“Gun Girl,” a new work by Los Angeles-based artist Deirdre Sullivan-Beeman, will be exhibited at Gabba Gallery for the “Wood, Metal, Screw” group show opening on Saturday, August 22 with a reception from 7-11PM. The work is oil and egg tempera on wood panel, measuring 26.5 x 20.5 inches framed.
In “Gun Girl,” Sullivan-Beeman juxtaposes realms of two- and three-dimensional representation by contrasting the flattened perspective of the hand stippled background with the more sculptural rendering of the figure. Many layers of glaze create another sense of depth and radiance. She references the elements in the show’s title by allowing the wood grain to show through, and by the narrative presence of the metal gun in the girl’s hand. The artist has also stated, as quoted in LA Art Party, “Since the exhibit includes ‘Screw,’ I wanted the subject, despite her age, to clearly be someone you do not want to screw with. She may look innocent, but she is tough.”
A self-taught figurative and contemporary surrealist painter, Sullivan-Beeman specializes in an “Old Masters” technique dating back to the 14th century that utilizes oil paint and egg tempera (it was originally called the Mische, “mixed,” technique). In her pieces—many of which are influenced by her dream journal—Sullivan-Beeman works toward “Grisaille,” a term for painting executed entirely in monochrome or near-monochrome, usually in shades of grey.
She has studied with internationally recognized contemporary masters including Robert Venosa, Anthony Ryder, A. Andrew Gonzalez, and Sean Cheetham. Her work has recently been shown at galleries including La Luz De Jesus (Los Angeles), Gallery 825 (West Hollywood), and Gristle Art Gallery (Brooklyn).
