ARTisSpectrum Vol.24, November 2010

70 ARTisSpectrum Purification 1 Oil on Canvas 31” x 19” Mira Mitrova I nfused with dreamlike visions of the erotic, the spiritual and an unbreakable connection with the natural world, MiraMitrova ’s creations recall subconscious mysteries buried deep in legend and folklore. Nymph-like women emerge from the forest shadows, their bodies and hair entangled in and morphing into leaves, roots and branches. Her mystically surreal and sensual deities slowly reveal themselves and their alluring power, at once immersed in and a part of the darkly shadowed woodlands. An elegant flair for the fantastic lingers in the magic of Mitrova’s visions, as she paints in oils with a lyrical eloquence. She begins each work focused on a single form, later dividing and fracturing the image with increasing complexity and detail as her portraits sprout with new growth and possibilities. There is a smooth perfection to her skilled use of the paints, and a feeling of crispness and clarity in her mark that fills her surfaces with life. Renowned throughout her native Macedonia, where she studied graphic arts at the Sts Cyril and Methodius University, Mira Mitrova was awarded national honors for her visually captivating poster designs. Now living in Little Falls, NJ, she has received international recognition in recent years with exhibitions throughout the art world including Paris, Berlin and New York. www.artmira.net www.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/Mira_Mitrova.aspx Folles Nuits Oil on Canvas 27.5” x 20” Patrick Girod P atrick Girod is a purist. His singular vision, the speed and confidence with which he works, the utter sincerity of his markmaking gives his paintings a magnetism and power that is instantly noticeable. Starting from the experience of an emotion, Girod takes the emotion and translates it directly onto canvas at high speed. Almost a form of automatic painting, there is no time for cerebral meandering or the interpretation of symbols. What emerges is raw, a distilled marker of movement. The elements from which his pieces are composed are simple too, as the artist keeps his colors to a minimum, two of three at the most and only in oils. Their foundation is a pure white ground. Girod may contemplate the subject of each painting for a long or a short time, but for their realization the moment is the key element. For him, it is that moment of intense transformation, working from the brink – the last moments of life before death, the point when laughter dissolves into deep sobs, the second before the earthquake – that he desires to translate into infinite capsules of brevity. Patrick Girod divides his time between Switzerland and France, where he was born. He has exhibited widely in Europe and his exhibitions continue to attract intense attention. www.derisoart.blogspot.com www.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/Patrick_Girod.aspx