A message-driven mixed-media artist, Gayle Wells Mandle is a self-described political junkie with a long-standing interest in the disparity between the haves and the have-nots. Her paintings are borne from observations of current events and employ text and texture in abstract compositions. The concept that all humans have the same basic needs and instinct to survive rests at the core of her art. Mandle’s more recent work has centered on the Iraq War, the influence of the Arab Spring in the United States, and themes of free speech and collective dissent. Her large-scale works are built through a juxtaposition of order and chaos, intent and spontaneity, telling a story through layered materials.