CHITRA GANESH:

Chitra Ganesh is an artist from Brooklyn, NY. I first saw her prints, which interested me because she utilizes multiple different printing techniques to create each one. She also does digital and photo-based works as well as very striking paintings and installations. The influence of Hindu culture and folklore is evident in her recurring female forms. However, the ascribing of deity-like qualities (such as multiple arms, eyes, and tongues) to her human subjects is particularly interesting and I think can be read in many interesting ways. There is of course an overall disturbing feel to most of her work as a result of the violent and overtly sexual narratives and themes she deals with. The fact that she combines two completely opposite ways of perceiving/addressing sexuality and the female is interesting, certainly daring, but I wonder what kind of specific commentary or message she is trying to communicate? Is it something specifically related to Hindu or Indian culture, culture everywhere, or just shock?

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WILLIAM WEGMAN

Normally I think I might be adverse to the whole "me and my dog" art journey thing. However, the somewhat twisted or backwards feel that exists in some of William Wegman's work is very intriguing. He plays with the recognizable form of a dog (a Weimeraner to be exact) in a variety of ways. Either he dresses them up in clothing, or other materials, or uses the dogs' natural poses themselves. While some of his canine photography and prints focus more on exploring the dogs' form in a more classical or symbolic sense, there is always an element of playfulness in his work.