Andrew Chalfen is all about color. His crisp lines that divide the colors and vibrant patterns make his work distinct and easily recognizable. The piece in our Benefit’s auction, Tangle, is different than his other pieces, though. The piece diverges from the straight lines that categorize his work and replaces them with curved lines that intersect multiple times; the colors that he usually keeps so separated are integrated in the naturalistic form. Chalfen makes sure to maintain his signature use of bright colors, though. As he says in his artwork description, “Chalfen works with a… subtle variation of timbre of color palate, rhythm, and randomization.” The rhythm of Tangle may differ from his typical artwork, but the quintessential Chalfen style persists.
You can compare and contrast Tangle with Chalfen’s other work at InLiquid’s exhibition HATCH, running at Park Towne Place from now until March 31st.
Elyce Abrams works with the inherent anxiety that is ubiquitous in contemporary society. Back and Forth, her piece in our auction, portrays this anxiety, but gives a glimmer of hope within this feeling of angst. The wintry black and white are contoured by yellow lines that control and contain the bleakness it represents. The whole painting moves, representing the “constantly shifting reality” we are subjected to daily. The yellow, black, and white don’t work against each other, but in fact coexist the same way our emotions fluctuate within a day, if not an hour or even a minute. The colors translate the “relationship between abundant joy and deep concern” onto the canvas for us to connect to.
Even if you don’t walk away from our Benefit with Abrams’s piece, you can view some of her other works in Catalyst, on view at The Yard from January 29th to April 30th.
Tiantian Li only recently got her MFA from PAFA in 2018, but she has exhibited her work at numerous galleries in China and Philadelphia. Her piece in the 2019 Benefit auction, Love Me More–sweetie 3, is apart of her signature Love Me More series. The common thread is a cat-like figure that sits in the corner of the painting, covered in a multitude of globs of paint in varying colors and shades. Her piece is uniquely colorful while being equally demure and subtle. The aesthetics of Love Me More gently invites the viewer to examine each dot of color, finding the patterns within its seemingly random color palette. Every stroke is deliberate; every color is intimately attached to the one beside it.
Tiantian Li’s pieces are in Catalyst alongside Elyce Abrams. In the exhibition is another work in the Love Me More–sweetie series, as well as standalone works that showcase her diverse artistic talents and aesthetics.
New member Jocelyn Hill doesn’t shy away from the dirty aspects of modern life in Philadelphia; instead she brings these issues facing our community to the forefront. Her piece You Come From A Long Line tackles the issues of heroin abuse in the greater Philly area, with needles protruding out from a railroad track. Upon first glance, the neon colors Jocelyn uses seem playful and childlike. Additionally, though, these colors are a confrontation, a statement that you can’t ignore; they “explore the complicated narrative that is addiction and sickness and the intersection with politics.” Jocelyn spends a lot of time around the train tracks because of her job as a lawyer and lobbyist for a freight railroad based in Philadelphia, and the viewer can tell by looking at You Come From A Long Line that she is passionate about helping to expose and solve Philly’s issues.
Jocelyn was one of InLiquid’s new member artists featured in the recent exhibition New Now II. We are looking forward to seeing more of Jocelyn’s work in the future!
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