Now on view at Equity Gallery is the 2022 annual New York Artists Equity Members Invitational Exhibition. Equity Gallery is the physical exhibition space of the New York Artists Equity Association (NYAE).

A genuine and organic appearance of a collective with shared aspirations is rare and never random. In this instance, no three artists could have come from more divergent backgrounds and yet their work converses on an intimate and formalist level with adjoining narratives and motives to be explored fore with.

“What happens when an artist confronts staggering natural beauty that upends her studio practice?… read more”

Since the beginning of mankind’s creative endeavors, the human figure has been employed as a conduit to convey complex narratives and capture sweeping emotions, as well as act as a visual shorthand to examine latent, deeply ingrained cultural belief systems. The manner in which a body is depicted and, perhaps more importantly, is intended to be viewed within a specific cultural context and time period is incredibly revealing. The subjects within worthy portraiture can be imbued with gravitas and great significance, but yet can inspire complete, total empathy.

Ever since stressed-out 19th century Parisian artists decamped to the countryside to escape the incessant demands and soul-sucking competition of their careers, painters have banded together and sought camaraderie in the refuge of nature. In hindsight, we have come to identify those regenerative forays into the wild not so much as pauses but pivots giving rise to stylistic invention.

Equity is currently hosting a show of works by three artists that privilege collage as their overriding tool of expression. The results are indeed compelling--both because the artists are astute practitioners of the media and because the media speaks directly to the times we live in.

Mixed media artist of urban life and the transient

"I am attracted to negative space as it shows the trace or the shadow of the positive but in a more hidden way. It suggests rather than imposes."

Stone sculptor of American culture

"When you say that somebody’s an artist, that means they can express pain in their medium and then release it."

Multimedia artist interested in more than what meets the eye

"I like to explore how things are presented and how people react to things. When creating work, I don’t initially think about how I can get people to like the work. I do it because I need to do it. The second step is then to think about how people would interact with it, and add more layers to it."

Painter of space-time landscapes

"Community adds facets to the prism."

Art critic, curator, and founder of AS | Artists Studios

"What I find most interesting about underrepresented artists is that they go into their studios regularly and create amazing work that might never be seen. They do this because they feel it is important, which is an incredibly remarkable phenomenon."

Graphic, Biomorphic, Abstract Painter

"The art community is important, which is why something like Artists Equity is important. It’s a resource and a hub where artists can get together and exchange ideas."

Oil painter of the urban landscape

"The first thing I do when I enter someone’s home is look to see what they have hanging on the walls or what they have scattered about, all their little knickknacks, because that tells a lot about a person. I can’t imagine a life without art."

Landscape photographer

“The story of the photograph is always political."

"Post-Everything" multi-media performance artist”

"I feel comfortable in perpetual migration, from medium to medium, discipline to genre, venue to site, never settling, continuously in motion, forever in search of a metaphorical illusion of home."

Artist

“Artists carry their biographies with them, and although I’m recognized as an Israeli artist, I’m more interested in creating a hybrid context as a bridge between cultures."

Ceramic artist and mixed media sculptor

"United, we will be more effective in taking the real enemy down."