The Guild Room at Epiphany Center for the Arts
Abstract collides with Realism. The exhibition C + C = COLLISION presents a collaborative series between Cesar Conde and C.J. Hungerman.
With their own unique style, Cesar Conde, a realist painter, and C.J. Hungerman, an Abstract Modernist, decided to collaborate two years ago. Hungerman approached Conde about the Collision concept: a collaboration that would require complete, blind trust. Conde hands off his portraits for Hungerman to apply his expertise; he never knows what’s going to happen to his paintings. Every time a canvas is invaded by Hungerman’s high energy and explosive colors, it takes on another life that is delicious, exciting and explosive. “I never know what’s coming next. It’s like unwrapping a present and it never disappoints,” said Conde of their collaboration. “I tell C.J. who the person I’m painting is, what they are like, their character, their passion. C.J. interprets them with his own visual language. I feel that both disciplines just feed off of each other. I totally love it! I completely trust C.J.“
Hungerman, speaking on his perspective on the collaboration, said, “I have incredible satisfaction while creating artwork with Cesar. The icons and imagery I utilize construct the subconscious personality of the human portrayed in each painting. These works are an exciting new adventure which have reinvigorated our skills and desire to produce art. Combining our forms and techniques with the subject matter has led to a series of artworks that reveal each portrait’s visual description in a new, dynamic fashion.”
The vibrato of Cesar Conde’s portraiture guides the tone of the symbols C.J. Hungerman chooses and the forms he fashions. It is no small thing for an artist to hand over their work without knowing what it will look like when they receive it back; it is an exercise of trust and friendship. The flow of these works creates a surreal environment that engages the viewer’s imagination.
For more information and sales inquiries, please email art@epiphanychi.com. To register for the free opening reception on July 29, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., follow the “Register Here” link below:
