Exploring the Artistic Brilliance of Thai Mainhard
My name is Natalie Wilson and I am interning for JoAnne Artman Gallery. Since I have begun, I have meticulously studied our roster of artists in an effort to absorb as much as I can, but I must say, I am continuously drawn to one artist in particular. That artist is Thai Mainhard.
Thai Mainhard is a Brazilian-American artist born in 1990. She mainly works in abstract paintings, combining passionate mark making with color blocking shapes. She describes working in this style as an effort to create emotive compositions that navigate “a space between chaos and calm.” Her pieces often tell unique stories to each viewer.
A piece that comes to mind in our inventory is entitled “He Came and Went.” This piece speaks to the lively essence of Thai’s work as it not only has a vast and complex color palette using both warm and cool tones, but these colors are all implemented inside different abstract shape. Thai’s “simple appearing” patterns are actually helmed very skillfully in order to create playful settings. Thai uses a continued artistic technique to echo a few repeating patterns throughout her pieces. In “He Came and Went” striped and hatched, in each section of a dominant foreground that string the piece together while diverting attention throughout. It’s lovely and something I continue to go back to.
I believe that all New Yorkers would like the sense of play Thai brings to her work. When I look at another one of Thai’s pieces in our inventory, “I Am Your Garden (Diptych)” I see an abstract resemblance to the natural world – flowers, mountains, ocean waves and more – all hidden beneath the surface of repeating patterns, textures and colors. It is like a puzzle waiting to be solved and there is no wrong picture to put together. With compelling stories like these interwoven into all of her pieces, each detail of the composition adds a new dimension of a visual narrative. Of course, in order to truly appreciate Thai’s style, you have to be open minded, creative and willing to make it your own, which is what I believe New Yorkers do best.
Whether it is capturing the innocence of childhood or depicting complex human relationships, Thai’s art stirs emotions and sparks meaningful conversations about much more than art.
