PULSE MIAMI

With years of childhood experience in gutting and dissecting game for hunters, MICHAEL COMBS understands the anatomy to perfection; and while many artists favor a human subject, his muses are animals. The newest trophy mounts come complete with stylish racing stripes. While the decoration appears to be merely fashionable, the true purpose of the stripe is to provide the driver with a swift reference to calibrate passing distance, allowing him to be the victor. The artist empathizes with the losing side and continues to prod topics of bravado, insecurity, and personal rites of passage as his subjects. 

Combs uses familiar elements of Americana and materials reminiscent of masculine icons such as Hemingway and Roosevelt. His work appears in collections of Parrish Art Museum, 21C Museum, Beth Rudin Dewoody, Klaus Kertess, and Marianne Boesky.

In the wreckage of New Orleans, SKYLAR FEIN found his new calling as an artist, experimenting with color and composition of the detritus of Katrina. His work soon became known for its pop sensibility as well as its hard-nosed politics. After a few starring roles in group shows, he had his first solo show in May 2008 at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in New Orleans. Skylar Fein was the recipient of a 2009 Joan Mitchell Foundation Award and his work is in several prominent collections including The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Brooklyn Museum, The Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, The Louisiana State Museum, The Birmingham Museum of Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art and collectors Beth Rudin DeWoody, Lance Armstrong, and Lawrence Benenson.

GINA PHILLIPS creates ethereal “cut out” portraits from found and gathered fabrics. Inspired by the work of Alice Neel,

her cut-out figures emanate a strong presence as the viewer is bound to feel like they come to know the person over time.  The truncated forms however impart an air of vulnerability or disenfranchisement.

Phillips’ work has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the country and her work is in numerous collections including University of Kentucky, Lexington, NASA, New Orleans Museum of Art, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, Tulane University and House of Blues (various locations across US.)  She is a featured artist in Prospect.2 Biennial.