Contessa Gallery: Showcasing groundbreaking new work by Mr. Brainwash, David Datuna, and David Drebin at Art Miami 2014

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Dec 01, 2014, 06:30 ET

CLEVELAND, Dec. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Contessa Gallery is thrilled to be presenting at the 25^th anniversary of Art Miami. Contessa Gallery's booth will be exhibiting new works by notable Contemporary artists Mr. Brainwash, David Datuna, and David Drebin, as well as iconic works by modern masters such as Jasper Johns, Helen Frankenthaler, and Chuck Close. In an unprecedented new move, Contessa Gallery will be exhibiting in two booths this year in order to showcase the expanse of recent works created by Mr. Brainwash, David Datuna, and David Drebin.

Mr. Brainwash (B. 1966 - ), Juxtapose, 2014, Stencil and Mixed Media on Canvas

David Datuna (B. 1974 - ), Nostalgia for Warhol, 2014, Mixed Media Wall Sculpture Installation

David Drebin (B. 1970 - ), Mermaid in Paradise I, 2014, Digital C Print

Contessa Gallery will be exclusively dedicating one booth to a special presentation of the work of Mr. Brainwash. Thierry Guetta, internationally known as Mr. Brainwash, followed and documented street artists on film beginning in 1999, ultimately filming the most famous street artist: Banksy. At the encouragement of Banksy, Guetta began creating his own street art and had his first solo show as Mr. Brainwash in 2008. Mr. Brainwash's artistic evolution is documented in the Banksy-directed and Oscar-nominated film, Exit Through the Gift Shop. Known for his Pop Art feel and street-art style, Guetta will be transforming the booth to reflect his own studio space. The entire booth will be complete with painted walls and materials used to create his dynamic work, pulling viewers into the world of Mr. Brainwash and immersing them amongst his new works made specifically for Art Miami.

This past year has been a landmark year for David Datuna, and continues to be with Contessa Gallery's presentation of Nostalgia for Warhol. The gallery will exhibit Datuna's homage to Andy Warhol's iconic serial celebrity silkscreens, Ten Marilyns, on the main wall of their Art Miami booth. This group of transformative portraits of Marilyn Monroe are part of the artist's Golden Triangle series. This recurring triumvirate in Datuna's reportage explores past, present and future, thematically linking to our time and culture.

The image of the famed Marilyn Monroe is reinterpreted through tiny colored dots signifying the viewpoint, people, culture and energy of the past. The present is revealed through a veil of optical lenses with varied magnification as the artist skillfully plays with the constructive elements, giving them special meaning from a diverse point of view. The juxtaposition of the celebrated actress's image of the past and the power of 20th Century iconography in the present, shine through Datuna's clever use of lenses while giving personality, perception, fragmentation and unity new definition. As the audience examines the work from their unique point of observation, the illusion of movement three dimensionally morphs the viewer from the past (the image), through the present (the lenses) into visions of what the future may hold.

David Drebin is one of the most successful and highly collected photographers working today. Contessa Gallery will premiere new works and exhibit Drebin's most recent works in photography, lightboxes, and Neon light installations, which illuminate the secret thoughts of the Femme Fatales who inhabit the elusive world of his dramatic photographs. Contessa Gallery will also be world premiering and featuring Drebin's newest artistic exploration: resin sculptures transforming the Femme Fatales portrayed in his works into three dimensions. Contessa Gallery is excited to present Drebin as a continually evolving multi-media artist.

Contessa Gallery will also be exhibiting iconic works of art by Jasper Johns, Chuck Close, and Helen Frankenthaler. Each of these seminal artists has forever changed the landscape of art history through their use of method or iconography; Johns through his use of ubiquitous symbols of the everyday, Close through his use of photography and grids to create his large-scale portraits, and Frankenthaler through her revolutionary soak-stain method of painting.

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 encompass pre-twentieth century, Modern and Contemporary sculpture, paintings, photography, and works on paper. 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 to be passed down through generations of family or on to museums.

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.

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: [email protected].

For high-res images of the above mentioned works please contact Rebecca Roman at 216.382.7800 or via email: [email protected].

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SOURCE Contessa Gallery