News

Monday, November 30, 2015 – Cleveland, OH – Contessa Gallery will be participating in the 26^th annual Art Miami Fair. Over these past 26 years, Art Miami has established a well-known reputation for providing fine art collectors with the latest in high quality Contemporary and Modern Art. The fair will begin on December 1 and run through December 6, 2015. Contessa Gallery is delighted to present the most recent works by David Datuna, Mr. Brainwash, David Drebin and Gilles Cenazandotti at Art Miami.

David Datuna (B. 1974 - ) experienced a landmark year in 2014, and 2015 was nothing short of a major success as well. His unique piece, Portrait of America, was exhibited at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery to record attendance at the institution in February of 2014. It is a part of his series titled Viewpoint of Billions. Datuna’s groundbreaking work incorporated the use of Google Glass. The wearable technology allowed the viewers to interact with images embedded within the artwork. The viewers’ reactions were recorded as they explored Portrait of America. Their exchanges streamed globally via the web. Marked by the documentary debut of Datuna: Portrait of America, this year has already been another milestone year for the artist. The film was accepted and shown at many prestigious film festivals throughout the world, including: the Beverly Hills Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival, Napa Valley Film Festival and most recently Raindance Film Festival in London, where the documentary won Best Film amongst 90 other feature length films and 200 shorts. Further highlighting Datuna’s great success, the artist world premiered exclusively with Contessa Gallery his latest experimentation: mixed media wall sculptures that include Swarovski crystals into the complex web of framed lenses, which are layered over his portraits, flags and luxury logos. “Only free people can dream and only dreamers can make a new world,” David Datuna states with the aim of breaking barriers and building bridges in their stead. Datuna’s Viewpoint of Millions series focuses on the importance of freedom for all of humanity. Freedom, the artist’s latest installation in the series, utilizes a universal symbol for the LGBTQ community, the rainbow flag, as the backdrop for 800 portraits of both historical and contemporary figures. The contributions of these people depicted have won them a notable place in history. The flag intends to promote inquiry, reflection, education, and dialogue that will launch the viewer into a realm where, by example, a new understanding of a marginalized community and its struggle for equality brings the world a step closer to freedom for all humanity. Contessa Gallery is thrilled to introduce this special exhibition at Art Miami, of which they will be exhibiting the piece for the first time globally.

Contessa Gallery looks forward to hosting a separate booth entirely dedicated to Mr. Brainwash’s works. The artist himself will design the booth, and it is sure to be a blockbuster attraction at Art Miami. Mr. Brainwash (born Thierry Guetta in 1966) began his artistic career over 16 years ago documenting the underground world of street artists. Eventually this endeavor introduced him to Banksy, who is arguably the most anonymous and famous street artist living today. With the encouragement of Banksy, Guetta began creating his own street art. In 2008, Mr. Brainwash produced an explosive first solo show, Life is Beautiful. The epic display of hundreds of breakthrough works revolutionized the art scene not only in Los Angeles, where the show was held, but worldwide. This phenomenal exhibition skyrocketed Mr. Brainwash’s popularity. His artistic evolution is chronicled in the Academy Award nominated documentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop, coincidently directed by Banksy. Known for his stylistic combination of pop and street art, Guetta creates his works by brilliantly fusing together historical pop imagery with contemporary cultural iconography. This year the gallery is excited to showcase the artist’s continual experimentation with new media and materials. The special exhibition will include new original works on Wood, Cement, Metal, Canvas, Paper and Unique Sculpture. Contessa Gallery is looking forward to debuting the latest energetic works by Mr. Brainwash at Art Miami.

David Drebin (B. 1970 - ) is one of the most successful and highly collected photographers working today. Contessa Gallery recently debuted his latest monograph, Chasing Paradise, inaugurated with a solo show for the artist at the gallery, October 2 – November 7, 2015. The popular exhibition launched a series of international book signings and solo shows with the artist. Chasing Paradise marks Drebin’s fourth monograph of works (preceded by; Beautiful Disasters in 2012, The Morning After in 2011, and Love and Other Stories in 2007). The book’s title is appropriate, as his works are compilations of alluring fantasies, didactic landscapes and mysterious circumstances, all in some way or another idyllic in appearance. The scenes that the artist creates are worlds nearly utopic in juxtaposition with the viewer’s actuality. What is so fascinating about Drebin is his ability to convey the beautiful in extraordinary doses, while he simultaneously diminishes the flaws of reality. Coming to Art Miami with yet another extraordinary David Drebin world premier for 2015, Contessa Gallery presents the artist’s latest vision: Photo Sculptures. Drebin’s glamorous and mysterious muses come to life with the power of three-dimensional imaging. Translating his most elusive femme fatales into Photo Sculptures allow the viewer to investigate all angles of his most popular narratives. This next level of exploration unearths Drebin’s cinematic story even further. These sculptures are exclusively available through Contessa Gallery, and they are thrilled to present them to the public for the first time. Each Photo Sculpture is produced to the highest quality of craftsmanship in a limited edition of six. The gallery is proud to exhibit David Drebin's Photography, Neon Light Installations, Lightboxes and Photo Sculptures, highlighting his ascension as a multidisciplinary Art World Star.

Artworks by French artist Gilles Cenazandotti (B. 1966 - ) made an introduction to the United States and to the art fair circuit with Contessa Gallery at Art Southampton this past July. There, attendees were able to experience Cenazandotti’s sculptures, which are made entirely out of petroleum, oil, and plastic based objects that were found along beaches. The artist often uses endangered species as his subject matter. The reclaimed lost and found objects from the sea, which he uses to construct the figures, are essentially forms of pollution supplementing other detrimental factors in the decline of the environment. Cenazandotti addresses these ecological issues by making something extraordinary out of materials that are, upon first glance, undesirable. His didactic methodology translates into wall sculptures as well, where the discarded components are displayed in grid like collages, organized by shape and color.

About Contessa Gallery

Founded in 1999, Contessa Gallery offers artworks of exceedingly high quality as well as art acquisition counsel to collectors, museums and institutions. Areas of expertise include pre-20^th century, Modern and Contemporary sculpture, paintings, photography and works on paper. While many galleries focus primarily on artist representation and promotion, Contessa Gallery is collector focused. The gallery’s mission is to assist clients in developing collections that have deep personal meaning. Contessa Gallery encourages its clients to view their collections as a legacy that can be passed down through generations or to art institutions.

The gallery continues to expand its clientele and reputation through its participation in prestigious art fairs, such as; Art Miami, The American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF) and The Armory Show – Modern. At the philanthropic level, Contessa Gallery aims to make a difference in the community through the contribution of time, expertise, sponsorship and educational programming for museums and organizations dedicated to the arts.

For more detailed information about the gallery, artists, exhibition history, art fair schedule and philanthropic support, please visit our website: www.contessagallery.com or contact Steve Hartman at 216-956-2825 or via email: art@contessagallery.com.

For high-res images of the above mentioned works please contact Anna Kasparek at 216-382-7800 or via email: anna@contessagallery.com.

Contessa Gallery’s booths for Art Miami 2015 are #A15 and #A15a.

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