The Hofstra Chronicle

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FORM Gallery: ‘Body of Work’ brings classic art to life

Artists Kat Deiner painting one of her models at the opening of the FORM Gallery in Calkin’s Hall.

By Brianna Holcomb

Arts and Entertainment Editor

Vincent Van Gough’s “Starry Night” is an iconic portrait that anyone can recognize.  Imagine those same strokes painted not on a canvas, but on a body. Looking at one of the paintings, it appeared as though those beautiful stokes of Van Gough’s masterpiece had been placed on the model’s body.

Kat Denier and Justin Maceira’s show “Body of Work” was featured in Calkins Hall’s FORM Gallery. These two artists came together to combine two art forms to create a beautiful gallery piece.

Denier and Maceira used models instead of a standard canvas. Their showcase combined both painting and photographs to display their artwork in the gallery.

Kat painted the models and Justin photographed them to create this combination of intriguing artwork.

It was difficult to focus as I walked into the gallery. Between looking at the style in which the photographs were shot and the artwork painted on the models themselves, my eyes constantly wandered.

I wanted to get a closer look at the paintings themselves, but the poses and models made me stop short. I couldn’t pick just one of the mediums to foucs on, which may have made for a diffiucult viewing, but for some reason came off as a great collaboration.

During the opening reception, Denier painted models to walk around, which made the gallery an interactive experience.

Both artist utilized their mediums very well and kept true to their strengths in their art forms.