Abby Kasonik

Abby Kasonik is an American painter born in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1975.

Kasonik attended Stuart Hall School in Staunton, Virginia and completed her studies at VCU School of the Arts afterward a degree in Sculpture. “Charlottesville artiste Abby Kasonik has speedily established a reputation all but the country for her sublimely meditative paintings.” Her play tends towards enigmatic unknown figures on a low horizon line, isolated and indistinct, as if seen through a dense fog, or oppressive mist. Thin washes of color build a veil of thick and skinny drips, giving solidarity to the atmospheric space. Her paintings are “From the abstract to distinct, each painting utilizes... contemplative colors to create dreamlike vignettes.”

Over time, and subsequently atmospheric changes in light, paintings impression subtle shifts in color and tone. A result of the many layers of underpainting, overpainting and glazes, this is the work's unique atmosphere of depth. Depth is a key element in the pieces, as Kasonik plays later than pictorial sharpness in the visual ground of each painting. Her paintings pay for the aware landscape, but present it as confounding and quixotic, such that the viewer may never clearly clarify the narrative. Abby’s “terrains are devoid of life. Man made objects may be present, a railroad track or fence posts, but nothing full of beans moves; nothing grows.” Her body of work “emphasizes the infinity of appearance and engenders a desirability of contemplative peace.”…" So precious that it keeps the paintings from visceral mere derivative iterations of normal landscape.”

Kasonik's paintings are inspired by water and science her “over-sized paintings feature layers of acrylic paint upon canvas in evocative shades of blues and grays.” “Drawn to aquariums, Abby's decree is heavily influenced by water and dimension. From the abstract to distinct, each painting utilizes calming contemplative colors to Make dreamlike vignettes. Her process, which entails various and repetitive coats of acrylic paint and water, is incredibly laborious.” Kasonik continues to Make and comport yourself her art throughout the country.