Maria Pia Taverna in her studio Artist Maria Pia Taverna has received critical acclaim in her native Italy and when one looks at her work, it is easy to see the reason why. Her powerfully striking images, the skillful combination of media, and the resulting emotional affect the pieces have marks Taverna out as a highly accomplished creative talent. Her technical approach is unique—she works with her own digital images on a computer, and usually printing in monochrome, prints them directly onto canvas once they have reached a satisfactory stage. Taverna then uses oil paints to work into the image, impregnating the surface with vibrant color that looks all the more arresting for the monotonous pallet on which it sits. Fiery reds and yellows, and deep oceans of blue illuminate the canvas. The surface texture of the canvas gives the prints a delicate texture, the paint heightening the painterly quality of the digital images. These prints also allow a greater sense of chiaroscuro, as light and dark tones are represented in a way that light actually falls on objects. This juxtaposition of realism and heightened surrealism drives the tension in the paints and adds to their mystery.

Taverna’s printed figures are themselves a part of the mystery. Her images are at once explicit and obscure—the female face, the angles of the arm and curve of the back, those signifiers of femininity, and faces bruised by the heavy pigments of make-up—all appear ghost-like through her works.

Messages from an Ancient Kingdom - Oil on Canvas 29'' x 36''

With his delicate yet vigorous brushwork, Terry Wang’s paintings capture the mystery and wonder of ancient civilizations, as well as the interplay of stone and sky, with light thrusting itself upon cliff faces and crumbling ancient monuments. He has traveled to western Tibet to paint the ruins of the ancient Guge kingdom, and these works skillfully capture the grandeur and enigma contained in these crumbling structures. Terry’s attention to detail and obvious passion for his subject matter brings out the beauty and tranquility of his images, especially the exquisite details of his ancient dancing figures and ceremonial Tibetan costumes. His work process is very spiritual and he strives to infuse the ideas of soulfulness, serenity, and clarity into his paintings.

Rome Scooter Alcove - Digital Print on Canvas 16'' x 20''

Lawrence von Knorr's sensitivity to composition and the evocative possibilities of light and color has inspired him to enhance his original photographs to bring to the surface the emotional textures already in the original image. Technology provides him with the tools to introduce fantasy and imagination to the reality of conventional photography; the results are expressive scenes akin to French Impressionism. As a photographer, Lawrence’s most fulfilling experience is being on location and capturing images of architecture, landscapes and street scenes. He strives for a timeless quality in his work, and when he employs his lens in international locales such as Spain, Germany, Italy, and Mexico, he finds rich subject matter that harks back to previous centuries. A picture is an opportunity for all kinds of exploration, he says, both for the artist and for the viewer. With a major influence coming from the landscapes and cities of central Pennsylvania, Lawrence’s work naturally has focused on abandoned industrial sites and enhancing their photographs with different tones and digital effects to bring out the historical and emotional depth of the location.