Debra Drexler

"Bathed in Violet" Large Scale Contemporary Abstract Painting, lavender, blue

2022

72"x48" acrylic and oil on canvas, signed on reverse by the artist. This is a contemporary abstract painting by the New York/ Hawaiian artist, Debra Drexler. Violet and blue hues are contrasted with neon orange and deep red orange forms. A circular form of violet attracts a central focus in the fields light orange and nearly pastel blue undertones in this stunning vibrant painting by the artist Debra Drexler's paintings are informed both by participating in the contemporary resurgence of abstraction coming out of New York, and by living in the Post Colonial Pacific for close to three decades. In the 21st century, much of our experience is mediated through the screens of our devices. In contrast, the making and viewing of paintings remains a direct, engaging experience in Drexler's paintings. She aims to take us to a state of timelessness that is primal in its humanity, disconnecting us momentarily from the mediated “now” of our electronic devices, and connecting us to a “now” that gives us a glimpse of the infinite. As a colorist, Debra Drexler provokes unexpected color relationships and creates spatial contradictions that come from those interactions. Some of her color choices reference the post digital experience with its highly saturated synthetic color. The luminosity and saturation also mirror the unique quality of light and tropical color interactions in Hawai’i, where Drexler also lives. Her work is driven by an athletic painting...

This is a large scale, contemporary abstract painting by the New York/ Hawaiian artist, Debra Drexler. Vertical elongated forms in rose pink, mauve, lavender and turquoise blue rise over a layered field of cream white brushed with violet. Washes of red and orange fade into hot pink in this vibrant abstract painting by the artist. You can see the influence of tropical colors in this canvas and a wistful yearning for the beach and the sea. Debra Drexler is an American painter, installation artist, curator and professor. Her work is informed both by participating in the contemporary resurgence of abstraction coming out of New York, and by living in the Post Colonial Pacific since 1992. She has participated in over thirty solo and over 100 group exhibitions in national and international venues including Front Room Gallery, Exit Art, The Drawing Center, White Box-The Annex, Art Finance Partners, Van Der Plas Gallery, Sideshow Gallery, and Denise Bibro Gallery in New York, as well The Honolulu Museum of Art and Maui Arts and Cultural Center. Debra Drexler is a Professor at the University of Hawaii, where she is Chair of the Drawing and Painting Area. She maintains studios in Brooklyn, NY and on the island of Oahu in Hawai’i. Debra Drexler's most recent work is highly experimental large-scale abstract painting. In a recent review of a two-person exhibition (Whitehot Magazine,2017) Drexler's work as clearly referencing the long tradition of American abstraction and the established legacy of the New York School. The reviewer, Jonathan Goodman, described the work as a “new non-objectivity” that comes out of the current moment. He states that Drexler's painting “quite accurately describes the spirit of abstract art today, in which painting is struggling to break free of the constraints of time." Debra Drexler frequently uses hot pink, a color with heavily gendered associations. Her hot pink brushstrokes...

Vertical elongated forms in rose pink, mauve, lavender and turquoise blue rise over a layered field of cream white ground brushed with violet in this large scale abstract painting. W...

A violet impasto stroke of color is positioned next to a raspberry violet form in this contemporary abstract painting by the New York/ Hawaiian artist, Debra Drexler. The shapes create a layers of cut-out colors with cool blues, peach orange and yellows. Debra Drexler maintains studios in both New York and Oahu, and her work is informed by her unique bi-coastal experience. In her luminous, large-scale abstract paintings, she brings the transcendent experience of the Hawaiian landscape to a New York audience. Through her New York based studio and curatorial practices, she is also deeply engaged in critical conversation surrounding new abstraction. She states “Abstraction takes us to a state of timelessness that is primal in its humanity, disconnecting us momentarily from the mediated “now” of our electronic devices, and connecting us to a “now” that gives us a glimpse of the infinite. While our insistent digital projections can take us away from both our animal and spiritual nature, abstract painting reminds us again of what it means to be human. The corporality of the paint mirrors the flesh of the body and transports us into the timeless.” Debra Drexler's paintings are informed both by participating in the contemporary resurgence of abstraction coming out of New York, and by living in the Post Colonial Pacific for close to three decades. In the 21st century, much of our experience is mediated through the screens of our devices. In contrast, the making and viewing of paintings remains a direct, engaging experience in Drexler's paintings. She aims to take us to a state of timelessness that is primal in its humanity, disconnecting us momentarily from the mediated “now” of our electronic devices, and connecting us to a “now” that gives us a glimpse of the infinite. As a colorist, Debra Drexler provokes unexpected color relationships and creates spatial contradictions that come from those interactions. Some of her color choices reference the post digital experience with its highly saturated synthetic color. The luminosity and saturation also mirror the unique quality of light and tropical color interactions in Hawai’i, where Drexler also lives. Her work is driven by an athletic painting...

Lisa Fellerson’s paintings provoke an interplay and tension between line, shape, and color. With no preconceived idea in mind, she begins by dripping, scraping and gouging acrylic pa...

Lisa Fellerson’s paintings provoke an interplay and tension between line, shape, and color. With no preconceived idea in mind, she begins by dripping, scrapping, and gouging acrylic ...

Lisa Fellerson’s paintings provoke an interplay and tension between line, shape, and color. With no preconceived idea in mind, she begins by dripping, scrapping, and gouging acrylic ...

Lisa Fellerson’s paintings provoke an interplay and tension between line, shape, and color. With no preconceived idea in mind, she begins by dripping, scrapping, and gouging acrylic ...