DARCHIVE, December 2010 -> www.contaminatenyc.com
From Contaminate NYC:
Contaminate NYC’s Outbreak series of art and wine joint evenings continues on December 16th, 2010 with “Darchive”, a special holiday event featuring a solo show by Brooklyn-based painter and illustrator Tracey Atkinson, performances by songwriter Matthew Brookshire and The Quintet for World Peace and Vin Brule’ tasting offered by DiVino.
Aiming to reveal the rawness and fragility of human nature, American painter and illustrator Tracey Atkinson loves to play with dark and irreverent subjects. While in her paintings she delineates facial traits and body shapes with exquisite perfection, strokes of dense and dark colors—often dramatically opposed to bright and luminous ones—render these perfectly drawn figures unsettling yet weird and playful. Always trying to engage and communicate with the viewer, Tracey’s darkness is combined with humor and grace, the combination of which renders her work vibrant, fun, and fresh. Her illustrations in particular capture the eye with their mix of sophistication, irreverence and originality. Her ability with ink allows her to achieve the perfection of the gesture she wants to describe, creating elegant and graceful images.
While enjoying performances by Matthew Brookshite and The Quintet for World Peace, warm up with sweet and spicy Vin Brule’, (also known as mulled wine), expertly prepared by DiVino sommelier, Annie Shapero. Dark and mysterious like Atkinson’s work, it is ultimately joyous and vibrant. A blend of spices and flavors that harmonize in the perfect accompaniment to a holiday celebration.
Tracey Atkinson (b. 1976) was born in North Carolina and currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. She received her BFA from Pratt Institute, where she earned the Pratt Circle Award for Academic Achievement and the Certificate of Excellence Award for Outstanding Merit in Illustration. Atkinson received her MA from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has taught visual art in NYC for six years and exhibited her work at G2 Gallery and LES Gallery in NY. Her work has been featured in the short movie “In A Box”.