Throughout history, women have been more commonly recalled as muses than artists. Caitlin Karolczak lays claim to both, using both self-portraiture and other imagery in reclamation of identity. Her art practice also exhibits a preoccupation with the male portrait, examining prevalent notions of fetishization and oft-not-seen vulnerability. Karolczak’s richly layered works combine age-old painting techniques with bold, contemporary mediums. Featuring countless brushstrokes and translucent layers of pigment combined with uncommonly used mediums such as neon, enamel and metal leaf, Karolczak’s work truly stands out in the genre of figurative art.
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Caitlin Karolczak was born on Minnesota’s Iron Range. She attended the University of MN at 16, where she received a BFA in Fine Arts and a BA in Art History with an emphasis in 19th century medical photography.
In addition to painting Karolczak, pursues installation, sculpture, and performance art, often incorporating objects of biology and antiquity from her personal collection.
Karolczak has exhibited internationally in Bogotá, Vancouver, New York, Miami, Minneapolis, Belgium, Germany and more. Her work is in numerous collections across the US as well as Australia, South America, UK, Canada, Israel & South Africa. She has been interviewed by art publications in Australia, South America, Croatia, & the USA.
Image: Caitlin Karolczak, Recoil, Oil and encaustic on canvas, 48" x 72". 2022
Mark Porter was born in Warwick, Rhode Island, but is based in Brooklyn, where he has established a studio that merges sculpture, installation, and innovative construction techniques across mediums. Trained in classical sculpture, Mark worked as Boaz Vaadia’s assistant, finding a great affinity in the artist’s use of space and the natural environment in his sculptures.
While Mark does not deliberately court controversy, his combination of the beautiful and the disturbing rendered with a precise technique and modern mindset can lead the casual observer to mistake him for a provocateur. The greater narrative in this work, however, relates to an understanding of the truth that is revealed in the interaction between materials, form, and gesture. In this revelation, strength may be cast in disposable plastics while fragile subtle elements are embodied in steel.