Bill Brady Gallery in Miami recently extended the duration of their show which we got to check out during Art Basel week. (MID-EXPLOSION) is a solo debut by the Los Angeles-based, Miami-born artist, Austyn Weiner, consisting of all new custom shape canvases that are stepping away from her earlier, more figurative-based work.
In her past, Weiner's work revolved almost strictly around the traditional figure, through which she was telling her personal narratives of travel and intimacy. The cluster installation of all rectangle pieces, included in this show, acts as a perfect example. Over time, her practice evolved into a ritual of self-exploration, resulting in even looser, more expressive, vibrant and texture-rich pieces on canvas.
Composed inside of custom-shaped forms, the new paintings are keeping some of the figurative elements, while intertwined with expressive gestures and scribble-like elements. For (MID-EXPLOSION), the gallery recreated their entry door to match the odd shape of the works, or as we were told, the actual door to artist's studio in LA. Homogenous in their unorthodox format and consistent color choice, each of the complex and multi-layered images is an ode to the chaos that permeates one's life. Portraying both romance and rejection, safety and danger, solitude and company, the forces of duality are presented through rich coats of a variety of mediums. Utilizing everything from charcoal, house paint, crayon, acrylic, to oil paint and oil stick, Weiner creates a vibrant texture that accents the energetic and intuitive feel of the work process behind it. As explained by the artist, these paintings are a very personal way of expressing herself and fitting the unpredictive nature of the human psyche, often done in one session without interruptions, but also turn into a seemingly neverending task with no end in sight. —Sasha Bogojev
