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Press Release: The Future of Austin Art |
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Monday, 05 June 2006 20:00 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dalana Castrell channels the most fundamental elements of life when she paints. Drawing upon traditional faiths and mystical teachings, urban graffiti, scientific theory, and pure artistic talent, this prophetess expresses free thought and color in richly saturated mixed media works of art.
There have been many stages in Castrell’s 26 year art career. First came the funky fashion designs thrown together in a New York minute when the ingénue was a party icon and rubbed elbows with the rich and glamorous. The sketches were young, vain, pretty, and sold very well to wealthy benefactors.
However, the art really expanded and took shape with “Southlands the Passage.” This body of work began in Bermuda in the early nineties and reflects Castrell’s difficult upbringing. Though almost religious in tone and subject matter, there is a Byzantine impression coupled with a modern element of Cubist flare. A piece from that collection titled “Mysticism and Ritual,” a mixed media work on paper, melds feminist overtones with a marriage of religious faiths. All pieces from “Southlands the Passage” share a similar theme and style while each work stands alone as a colorful symbol of identity and personal growth.
Castrell has always been an inspiration to both her eager audience and fellow artists. Still in Bermuda, Castrell completed two tribute sets of paintings, “Windows Of The Soul,” a dedication to a friend dying of AIDS, and “GhimEL,” the last of the Bermuda collection.
Living in Sedona, AZ, Dalana Castrell started “Fragments of Scriptures,” another completely unique take on spiritual art. Her work had blossomed into a new form of abstraction, as if the artistic energy flowing through her had been released from structural confines. Figures in the works are biblical in reference with a prevalent sense of primitive mankind. Exploration in lines and form defines this body of work. “Fragments of Scriptures” is a series of work on evangelism and is centered heavily in Jewish mysticism. This was a highly developmental stage in Castrell’s career, as she embraces hidden messages, abstract shadowy figures, and torn pieces of the Bible.
The transition Castrell made from the period spent in Sedona paved the way for her current development, “Ionic Futurism.” Everything is connected and communicates at the elemental level. To human eyes, colors reflect emotions, ideas and events. The action and reaction to art can be traced to thoughts and how they are related to molecular composition. Visionary in its grounding, “Ionic Futurism” invites the onlooker to slow down and explore the messages that the works spell out.
There is little art in this community like that of Dalana Castrell’s. The collection known as “Ionic Futurism” incorporates similar styles and symbols as her previous stages. However, the current collection is intensely graphic and feverishly colorful. Her vibrant work juxtaposes the rigidity of alphabetical and numerical characters with psychotically freeform anthropological figures. On first glance, these works are composed of broad brushstrokes and highly saturated hues. A closer look reveals an intricate web of symbolism. The “Orbital” group leaves one awestruck with the sheer complexity presented. Each of these mixed media works explain “Ionic Futurism” at its most fundamental, the essence of movement captured through the interaction of color, mind and form.
Based now in Austin, TX, the Arthouse of Ionic Futurism displays the current work of Dalana Castrell. She is constantly evolving as a visual artist. Visit Castrell at the Arthouse of Ionic Futurism at 830 W. 3rd Street, Suite 1140 or shop the gallery online at www.ionicfuturism.com
The gallery is open Tues-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun-Mon by appointment. For more information, please call 512.482.9818 or see www.ionicfuturism.com.
For any other questions or materials, please email Croft Castrell at
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 February 2008 23:04 )
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