The Hot Zone:

Alex Blau, John Guthrie, Santiago Hernandez

Alex Blau constructs small scale soft-edged works by pouring layers of clear acrylic lacquer over alternating layers of glossy airbrushed patterns, creating an impression of depth through which the viewer can discern magically suspended paint. The pillow shaped form of her canvases, reinforce the sculptural nature of her process while also indicating their playful reference to snack food wrapping.

John Guthrie achieves his dense optical effects through a meticulous additive process of drawing repeating patterns of curving lines, cell forms or vertical drips. For Guthrie, his new work alludes to the physical pleasure and beauty of color and form presented directly and without complication, yielding images that have a sensual presence and meditative quality.

Santiago Hernandez's new Cuba/Camouflage series grew out of the artist's personal experience as a Cuban-American and his wish to synthesize the influences of his two cultures. In these paintings, multiple outlines of the Cuban islands are incorporated into clever interlocking patterns that gradually reveal their meaning on close inspection. Works from this series will be included in the upcoming exhibition "Island Nations" at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art.