Open by appointment or chance.
Exhibiting contemporary painting inspired by landscapes within, our place in the world, universe and time by London born British American artist Paul Seftel. Created with hand made paints, earth minerals and natural pigments, these one of a kind works of Art expose hidden depths from the natural world, in powerful and emotive paintings. Exploring perspective from the microcosm to the macrocosm, epiphany, entropy, elements and forces of nature collide across the surface of Seftel's metamorphic organic paintings.
Born in London, 1974, Seftel studied at University and Art school in London and Edinburgh. leaving home at eighteen to travel across the US solo. The travel bug got into his blood, spending years ‘on the road’ exploring meditation, color therapy, and the healing arts. By age twenty one Paul had traveled independently throughout Europe, across the US, east to west and back again; through Morocco and into the Sahara; through southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala; and Indonesia. Many of the journeys lasted months at a time. For a year he lived rough, sleeping in rock shelters, by hot springs, through Winter in the mountains of Colorado and northern New Mexico. Seftel wrote a book about some of these episodes called ‘The Comet’s Tale’.
Living across the US for the last 25 years, creating, exhibiting, and running studio galleries, Seftel's journeys have continued, migrating from the Colorado mountains where he lived for 5 years, to NYC for 8 years, and Monterey CA for 5 years, before moving in 2020 to Cerrillos, New Mexico.
Seftel has published three books to date:
The Comet’s Tale, a cosmic coming of age novel based on his early experiences of far flung travels, near death experience, invitations to indigenous ceremonies, and living rough in the desert and mountains of the U.S.;
Post History - an exploration of U.S history and propaganda in postage stamps- the tiniest forms of public art;
and Light & Matter- a catalogue / magazine of paintings created over the last 20 years.
STATEMENT
Creating my own paints and mixtures with stone and metal minerals, and raw pigment, the paintings build up over the surface of the canvas slowly over time. The composition manifests through subtle twists and tilts, guiding the material as if from an unseen hand. Reactions occur, as iron oxides, copper patinas, turquoise powders, garnet dusts, limestone and marble powders create the surfaces. Ancient and modern connections are codified in symbols and forms, created with the same minerals that have been mined and used in art and science for centuries.Looking at the Earth from above, our civilizations' impact reveals a strange and otherworldly beauty, from the lines that have been drawn to the pits that have been dug. Iron oxide is the blood we share with the earth, the oxidation of coppers forming the blue greens of the magical turquoise stone.
Exploring this geological and metaphysical language of color and texture, these inner landscapes reveal patterns and rhythms of nature. Observing our place in the world, universe, cosmos- the primal elements of ether, air, fire, earth and water are explored as a visual language of abstract expressive color fields. The micro and macrocosms we inhabit, and the consciousness of this are essential to my artistic practice. My paintings are artifacts of a journey. Finding purpose beyond material form, my aim is for the work to have a healing quality, coming from the world of spirit and insight ~ as if it was possible to cloak the veil of consciousness to give the ineffable a form in light and matter...
Shifting perspective, my recent paintings have embraced more classical European impressionism and magical realism tilts in the mystical 'Secret Garden' series. Incorporating turquoise powder, mica, phosphorescent minerals and pigments, these ‘Winter flowers’ and ‘Twilight songs’ glow in the dark, capturing the ephemeral nature of light and time.
For 30 years now, New Mexico has been my place of constant inspiration, spending weeks to months at a time in different corners of the state, creating my own artistic and healing retreats. It is the place I'd come to clear out some of the concrete juju in my bones and soak in the healing waters between earth and sky, and I'm lucky to have found such a place. Having lived now on both coasts and in the mountains of Colorado, I've found my dream home here in Cerrillos, establishing Seftel Gallery here since 2020.
Resume /CV
British / American artist, born in Hampstead, London, UK 1974.
