OCCA presents “Illusionary,” an exhibition of paintings and mixed-media work by Lincoln City artist Kristan Bendixen, in the Upstairs Gallery at the Newport Visual Arts Center. The
Oregon Coast Council for the Arts is pleased to present artist Kristan Bendixen in the Upstairs Gallery at the Newport Visual Arts Center, May 12 through July 3. In her exhibit, “Illusionary,” Kristan Bendixen will present acrylic and mixed-media paintings, including new works from her Seascape Series. A public reception and artist talk will be held on June 5, 5-7pm, at the VAC.
A Seattle-born artist, Kristan Bendixen creates her work with everyday earthly materials: stone, wood and paper. Starting with a base of acrylic, she works with these elements to create 3-dimensional illusions by building up layers of stone, acrylic paint and wood or paper. She rarely leaves any of her materials unaltered, and viewers often experience something divergent from what is first encountered, as details are often hidden in her work. Bendixen also creates illusions in her 2-D work with the use of palette knives, heavily textured acrylics and course artist paste on canvas and wood. In the recent past she has worked on heavily textured paintings for the blind and limited-sight community, but her current focus is on highly textured, large abstracts using vibrant acrylic paints.
Having lived in Washington and Hawaii, Kristan Bendixen now resides in Lincoln City, Oregon, and she finds inspiration from the natural elements along the Oregon Coast. She continues to manipulate found earthly materials in a way that creates a richness and depth in her art.
Outside of a few art classes in high school and college, Kristan Bendixen has honed her own visions and talents over the past 19 years. She comes from a strong familial line of artists, dating as far back as the 1800s. Her father, Ross Bendixen, was a well known Seattle-area sculptor, and Bendixen’s talents stem from a history of watching her father sketch and create over the course of 30 years. She has participated in the Seattle and Coastal Oregon arts scenes as a featured artist in exhibitions and short running shows such as the RAW Artist Showcase in Seattle and Portland, and the renowned Kirkland Art Walk as well as Tasty Gallery and Avanti Art & Design in Seattle.
“My art can get kinda crazy sometimes,” Bendixen says, noting that beyond her current work she has worked in printmaking and photography, 3-D sculpture and paper art, raw stone and natural stone jewelry, and wildlife and animal art.
The Upstairs Gallery is open from noon to 4pm, Tuesday-Saturday.