It is with great excitement that I announce my recent recognition as Best in Show for Aedra Fine Art’s latest exhibit “CORE,” which opened on August 13, 2024. AFA specializes in writing critical essays about some of the finest established artists in the world. AFA explores current avant-garde directions in international contemporary art through the publication of critical art essay features in its international Artist Feature Catalogue, focusing on carefully selected contemporary artists who exemplify innovation and prestige.
CORE, AFA’s latest exhibit, features 33 artists from across the globe, marking the organization’s largest and most competitive exhibit in its 10-year history. The Best in Show designation is a tremendous accolade in and of itself, and is made even more meaningful with the supplemental inclusion of a critical retrospective on my art practice. As an artist who (should but) does not often share the inspirations and intellectual processes behind my work, editor and curator Michael Hanna does an excellent job deciphering the latent intentions in my creative process.
I have long stated in private conversations that my practice explores the color experience and how juxtapositions in close proximity to one another impact that experience. Hanna instinctively identifies this tension in my work and may also perceive my continued endeavors to harmonize busy gestural brushwork with quieter color field applications. Think maximalist meets minimalist, which shouldn’t be a thing, but I very much want it somehow to be:
“Stacey remains a gifted painter pushing the boundaries of an art form which may have never been fully explored and developed…”
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“Color field painting, like minimalism, remains one of the least understood art forms, however with Stacey’s sophistication of color and quiet brushwork she creates a deeper appreciation for these approaches.”
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“Stacey Warnix paintings are a grand design in the concept of push and pull, containing slight tension with an abundance of harmony. The paintings are full of wonderful contradictions in application and visual approach, creating an intricacy towards new and integrative methods of color field painting.”
It is a rare and unique honor to have someone so eloquently distill the influences and intentions in my practice without so much as a word on my part. I am moved and deeply appreciative to feel heard, and I am encouraged to keep venturing forward. I may never get to the place I imagine in my mind, but I sure am enjoying the journey.
The full critical review article is available on the Aedra Fine Arts website at https://www.aedrafinearts.com/catalogue and also on their Substack page at https://aedrafinearts.substack.com.
ABOUT AEDRA FINE ARTS:
Aedra Fine Arts (“AFA”) is an art publisher and online gallery founded in 2014 in Jersey City, New Jersey. AFA initially started out as an artist community and curatorial organization hosting physical exhibits and artistic events across New Jersey, until evolving its focus on publishing an international catalogue with critical reviews on some of the finest established artists in the world. Today, AFA operates as an independent nonprofit publisher and platform offering the public an insight into groundbreaking international contemporary art.
As a non-profit arts organization, AFA does not collect competition fees or commissions and instead relies on public support for its mission. You can lend your support to continued independent publishing in the arts by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/f/AedraFineArts.
ABOUT STACEY WARNIX:
Stacey Warnix is an American lyrical abstraction painter who uses gestural methods to create large-scale paintings, layering mixed media pigments and collage over raw textiles. Her paintings explore the experiential affect of nuanced color and scale, using disparate materials and layered textures to subtly shift the perception, light reflectivity, and luminosity of her landscape-inspired color fields.