Originally from Balarus, Dina Brodsky moved to the U.S. with her family at an early age. She studied at the University of Massachussets Amherst and New York Academy of Art.
In her most recent series, Brodsky revels in the rich textures, subtle colors and muted value changes in abandoned buildings. She infuses these with a haunting narrative element in the form of repeated themes of birds and sometimes other animals, making the spaces seem at once inhabited and more empty.
Most of her work is fairly small, approximately 8 inches (20 cm) across, painted in oil on mylar or plexiglass. I’m aware of mylar as a surface for drawing and painting, but oil on plexiglass is new to me. I don’t know if it has relevance to the way the pieces are displayed, or if she just likes the surface.
A number of her paintings, like the three shown above, bottom, are outright miniatures, 2 inches (5 cm) across. I get the impression that the circular motif of some of the most recent larger series may have developed out of a miniature titled “Demolition Spyhole”, from which larger versions of the subject and composition may have evolved.
Her website has archives that go back several years.
There is a fascinating article by Daniel Maidman that goes into the way her miniature series “Desert Places” was displayed in a miniature museum setting.
Jessica Roy has an article on Fusion that delves into Brodsky’s process. There is a “Studio Visit” video on Vimeo from 2012.
Dina Brodsky’s work is currently on display at Sirona Fine Art in Hallandale Beach, FL, in a dual show with sculptor Wesley Wofford, titled “Miniature & Majestic”, that runs until January 11, 2015.
[Via American Art Collector]
