33 Contemporary

Calvin Lai collects moments. If you look through his collection you'll see oil paintings of people he's met, places he’s been, and things he’s seen. As an artist with roots in classical realism, it's important for Calvin to paint realistically, but he finds himself needing to break free from strict representation. By placing highly developed detail next to more vague shapes and brushwork, Calvin creates an expressive style that conveys what you see both physically and energetically. The result is a contemporary approach to the traditional form of realism. One that enables you to feel the subject, and not just see it. Calvin’s figurative, portraiture, and cityscape paintings challenge the classical ways art has been, and invites and encourages us to see what art can be.

In his bold paintings of contemporary men, figurative painter Alessandro Tomassetti combines his naturalistic rendering style with a tenebrous palette and dramatic lighting to create works which are at once seductive and subversive. Rather than presenting his male subjects as mythological heroes or captains of industry, Tomassetti paints to reveal their vulnerability and sensitivity. From the pose and styling to the glints of light and reflection captured in his brushwork, Tomassetti’s work manifests an intimacy most often seen in paintings of female subjects. By eschewing historic expectations—where men were typically viewers of such portraits rather than the subjects, Tomassetti’s oil paintings invite the viewer to explore and appreciate shades of contemporary masculinity outside of the norm.

Suzy Smith is a Wyoming native, who has lived in Albuquerque, NM, for the past 20 years, with stops in UT, and Northern CA along the way. She started her career learning to draw and paint in watercolor, at the local community college in her hometown of Casper, WY. Smith was recently invited to return to WY, where she had a one woman retrospective show: "Suzy Smith: Pop Realism", at the Nicolaysen Art Museum, where her work now resides in their permanent collection. Smith continued painting watercolor still life for many years, until she moved to NM where she decided to teach herself to paint in oil, and get back to her first love; figure painting. She paints women from a female perspective, painting the uniquely American culture she grew up with. Smith paints strong, sensual, and sometimes vulnerable women. She adds to the narrative by adding iconic Pop Art backgrounds, such as dollar signs, numbers and American flags, which all add to the complexity and design of each painting. Smith has exhibited her work internationally, and her paintings are included in many private and public collections which include: The Museo Internacional de Arte in Guadalajara, Mexico, the Howard Tullman collection, the Dryer's Grand Ice Cream Corporate Art Collection, and the Kaiser Foundation Art Collection. Smith paints in oil and watercolor, painting female figurative work as well as still life. She is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, and her work can be seen at Abend Gallery in Denver, CO, as well as her studio in Albuquerque, NM.

JuliAnne Jonker's art serves as a conduit, a visual language for the human ability to see and be seen. JuliAnne lives and works in Apple Valley, Minnesota and continues to follow her muse around the globe. She works alongside living masters of classical realism while creating her own techniques blending her love of oil paint and wax sculpture. Most recently she is creating portraits using encaustic wax, cold wax and oils.

In his bold paintings of contemporary men, figurative painter Alessandro Tomassetti combines his naturalistic rendering style with a tenebrous palette and dramatic lighting to create works which are at once seductive and subversive. Rather than presenting his male subjects as mythological heroes or captains of industry, Tomassetti paints to reveal their vulnerability and sensitivity. From the pose and styling to the glints of light and reflection captured in his brushwork, Tomassetti’s work manifests an intimacy most often seen in paintings of female subjects. By eschewing historic expectations—where men were typically viewers of such portraits rather than the subjects, Tomassetti’s oil paintings invite the viewer to explore and appreciate shades of contemporary masculinity outside of the norm.