Isabel Samaras

Known for lush and meticulously painted riffs on Old Masters that feature pop culture icons of the past, Isabel Samaras' ribald images are woven with references to classic horror movies, ancient mythologies, cherished TV characters, tribal societies, and childhood fairy tales. Magical realism and the forbidden fantasies of fabled characters frolic in a world where elusive desires become reality, re-imagining ill-fated journeys that turn into enchanted honeymoons. A common thread that runs through much of Samaras' work like a red string tied to her heart is that of love: maternal affection, romantic devotion, illicit enchantments, tender yearnings, unrequited passion, and the idea that everyone, even monsters or disembodied hands can find someone to love them. Her painted narratives, classical in technique and pop in content, often revolve around issues of making things end the way we wish they would. Exploring "What if?" and "Why not?" she brings human desires and foibles to fictional characters, studying the human condition through the eyes of popular culture by jamming old and new together in the visual equivalent of a mash-up song.