Choose Your Fighter II: An Exhibition That Chooses Form Over Function

In the quiet neighborhood of Ridgewood, Marvin Gardens a community-driven gallery opened its doors to display the second iteration of Choose Your Fighter. A group exhibition displaying artworks by 20 emerging artists. Curated by Tiffany Wong (TifXb) 

During my visit to Marvin Gardens, Choose Your Fighter Part 2 enabled artists to challenge viewers’ perspectives, before I mention the artwork that demanded my attention within the gallery, TifXb embodies their soon-to-be well-known anarchic style displaying a high volume of artworks, artist, and diversified mediums. Through endorsing spatial awareness, she psychologically amplifies the subtle yet major difference between instinctive viewing and instinctually comprehending art, rather than providing a generic show where the artworks have a similar subject, style, color palate, ethnicity origin, or forceful civics theme in an attempt to force a palatable experience for the consumer which in recent trends tends to fall flat. Instead, TifXB further solidifies the zeitgeist of the uber-contemporary, cultivating a culture of innovative and progressive observation as she steps beyond the conventional mainstream trends prone to popularity bias. This level of influence dismisses the trends accustomed to viewers but provides the viewer and consumer the choice of whose art should progress beyond emerging. Yes, there is a difference between emerging and blue chip or underground and mainstream but there is a bridge between these stages of progression and  Choose Your Fighter II curated by TifXB promotes that bridge.

Now the job is placed upon me to Choose My Fighter… (drumroll please)

 Miami-based Susan Kim Alvarez displayed Butterfly World, 2024 a vibrant yet flawlessly abstract work on canvas that demanded my attention. Butterfly World delves beyond the surface subject of butterflies; it brings the consumer into becoming inquisitive. Depending on your distance or method of viewing this artwork the layers of acrylic to create this painting are unmatchable.
From about 5 feet, I initially noticed grass engrossing the bottom left of the canvas as it absorbs a figure looking towards the right side; but what are they looking at?

Upon taking a step closer you notice that the flowers blending into the center of the grass from mainly along the bottom right are not just flowers extending from the plants, but a flower pattern that ambiguously entangles itself between the plants and a shirt. The outline of the figure on the right side of the canvas and its back facing the viewer, its hand pointing above the first figure within the grass, and its eyes staring at the butterflies above brought me to question. Do they notice the figure within the grass?  A brief moment of uncertainty crossed my mind.

I stepped closer to the artwork, looking directly into the eyes I again thought to myself, although the sclera within the eyes is transparent, the slight color change within the iris and the bold black eyelashes and eyebrows, the vibrant yellow sideburns connecting to their spikey hair producing a sunlight ray was intensified the closer I stood. The phrases “Hey, Thanks For Bringing Me Here” and “These Flies are Butterlicious” cross the center of the canvas almost as if you can feel the words spread through the air.

Nonetheless, the people aren’t the only ones speaking. You can also spot mini conversations happening between the lizards and butterflies small yellow blurbs. The more I stared at this artwork the more I saw.

This artwork grows with the buyer beyond the first years you own it. These are my favorite types of artwork due to the layers within, and even if the viewer decides they have seen everything they still must then try to comprehend what it all means.

So again, following the rules of Choose My Fighter. II, the artist work of my choice is Susan Kim Alvarez.