Hollis Taggart

A 1987 newspaper article about the artist Frank Diaz Escalet noted that his inlaid leather paintings were joined by seams so fine that they were barely noticeable, even upon touch. The imperceptibility of Escalet’s methods is akin to his presence in art history: extraordinary but often overlooked. The Puerto Rican-born, New York-raised artist began his career operating a renowned Greenwich Village leather shop that catered to famous clients, including the Rolling Stones and Aretha Franklin.

Rachel MacFarlane paints fantastical visions of plants and landscapes that feel lifted from speculative fiction. Before she begins painting, MacFarlane builds small paper constructions that distill the emotional forms of plants and places, using memory as a guide. The finished works glow with slick brushstrokes and electric hues of magenta, amber, orange, teal, and violet, drawing viewers into environments that feel at once lush and uncanny.