Detail of
Detail of "Apollo of New York"

A spotlight on contemporary realism artist Gayle Madeira

Gayle Madeira (b. 1969) is from College Station, Texas and currently lives in New York City.

Her work is on view in the exhibition “Iconic” at WMOCA, July 1 – August 28, 2021.
Presented by 33 Contemporary on Artsy
Curated by Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt

Contemporary realism figurative art - man in city
Gayle Madeira, “Apollo of New York,” 2021, oil, 36 x 24 in.

“I am interested in the feelings evoked by certain places, objects, and people,” Madeira says. “I am fascinated with specific variations of light and shadow which give me an intense feeling of beauty and can only be found within the shapes of natural things.

“In this time of instant gratification and fast, bright images, I am compelled in the direction of works that are subtle, are best seen live, and require quiet contemplation to fully appreciate.”

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From the organizers of “Iconic” >

In common speech, we normally use the adjective “iconic” to describe something that is extraordinary, superlative and desirable. “The Mona Lisa is iconic.” We might also use it to describe something that is famous, popular or representative of the best of one’s work, style or subject matter. “Picasso’s Guernica is iconic.” We might use the word to refer to something that has become so closely identified with an era or historic period that the mention of it conjures up a whole generation. Consider the photo of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square at the end of World War II or The Beatles crossing Abbey Road.

Whichever way you understand it, “iconic” is meant to convey something that is bigger than a single theme, subject or idea and that goes beyond the ordinary in terms of the author’s execution and capability. It is closely related to the idea of “classic” and “extraordinary” but, in itself, it is not bounded by a particular idea or set of principles or one way of seeing. Find more details at: https://www.artsy.net/show/33-contemporary-iconic-at-wmoca?sort=partner_show_position

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