Chisholm Gallery

Bigeleisen, Deborah

American Contemporary

West Palm Beach artist Deborah Bigeleisen is continually pushing the boundaries of her elegantly deceptive paintings of flowers having begun her career by creating Rembrandt-like portraits of illuminated white roses to her latest series of non-representational ‘Multiple Perspectives’ work with its origins in fractal geometry. Though her paintings have often been referenced alongside Georgia O’Keefe, Bigeleisen brings an unique and distinctive modern vision to the floral genre.

Working exclusively from her own photographs, she uses the latest technology for the vehicles to explore the depths of her subject far beyond what the naked eye can see. “I’ve been fascinated with the patterns and movements in nature since childhood.” she says. “I love the unpredictability, the never ending discoveries.” Once she establishes her composition, the mastery of her technique, rooted in the practices of the 17th Century Dutch artists but implemented with a very fresh approach, contributes to the fascination of the forms which explode off the canvas. Deborah paints with oils and uses various artist mediums at different viscosities applying upwards of twenty opaque and translucent layers while always maintaining a velvety smooth surface. The subtle tonal transitions and constant play of warm hues against cool give astonishing richness and depth to the shadows and vibrant luminosity to the highlights. It is her content and use of color that seduce the viewer into the myriad of complexities: the organization of the space, the strong contrast to sculpt the forms, the fluidity and energy of her brushwork, and the play of light which dances across the canvas. Because color is so suggestive, and has a major impact on one’s perception, she uses a carefully selected palette – often neutrals, monochromatic, or analogous themes – to initiate a dialogue with the viewer and to deliberately challenge one’s imagination and emotions. “My ultimate goal is to create paintings that not only captivate the viewer at the onset, but contain the power to remain provocative and engaging for years to come.”

Bigeleisen’s paintings are collected world-wide and enhance both corporate and private collections. Her work has won awards and has been accepted in numerous national museum exhibitions, has graced the covers and interior pages of prominent international art books and magazines, and her conceptual work in fractals has been published in the prestigious journal Science Creative Quarterly. Deborah’s paintings are sold through fine art dealers throughout the United States, and are exhibited in international Contemporary and Fine Art Fairs.

Artist Statement

My elegantly deceptive flower paintings range in scope from representation to abstraction, with different series leaning more to one than to the other. I’m often asked if I was inspired by Georgia O’Keefe; in truth, the answer is no. Actually, my vision is rooted in the principles of fractals, and my technique is derived from the Dutch master artists. As in a Rembrandt painting, I use strong contrast to sculpt the forms. I work exclusively in oils and with mediums at different viscosities for glazing, applying upwards of twenty translucent layers over a highly developed under-painting, while always maintaining a completely smooth surface. The subtle tonal transitions and constant play of warm hues against cool hues give astonishing depth to the shadows and vibrant luminosity to the highlights. My focus is on the content: the organization of the space, the fluidity and energy of my brushwork, the contrast and the play of light which dances across the canvas to lure the viewer in. Because color has a major impact on one’s perception, I use a carefully selected palette, often monochromatic or analogous tones, to deliberately challenge the viewer’s imagination. My ultimate goal is to create paintings that not only immediately captivate the viewer, but also contain the power to remain interesting and engaging for years to come.

“Deborah Bigeleisen’s elegantly deceptive flower paintings hover on the cusp between abstraction and representation that all take as their common denominator or point of origin the inherent non-objectivity of nature itself when explored as pure design or even mathematics removed from our preconception of the image as a flower, or closely cropped petals. That we are left able to recognize these images as such is a tantalizing way to seduce the viewer into myriad complexities that themselves slowly unfold as do the petals from which they draw their inspiration. Light in contrast to velvety darks is Bigeleisen’s pollen, enticing the viewer ever deeper into her condensed spaces….” – Excerpted from a review by Joyce Korotkin, Contemporary Art Critic, NYC

“Bigeleisen’s work demonstrates a deep interest in searching out the connective tissue between human and environmental anatomies; a search that sparks an enquiry as to how people establish a deeply intimate relationship with natural phenomena.” – Shana Beth Mason, Art Consultancy and Education, Miami, FL

Solo Exhibitions

• Nathan D. Rosen Museum Gallery, Boca Raton, FL – 2015
• “Natural Forms” – The Englishman USA, Naples, FL – 2013
• Private exhibition, Coudert Institute, Palm Beach, FL – 2013
• De-Fine Art, Atlanta, GA – 2010
• Exor Galleries, Boca Raton, FL – 2010
• Gallery Savarese, Rancho Santa Fe, CA – 2008
• Ed Chasen Fine Art, Washington, D.C. – 2007
• MAC Fine Art and Design, Las Olas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL – 2007
• Serendipity Fine Arts, Palm Beach, FL -2006
• Gallery on Fifth, Naples, FL – 2006
• Embler Art Gallery, Ft. Lauderdale, FL – 2005
• Embler Art Gallery, Ft. Lauderdale, FL – 2004
• Dawnlyn Fine Art, Palm Beach Gardens, FL – 2004
• The Governors Club of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL – 2003
• Adrienne Vittadini / ELLE Magazine, Coral Gables, FL; Palm Beach Gardens, FL – 2003
• Seven Rings Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ – 2003
• Armory Art Center, Member Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL – 2001

Links

2018 Press | Deborah Bigeleisen