In the Summer of 2014, as Batman turns 75 and Thor, appearing first in 1962 as a Norse hammer-wielding god will be transformed into a female character, Elisa Contemporary Art celebrates comic book heroes and heroines in Contemporary Art in My Hero II. The exhibit opens August 4th at The Design Studio in Bridgehampton, NY. It will run through September 8th.

In My Hero II, we pay tribute to the characters and the artists who bring them to life in four unique ways. We will be debuting "What Defines Us," a new vision of Batman envisioned in cut and layered Birch wood by Texas artist Mitch McGee. Batman is one of the only Superheroes who rely on intelligence, physical strength and agility plus technological know-how (not super-powers) to fight evil and keep Gotham safe. Superman and Wonder Woman will be soaring throughout the artworks including in the "Battle of the Sexes", a hyper-realistic look at the Superhero lunchboxes of the past created by Hawaii artists Peter and Madeline Powell. The Justice League will be collaged into the mixed media artwork of Watermill artist, Oliver Peterson. Comic book constructionist, Don Morris will have many characters flying, leaping, and talking in his dimensional artworks.

These Superheroes have captivated us for decades with their selflessness; their drive to do good and protection of others. They put themselves in danger, while saving others...and keep us all at the edge of our seats while we wait to see what happens next. They have come large and small; masked, caped and armored; male and female; aged and ageless. Always engaging and inspiring.

Mitch McGee

The influences for McGee's own artwork came from the style of Pop Art legend, Roy Lichtenstein. According to McGee, "Lichtenstein with a Red Bow was the first piece that started me down this rabbit hole. Roy Lichtenstein took comic strips and repositioned them as lithography. In an almost tongue-in-cheek fashion I wondered how I could take one of his pieces and recreate it in another medium. The easy answer for me was wood. I grew up working with it and, combined with my graphic design background, it left me with a new medium and expression that I think really works." From that start, Houston artist, McGee began to create his own style and establish his unique voice.

Today, his creativity exists in that space between painting and sculpture. In his Birch series, McGee uses pieces of wood, each illustrated, hand cut and stained or painted to create dimensional pieces. Each painting is filled with thick layers and subtle shadows. There is a warmth created by the imperfection of the birch and its grain that creates an emotional connection. Each painting is a labor of love, taking 40 to 50 hours or more to complete.

McGee has created original works inspired by Superhero comics, Sports icons, as well as romantic moments using thick lines and bold colors to bring these scenes to life in his own way. Each artwork is filled with humor, irony, compassion or seduction.

His artwork has been exhibited throughout Texas since 2001 and in New York with Elisa Contemporary Art since 2012. His work is public and private collections throughout the world. Mitch McGee’s artwork was featured in the March 2013 issue of Dwell Magazine, in W Magazine in October, 2013, and a solo exhibit at 1st Dibs in NYC in December 2013.

Don Morris

Best known for his Our Heroes series, Don Morris's constructions with comic books recall memories of the Pop Art of the sixties. In Our Heroes the ever popular comic book is transformed into energetic architectural elements that are highly textured and brightly colored.

Don Morris was born in New Orleans in 1935 and obtained his doctorate degree at Louisiana State University. He recently moved his studio from Coral Gables, Florida, to Rancho Santa Fe, California. According to Don, “Although there are many aspects of my work that can be intellectualized, the fundamentals still require that inner aesthetic sense. But in the final analysis, it is the viewer that deems my work either 'art' or 'folly.' I ply my trade before a thousand critics.”

His art is in numerous collections and museums in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Oliver Peterson

Water Mill resident Oliver Peterson reveres the bucolic nature of his hometown, but finds inspiration in the unlikeliest of places. Graffiti, structural decay, the pop zeitgeist, literature, politics, history, and his personal experience drive the artist’s work to challenging places one might not associate with the East End’s beaches and bountiful reputation. Peterson’s paintings are very much about the media from which they are built. The artist frequently experiments with paint and patinas and often applies random studio detritus to compositions that have been described as energetic, complex, dark, and even gentle.

Since late 2005, Peterson has embarked on developing his ongoing series of mixed media work and he recently began exploring modern heroic figures cut from the pages of comic books and other sources. Pieces often contain burlap culled from the large bags used for coffee beans, as well as other fabrics. Carefully cut paper and a variety of scraps and remnants surface from all facets of Peterson’s world.

Other common elements like newspaper and advertising reflect the artist’s travels or ground the work in Sag Harbor and other local towns and villages. All aspects are visible throughout the portfolio, which continues to evolve. A diligent survey of each painting will prompt observers to consistently discover new things. For Oliver Peterson, interaction with the work is paramount.

Oliver was born in New York and received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts. He has exhibited his work in exhibits throughout New York since 2006.

Peter and Madeline Powell

It's not often that two individual artists are able to combine and express their talents to produce a single body of work. Peter and Madeline Powell have this rare creative alliance. Essentially, painting is a solo endeavor, yet the Powell's have accomplished a seamless blend of unity in their work.

Having met on Maui in 1976, they soon started working on each other’s artwork and before too long, it developed into a natural way of approaching and completing a painting for them. "Life's treats and play things from the past and present are what we capture in our paintings. We enjoy taking the little things out of everyday life and giving them the prominence and importance they had when we were children. Our paintings invoke the childhood spirit that everyday life has buried deep within us."

Each painting starts with setting up and taking multiple reference photos of the subject matter -- in most cases over 72+ photos -- just to find the perfect shot. Then, the canvas is stretched and Peter and Madeline are both involved in the painstaking layout of each painting. Every element is completely laid out in graphite on the canvas in detail, from the shadows and highlights, to the folds, crinkles, lettering and reflections. The layout process can take several days, if not weeks to complete.

It is only then that the actual painting process begins. First with the smooth layering of the base colors, which in some cases is done with an airbrush. Each color is masked off separately and then the lettering is painted in with fine sable brushes. With the base colors and lettering complete, the shadows and reflections are painted in, followed lastly with the highlights.

The Powells have exhibited their paintings throughout the US. They are in public and private collections including A&M Records (CA), BMW North America (GA), OPI, and The Slinky Corporation (PA).

The Design Studio

2393 Main St.
Bridgehampton (NY) 11932 United States
Tel. +1 (631) 5371999
Lisa@ElisaArt.com
www.elisacontemporaryart.com

Opening hours

Monday - Thursday from 10:00am to 5:00pm
Friday and Saturday from 10:00am to 5:30pm
Sunday from 11:00am to 4:00pm

Related images
  1. Peter and Madeline Powell, Man of Steel (detail), Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 20, 2013
  2. Oliver Peterson, Risk, Mixed Media on Canvas, 24 x 36, 2011
  3. Peter and Madeline Powell, Battle of the Sexes, Acrylic on Canvas, 30 x 40, 2013
  4. Mitch McGee, What Defines Us, Cut, Stained and Layered Birch Wood, 36 x 30, 2014
  5. Oliver Peterson, Occult, Mixed Media on Canvas, 32 x 24, 2008
  6. Mitch McGee, What The World Needs, Cut, Stained and Layered Birch Wood, 36 x 30, 2014