expression, working fast on larger, more unimportant areas, and slowing down on parts that need more attention. I am actually improvising a lot. My main concern is to capture the essence and substance of forms in order to get close to a perceptible presence of the subject.” (more)

Check Dirk Dzimirsky’s blog.

Previously on Skandalon

Previously on Skandalon

About Tony Curanaj:

“Tony Curanaj (b. 1973) was born and raised in New York. He is a young, dynamic, multi-talented painter who studied at the School of Visual Arts, The National Academy of Design and the acclaimed Water Street Atelier.

Curanaj’s style is illustrative, stemming from his multifarious involvement in a myriad of artistic endeavors. Although his focus was always on classical painting, Tony did start his fine art career as an innovator and a legendary influence in the worldwide graffiti scene (known as “SUB”), and a founder of the esteemed “D.F” crew. His reputation for executing work of the highest quality landed him at Disney as a head designer and painter before his decision to concentrate solely on his love for representational realism.” (more)

See more oh his paintings at the John Pence Gallery.

Previously on Skandalon : Paul Roberts.

About Denis Peterson:

“Denis Peterson was one of the first Photorealists to emerge in New York. He is widely acknowledged as the pioneer and primary architect of Hyperrealism which was founded upon the aesthetic principles of Photorealism. Author Graham Thompson wrote “One demonstration of the way photography became assimilated into the art world is the success of photorealist painting in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is also called super-realism or hyper-realism and painters like Richard Estes, Denis Peterson, Audrey Flack, and Chuck Close often worked from photographic stills to create paintings that appeared to be photographs.” (wikipedia)

Visit his official website.

Previously on Skandalon.

Eric Zener is “California artist creating figurative work with underwater themes.” Read an article about Zener’s work by Jessica Lyons: “Swimming strong: Eric Zener creates narrative paintings that float between introspection and escapism.” (2004)

I first came to know this artist via Pasa La Vida.

Artist’s statement: “My work mirrors individuals’ private moments of introspection. I find myself compelled to capture the moments when a strong desire and need to feel comfortable in one’s own skin are present. Similarly, I want to capture a person’s attempt at reconnecting or discovering some form of greater magic (conventionally speaking, God) and the candid instant when a person reveals how far he or she feels from that magic.

In my most recent series, I explore the pervasive influence of commercialism on an individual’s psychology. To elicit a reaction beyond the status quo, I chose to implement advertising trends that will potentially appear in the near future. This work which features various corporate logos, was not intentionally created for a company’s commercial purposes, but instead to permit mutual exploitation by allowing the display of the company’s logo on my paintings. The aim of the series is to prompt reflection and introspection by the viewer of the psychological violations and absurdness of most advertising.” (Robert Standish biography). His official website.