EDUCATION
1987- 1992 University College School, London
1993 - 1995 Edinburgh University & Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland
2003 - 2004 School of Applied Arts, Denver CO
AWARDS
Arts Council of Monterey County Artist Grant 2020
RESIDENCIES
2016 American Tin Cannery Artist Residency, Monterey California
2009 David and Julia White Artist Residency, Costa Rica
2009 Red 03 Galleria, Artist Residency Barcelona
2008 SVA Public Art Summer Residency NYC
2004 Artist Residency, Vail CO
2002 Globeville Studios Artist in Residence, Denver CO
2000 New Buffalo Artist in Residence, Taos NM
PRESS
Pasatempo, Santa Fe New Mexican 2023
GuestLife Monterey Bay 2019
Monterey Weekly 2018
Carmel Pine Cone 2018
Monterey Herald 2017
ArtVoices Magazine 2015
The New York Times 2014
Indian Country Today 2011
Architectural Digest 2010
Vail Daily, 2007
Online Journals and blogs
Curbed, Metro Times, Detroit Eater, Whitehot Magazine, Family Business,The Blot,
Silverlake Voice, Vogue, Architectural Digest.
GROUP SHOWS
Inter-Society Color Council Exhibit 2023
Copelouzos Museum, Athens, Greece 2020
Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey CA, 2018
Art Hamptons, Bridgehampton Museum NY 2017
Meaning Made Visible, Cherry Center for the Arts, Carmel CA 2017
Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series, The Midway, San Francisco 2016
Land + Earth, Nido Living, San Francisco 2016
San Francisco Decorators Showcase 2016
Art Santa Fe, NM, Decker Fine Arts July 2015
Scope NYC, Titled Projects March 2015
AAF Hamburg, Thomas and Paul Gallery 2013
An Abstract View, Thomas & Paul Gallery, London 2013
Beautifully Broken, Projekt NYC @ Von Lounge 2013
Holographic Light lounge, Tasmania, 2013
The Traces, PS Project Space, NYC, 2013
Young Collectors Exhibit, Leila Heller Gallery; NYC 2012-13
'Global Positioning System' SVA gallery, NYC; 2012
Traveling Light, PSPS, NYC, 2012,
'Its a small small world,' Family Business, NYC; 2012
The Four Elements, PS Project Space , NYC, 2012
Benefit for Ai Wei Wei, White Box, NYC; 2012
Mclarry Modern, Santa Fe, NM 2011
'No Comment' Loft in the Red Zone, 23 Wall St, NYC; 2011
Geronimo Intervention -The Armory Fairs NYC- VOLTA, Pulse, ADAA, 2011
RHM benefit, Marianne Boesky Gallery, NYC 2011
CFDA Council of Fashion Designers of America Lounge Exhibit, NYC, 2010
Alliance for the Arts Auction, Christies, NYC 2010
Art Santa Fe; Volume Black Gallery NYC 2010
'That Gallery' Hong Kong, 2010
Seven Seas Gallery, Nantucket, MA 2010
KiptonArt Santa Monica CA, 2010
Red03 Galleria Barcelona, Spain 2010
Artists for Dalai Lama, Frankfurt Germany, 2009
Lana Santorelli Gallery NYC 2009
AFI Times Sq Building, United Creators, NYC; 2009
Bang & Olufsen, United Creators, NYC Frankfurt & Istanbul 2009
SVA Public Art Residency Exhibit, NYC, 2008
Paper works’BJ Spoke Gallery, Huntington NY 2008
B & O Munich, United Creators,Frankfurt: Istanbul. 2008
Lana Santorelli Gallery NYC, 2008
Broadfoot and Broadfoot Gallery, NYC 2007
Kolok Gallery, North Adams, MA 2007
Soke Fine Art. Vail CO 2006
SOLO EXHIBITS
Seftel Gallery, Cerrillos NM 2021-2023
Artsy, Asher Grey Gallery CA 2022
Seventh & Dolores, Carmel, CA 2019
American Tin Cannery, Monterey CA 2016 -2019
8th St, Exhibition showcase NYC 2017 / 2018
Astra, Alameda, CA 2017
Studio 8, Grand St, Bushwick Open Studios NYC 2014
PS Project Space NY NY 2012
Color Shift, Baco Space, Brooklyn NY 2012
PS Project Space NY NY 2011
Baco Space, Brooklyn NY 2010
PS Project Space NY NY 2010
Red03 Gallery, Barcelona Spain 2009
Midoma Gallery, NY, NY 2007
Soke Fine Art, Vail Valley, CO 2006
Globeville Studios, Denver CO 2005, 2004, 2003,
Woburn Gallery, London WC1 2001
The Engineer, London NW1 2001