Collection: Fresh Work | Week One

Devra Goldstein’s watercolor abstractions are a part of her ongoing investigation of materiality, form, and line. In 2019, she created a 15-foot long weaving using found fibers. She utilizes repeated gestures in both her fiberworks and paintings, which incorporate bold marks and vibrant colors.

Playing with surface pattern and color saturation, Ona Williams’s recent ceramic sculptures unite disparate textures and forms. “I want my work to be a bold statement, but also convey calmness and love,” she says. 

Carol O’Connor repurposes everyday objects and found materials, like mesh screens and fragmented crayons, to create stencils and other inventive marks in her vibrant paintings. "Although most of my compositions are abstract, I like incorporating nature and the elements (earth, water, air, fire) into the themes of my work,” she says.

Emmanuelle Quinn’s recent work focuses on bright colors and fluid shapes with, as they say, “a touch of the absurd.” They are also deeply interested in collaboration and curation, and in 2019, they co-edited the first issue of the Interact zine.

Briana Shelstad (above, bottom right) works across fibers, wearable art, painting, and ceramics to explore aspects of pop culture and identity. An avid reader and movie collector, her work responds to the characters and symbolism in films like Wonder Woman (2017), which she describes as filled with “wonder and adventure."

Special thanks to Xavier Tavera for these portraits of Carol, Emmanuelle, Briana, and Ona; and to the Goldstein family for this portrait of Devra.