Marina Chisty

Marina Chisty is a fluxus painter who has exhibited extensively in New York and has shown in other major cities such as Chicago, London, Miami, Madrid, Milan, and Los Angeles. Her recent exhibitions in New York includes Garrison Art Center, the Blanc Art Space, LIC-A Art Space, Olmstead Art Space, SAIC galleries, The Factory, A space, The Factory, Anderson Contemporary, Visionary Projects, Landmark Art Space as well as Influx Gallery in London and Contemporary Art Projects in Miami. Marina has participated in a residency at Ox-bow in Michigan and art fairs such as ArtExpo in New York and Spectrum in Miami...

Inspired by geological patterns and the process of erosion, these fluxus abstract ‘landscapes’ seem more like drawings than paintings. Although executed with paint followed by pouring, tilting, and spraying water onto her canvas and applying pigment powder, these monochromatic paintings almost seem like charcoal drawings with their luminous shading and clean veins of linearity. These surfaces reflect psychological reactions to an illusion of texture similar to how a geologist admires the aesthetic of a geode or a jeweler cherishes the fine intricacy of a gem. The veiny linearity contained within the composition followed by the vast portions of negative space as well as the large-scale size of the works leaves compositions which are as complex as they are bold.

Often appearing like volcanic rock or even sometimes resembling an active volcano, these versatile as well volatile planes of surface reflect a state of heightened excitement which is simultaneously quietly subdued by the amount of negative space and monochromatic aesthetic. The sense of linearity does not come from ‘drawing’ the lines, but rather pulling veins from the paint through Marina’s manipulation of both pigment and water. By ingenuity, the aquatic integration with the paint becomes reflected as if a violent chemical reaction has taken place. The distorted angularity reflects a dynamic sense of movement rather than symmetrical stillness often found in most abstract works of art.

Layers (pictured above) contains one of the few pieces with hints of color within Marina Chisty’s monochromatic compositions. The earthy yellow bleeds into the volcanic-like veiny structure of black forms which seems like a cataclysmic chemical reaction. Unlike virtually all her other works, Layers has almost no negative space, making the piece quite unique within her portfolio along with the already mentioned application of yellow tint.

With an eye for an experimentation and a talent for reflecting surfaces, Marina Chisty creates planes of distortion which could be played to the backdrop of contemporary arthouse digitized music. Although exciting and full of expression, these compositions also have a sense of refinement in the detail of negative space contained within the cracks of the blackened forms as well the surrounding surface. Much like a Rorschach test, the paintings can measure psychological impulses and reflect experiences of both the artist as well as the viewer. Full of motion through veiny structure but fixed in place by aquatically-applied texture and intimidating open space, the compositions of Marina Chisty offer dichotomies in studying how surface can be manipulated not only through technique but also through a fluxus state of mind more concerned with the experience of mindfulness rather than a planned execution.

https://www.marinachisty.com