Contessa Gallery
Art Silicon Valley 2015

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 - Cleveland, OH – Contessa Gallery is pleased to be participating in the second annual Art Silicon Valley/San Francisco again this year. Art Silicon Valley/San Francisco has established its reputation for premiering the best and highest quality of 20th and 21st century artworks on the West Coast. The fair will run from October 8 – 11. Contessa Gallery will be displaying works by notable contemporary artists, such as; Mr. Brainwash, David Datuna and David Drebin. They will also be displaying seminal works by Hanneke Beaumont, Jasper Johns and Thomas Scoon. This will also be the second introductory fair where Contessa Gallery will be displaying works by Gilles Cenazandotti. Cenazandotti’s Polar Bear was shown for the first time, on Contessa Gallery’s behalf, at Art Southampton 2015.

Thierry Guetta, internationally known as Mr. Brainwash, began his career in 1999 documenting the underground world of street artists. Eventually this endeavor led him to Banksy, who is arguably the most anonymous and famous street artist today. With the encouragement of Banksy, Guetta began creating his own street art. In 2008, Mr. Brainwash produced his first solo show, Life is Beautiful. This epic exhibition revolutionized the art scene in not only Los Angeles, where the show was held, but worldwide. This phenomenal show skyrocketed Mr. Brainwash’s popularity. Mr. Brainwash’s artistic evolution is documented in the Academy Award nominated film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, coincidently directed by Banksy. Known for his stylistic combination of pop and street art, Guetta creates his works by fusing together historical pop imagery with contemporary cultural iconography. After selling out an entire booth dedicated to Mr. Brainwash in two previous shows, Contessa Gallery looks forward to showing the artist’s newest works at Art Silicon Valley/San Francisco.

David Datuna experienced a breakthrough year in 2014. His unique piece, Portrait of America was exhibited at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery to record attendance at the museum. It is a part of his series Viewpoint of Billions. Datuna’s groundbreaking work incorporated the use of Google Glass. This wearable technology allowed the viewers to interact with images embedded within the artwork. The viewers’ reactions were recorded as they explored Portrait of America. Their exchanges streamed worldwide via the web. Datuna’s success continued with Contessa Gallery’s presentation of Nostalgia for Warhol at Art Miami 2014. The transformative portraits of Marilyn Monroe are part of the artist’s Golden Triangle series. Thematically linking to our time and culture, this recurring triumvirate explores past, present and future. Marked by the documentary debut of Datuna: Portrait of America, 2015 is proving to be another great year for David. The film has been accepted into and will be shown at many prestigious film festivals throughout the world over the next year. Further highlighting Datuna’s great success, this year at Art Miami New York Contessa Gallery world premiered Datuna’s latest experimentation: mixed media wall sculptures that include Swarovski crystals into the complex web of eyeglasses that are laid over his portraits and flags. Contessa Gallery will be displaying and premiering for the first time new themed works of Hollywood, Music and Sex in the signature style of the artist at Art Silicon Valley/San Francisco. These pieces are certain to be a crowd favorite.

David Drebin is one of the most successful and highly collected photographers working today. Contessa Gallery is world premiering his upcoming book, Chasing Paradise¸ at a solo show for the artist at their gallery on October 2, 2015. This show launches the kickoff of a series of book signings and solo shows throughout the world for the artist. Contessa Gallery’s 2012 exhibition, David Drebin Photographs, was Drebin’s third one-man show at the gallery. It also celebrated the exclusive U.S. release of his newest book, Beautiful Disasters. Drebin’s work was featured alongside photography giants including Arbus, Avedon and Meisel in the exhibition, Fashion!. It was one of the most comprehensive exhibitions of fashion photography ever hosted (Fotografiska Museet in Stockholm, 2010-2011). Contessa Gallery will feature Drebin’s most recent works in photography, lightboxes and neon light installations at Art Silicon Valley/San Francisco. These different mediums broach the secret thoughts of the femme fatales who inhabit the elusive world Drebin creates in his dramatic photographs. At Art Silicon Valley/San Francisco, Contessa Gallery will have signed copies of his upcoming book, Chasing Paradise.

About Contessa Gallery
Founded in 1999, Contessa Gallery offers artworks of exceedingly high quality as well as art acquisition counsel to collectors, museums and institutions. Areas of expertise include pre-20th century, Modern and Contemporary sculpture, paintings, photography and works on paper. While many galleries focus primarily on artist representation and promotion, Contessa Gallery is collector focused. The gallery’s mission is to assist clients in developing collections that have deep personal meaning. Contessa Gallery encourages its clients to view their collections as a legacy that can be passed down through generations or to art institutions.

The gallery continues to expand its clientele and reputation through its participation in prestigious art fairs, such as; Art Miami, The American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF) and The Armory Show – Modern. At the philanthropic level, Contessa Gallery aims to make a difference in the community through the contribution of time, expertise, sponsorship and educational programming for museums and organizations dedicated to the arts.

For more detailed information about Contessa Gallery and its endeavors, please visit our website at www.contessagallery.com. You can also contact Steve Hartman directly at 216-956-2825 or via his email: art@contessagallery.com. For high-resolution images of the above-mentioned works, please contact Anna Kasparek at 216-382-7800 or via email: rebecca@contessagallery.com.

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