FLORA, FAUNA & FORM On View 4/17-21 at the HATBOX in NYC

'Flora, Fauna & Form: The Spring Thaw,' curated by Beth McNeill and Kristin Miller, will be on view at the Refinery Hotel from April 17 through April 21, 2014. An opening reception will be held Thursday, April 17th from 7-10pm and will feature drinks by Russian Standard. There will be live music on Friday, April 18th from 7-10pm. Film screenings and talks by artists Jose Carlos Casado and Sean Capone will be held on Saturday April 19th from 5-8pm. A private, invite-only, closing reception will be held on Monday, April 21st. Artists included are Chick Bills, Sean Capone, Jose Carlos Casado, Sally Egbert, Cara Enteles, Tapp Francke, Jerome Lucani, Glenn Marshall, Steve Miller and Jeff Muhs.

'Flora, Fauna & Form: The Spring Thaw,' celebrates the arrival of Spring, the long-awaited savior. Artists who explore the organic and beautiful move the fantasy of reemergence of life into the forefront. Months of snowfall entombed New York in a vast expanse of white tundra with endless grey skies and thickets of tumbling flurries. This inability to see the earth, its flora and fauna, or feel the warmth of sunlight on our skin has left us yearning for a metamorphosis of seasons. Through painting, photography, mixed media and film the selected artists seek to recapture the human connection with our natural elements. S teve Miller's scintillating paintings reflect on the human connection with the amazon. Cara Enteles feminine paintings allude to beauty and sensitivity through hypnotic like flora. Chick Bills repeat patterns photographs highlight the complexity of naturally occurring behavioral evolution and our connect and disconnect with nature. Glenn Marashall's video instillation gently manifests the unstoppable forces of nature. Jeff Muhs atmospheric abstract oil paintings on canvas resonate the beauty and balance we want to see in life. Tapp Francke's neon words inflict a process of self-reflection. Sally Egbert's collages on painting and paper echo the delicacy and allure of nature. Jerome Lucani's H2O graphic color prints imply the simple yet highly complex essentiality of verve.

The film screenings and talks by artists Jose Carlos Casado and Sean Capone will be held on Saturday April 19th from 5-8pm. Both Jose Carlos Casado and Sean Capone will present conceptual film shorts and discuss the creative process. Casado's film, Aliens with Extraordinary Abilities, explores the notion of belonging and the reality of alientation through iconic natural imagery. Casado explores this theme by showing us a floating elephant, not quite connected with his environment and insects that appear to be on speed, unable to feel comfort where they "belong". Capone's film, Hello America, a mind altering interpretation of fireworks brings us to a place of warmth and joy. This limited seating event will allow the audience to engage with the artists in an intimate setting. Q&A will take place once each artist has finished discussing their works.

Sean Capone is a NYC-based artist working primarily in the mediums of video, animation and photography. He is known for his large-scale digital projections on architectural spaces and facades, transforming the built environment with moving image compostion that blur the line between painterly-and-decoration, visual f/x, and cinematic/media perception of space. Capone has shown works at the Musuem of Modern Art and the Brooklyn Museum among others.

Jose Carlos Casado is a multimedia artist from Spain who has been based in New York for 15 years. He uses technologies to create art involving video, 3D animation, photography and sculpture. He has won the Picasso Foundation grant, MIT's Leonardo Excellence Award and two New York foundation for the Arts Fellowships.

Beth McNeill is an independent curator and proprietor of McNeill Art Group, based in Southampton, New York. Navigating the pool of contemporary art on Eastern Long Island for over twelve years, Beth is an authority on this rich historical geographic art region. Beth has curated exhibitions, lectured on collecting contemporary art and built collections for both private and public spaces including Tiffany & Co., The Tribeca Project Space, New York, Cantor Fitzgerald, Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, NY and The School of Visual Arts, New York, among others.

Kristin Miller is an independent curator, artist and consultant who has a wide range of experience in the art world spanning just over eight years. She began her career at the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, NY and eventually transitioned to the gallery world, working as Assistant Director at The Drawing Room gallery in East Hampton, NY. In 2013 Miller relocated to New York City where she briefly worked at PACE Gallery as Executive Assistant to the legendary Arne Glimcher. Miller now splits her time between New York City and eastern Long Island to opperate KCMprojects.