Sour Harvest

One of Pakayla Rae Biehn's new oil paintings for "Being There"

“Pakayla Biehn’s beautiful paintings are delicate confections of dreams and spun sugar, her subjects swathed in petals or soft cloth, her signature double exposure effect lending a gentle sense of unreality. The double exposure effect, usually limited to photographic work, for obvious reasons, shows her mastery at deciphering the space in which she places her subjects and sheds light on the way they relate to one another.” - Flavorwire.com

Check out Flavorwire’s full feature on Pakayla’s work here:
http://flavorwire.com/177869/photo-gallery-pakayla-biehns-dreamy-double-exposure-paintings

Pakayla Rae Biehn at work in her studio

Check out another recent interview with Pakayla on My Modern Met here:
www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/photorealistic-double-exposure

And another recent one here:
http://greasefirecfc.com/?p=53

Pakayla at work in her studio up in the Bay Area

‘Being There’ will feature eight new oil paintings on canvas from Pakayla and we’ll also be showcasing her “lens curtain” as well as her collection of corrective eyewear from over the years due to suffering from Strabismus.

In Pakayla’s own words she describes Strabismus:
“My paintings are based on the side effects I encounter from this condition. The simplest explanation of my disease is that the muscles in my eyes do not communicate with the other and each eye struggles for dominance. I can not focus both my eyes on a single point in space at the same time and this fight between them is what causes double vision.”

To help share her perception of the world Pakayla often takes her own source photographs and then manipulates a ‘double exposure’ image in photo shop and uses that as a reference for her final oil painting. All this while suffering from the above mentioned site condition is just a wee bit mind blowing if you ask me.

One of Pakayla's new paintings for "Being There"

‘Being There’
New oil paintings from Pakayla Rae Biehn and Jeff Ramirez
On view May 21st – June 3rd

Reception with the artists:
Sat, May 21st 6-8PM

Thinkspace / 6009 Washington Blvd. in Culver City, CA / www.thinkspacegallery.com

I recently swung by the Atwater Village studio of oil painter Jeff Ramirez as he finished up his pieces for ‘Being There’, his upcoming show at Thinkspace alongside the Bay Area’s Pakayla Rae Biehn that opens this coming Sat, May 21st.

“I have always felt like I was living between two worlds. In each, I was a different person, always hyperaware of my surroundings. Every gesture amounted to a self-conscious performance. In images, I felt improperly represented. I grew to disassociate with my own reflection in imagery and thus became skeptical of the images of others.” - Jeff Ramirez

“Every day I take in countless pictures, many of which encourage me not to ask questions, but rather to just accept their truths. While they may appear to be candid, they are capturing both pose and performance. I am compelled to create images using others as props, stand-ins and doubles for myself. While typical portrait subjects want to demonstrate their power and import, the subjects in my paintings are isolated and aware that they are being watched. They are barely there, reduced by the act of creation.” - Jeff Ramirez

We’ll be profiling 9 new oil paintings on wood panel from Jeff and the level of detail in the new series is just stunning. As with all his work, Ramirez photographs all of his own reference in photo shoots he sets up with friends and area models. We’re big fans of Jeff’s unique take on realism and his work is quickly catching the eye of many established collectors.

Take a further look inside Ramirez’s studio here:
www.flickr.com/photos/thinkspace/sets/72157626144613841/

‘Being There’
New oil paintings from Jeff Ramirez and Pakayla Rae Biehn
On view May 21st – June 3rd

Reception with the artists:
Sat, May 21st 6-8PM

Thinkspace / 6009 Washington Blvd. in Culver City, CA / www.thinkspacegallery.com