Heart of the Machine

"Heart of the Machine" by Steven Dixey

I've spent my day recovering from the amount of artistic talent packed into the small space at Beep Beep Gallery. Last night was the opening for "Heart of the Machine," a show pairing Steven Dixey's scientific illustration meets war time iconography with Stenvik Mostrom's highly decorative, quasi-cubist beings. The artsists' work match up well with each other, both tending towards symmetry and reflective of tattoos.

At his best, Dixey's work goes further into realism of the two artists', often venturing into the classic territory of the Italian masters. In this show, that trend is seen only in "Oh God of God's, Won't You Protect Me?", a terror ridden landscape that features a mother and child crying out to a visible Satallite/God. His other works are born from the same illustrated realism, only in the context of heraldry among other motiffs. Several pieces include frames either cast or modified by the artist, convincing the viewer that the works are as important as they thought.

Stenvik takes this asthetic in another direction with four very similar compositions. "Furnace", the most interesting and cubo-futurist of the four, shows a figure as part of a midnight factory. A doorway shows the inside of the machine, and literally the inside of the painting, revealing a sculpted heart ablaze in a warm contrast that radiates onto the painting. The figure's stylization reflects the same approach shared by his other, somewhat dark and violent compositions.
"Furnace" by Stenvik Mostrom
"Elk" by Stenvik Mostrom
"Oh God of God's, Won't You Protect Me?" by Steven Dixey

You can stop by the gallery (696 Charles Allen Dr. Atlanta, GA) during their regular hours: 12-6 Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.