When:

John Natsoulas Gallery is pleased to announce John Tarahteeff and Frank Damiano: Post Pop.

The exhibition will run from November 1st-November 25th, 2017 with the opening reception on Friday, November 10th from 7-9pm.

Where:

John Natsoulas Gallery 521 First Street Davis, CA 95616

What:

John Tarahteeff and Frank Damiano each have their own repertoire of representational icons throughout their oeuvre, creating a message for the viewer to decipher. Tarahteeff combines motifs of Surrealism, Americana and Neoclassical imagery, whereas Damiano juxtaposes symbolism from contemporary pop art with traditional classical paintings. Although aesthetically different, the connecting theme between the two artists are how they integrate and take influence from both contemporary and historical imagery in their paintings.

John Tarahteeff’s work is reminiscent of surrealism with a neoclassical twist. The environments of his paintings are a step into the artist’s mind, consisting of surreal and yet somehow familiar surroundings. The figures in his work recall old master paintings; they are seductive, alluring and invite the viewer into the painting. Tarahteeff’s paintings show a great range of technical skill as well as a great understanding and deep appreciation for art history.

Frank Damiano’s work has an emblematic side; the objects in his paintings and collages are symbolic rather than actual. Damiano makes use of domestic items of this sort, but less assertive ones like a balloon. In Damiano’s hands, these objects become emblems for contemporary American domesticity and the small change of family life in a highly industrialized society, where mass consumption is no longer a choice, but simply a given. Damiano’s still lifes are frequently treated as if they are quotations rather than directly observed images. Damiano deliberately subverts established ideas about realism to engage the spectator in a dialogue.