Elisa Contemporary Art Opens CUT, ROLLED AND BURNT Exhibition Today

Elisa Contemporary Art presents Cut, Rolled and Burnt. Manipulated Works of Paper. The exhibit opens today, May 10, 2013. It will run through August 11, 2013. Our latest exhibit explores four contemporary artists who are taking paper to extremes, showing no mercy in their pursuit of creativity, vision and art.

California artist Michael Buscemi began his series of white paper collages in 2012. He wanted to eliminate all existing media and be left only with light, shape and shadow. He takes extra thick rag paper and with a swift and fluid cut, creates thousands of small, shaped pieces. These severed paper pieces are then built up and layered, allowing The Shadows and shapes to organically form, before being set with a polimear gel.

Amy Genser's exploration of paper as medium began in a papermaking and bookmaking class she took, while studying for her graduate degree in graphic design at Rhode Island School of Design. Today, she masterfully manipulates paper each piece being cut, rolled and stacked to mimic organic forms and natural processes. While starting as flat piles of paper, her artwork builds and grows into 3-dimensional constructions filled with color, texture and patterns.

Don Morris' constructions are carefully manipulated comic book paper pages that are cut and folded to create undulating surfaces filled with gentle peaks and curves. From a distance the viewer sees only the interplay of colors and texture. However, as the viewer is drawn in, the superheroes fly, struggle, and climb. Words bubble from the comic book text and are clearly visible throughout the pieces, allowing the viewer to read the dialog of the action heroes.

Hawaii based artist, Wayne Zebzda was born in Connecticut and started his journey out west attending the San Francisco Art Institute on a full scholarship as a painting major. With day jobs in construction, he integrated the tools of this trade into his art creating sculptural and installation works, as well as his carbon smoke drawings made with a blow torch.

According to Wayne, this is the process for his Carbon Smoke drawings:
"I have to move continuously while the smoke pours out of the torch. If you have ever seen the film footage of Jackson Pollack painting it is a similar continuous movement, his with drips, mine with smoke and the added possibility of catching the drawing on fire. I enjoy the immediacy and physicality of drawing. The welding torch has the pressure turned down low which makes it sooty/smoky. Working back into the drawings with erasures and brushes reveals what's underneath and a clear fixative sets the soot in place (hopefully) and yes, I have burned the paper and will again."

We will be featuring one of his carbon smoke drawings, Nest, which served as a study for his 2012 Public Work Sculpture created from 316 pieces of stainless steel tubing.

We will be having an opening and closing reception for this Exhibit:

• Opening Reception, Saturday, May 18 from 5-7pm
• Closing Reception; Thursday, August 8 from 6-8pm

What: Elisa Contemporary Art presents Cut, Rolled & Burnt. Manipulated Works of Paper.
Artists: Michael Buscemi, Amy Genser, Don Morris, Wayne Zebzda
When: May 10 - August 11, 2013
Special Events:
Join us on Saturday, May 18th for an opening reception from 5-7pm
Join us on Thursday, August 8 for a closing reception from 6-8pm
Where: Elisa Contemporary Art, 5622 Mosholu Avenue (near 256th Street), Riverdale NY 10471.
Hours: Friday/Saturday 10 am - 6 pm and by Appointment

About Elisa Contemporary Art
Elisa Contemporary Art represents a portfolio of both emerging and established contemporary artists, many of whom have work in the Permanent Collections of major museums and corporations.

Founded in 2007 by Lisa Cooper, Elisa Contemporary Art is dedicated to promoting the appreciation and collection of art as a way to enrich and heal our lives, our communities, and the world. The gallery opened in September 2008. Elisa Contemporary Art has participated in international art fairs in New York, Miami and the Hamptons, and curated over 12 public art exhibits in the Tri-State area. A portion of every gallery sale is donated to charities helping underserved children heal through art. We currently support Free Arts NYC and Arts to Grow. Owner Lisa Cooper also provides art consulting services.

Elisa Contemporary Art has been featured in a number of publications including Ocean Home Magazine, Hamptons Cottages & Gardens, New York Spaces and The New York Times.

For more information, visit the website at http://www.ElisaContemporaryArt.com. The Riverdale Gallery is located at 5622 Mosholu Avenue, Riverdale NY 10471.