As I mentioned a few weeks back, I stopped by the Bridge Art Fair and was surprised to see as much good work there as I did. A few nights earlier, I went to another of the bigger named art fairs and, let's just say, I was less than impressed.

Art fairs are weird: a lot of art work depends on other pieces in a show or at least on having some space on a wall to really shine. Having a bunch of disparate work crammed onto cubicle walls can make even the best work look bad. Not to mention how distracting the hustle and bustle of people, sound, and noise around you can be.

>Despite it all, Japanese-born, New York-based painter Kentaro Hiramatsu's work at Susan Eley's booth managed to catch and hold my eye.

Kentaro Hiramatsu works in acrylic on canvas or wood board, applying paint with a careful deliberation. Hiramatsu sifts Japanese pop culture influences-anime and manga-through his own aesthetic prism. The results are invented landscapes that challenge the viewer to peer into a new place. Hiramatsu's recent work also features people at play against a tangled drawing of lines, signifying the web of a complex urban life.

Before saying anything further, I have to let you know that pics of Hiramatsu's work don't do it justice. You've really got to see the work in person to fully appreciate its beauty.

I love his use of color, the precise, yet chaotic, repeated lines he uses to outline figures and objects (they're like paint by cells -- some filled, some left empty), and how he plays with background and foreground never quite hitting it right, which adds to the mystery of the work. Although he uses anime and manga as a basis for a portion of his work, Hiramatsu's work transcends those elements, feeling much more painterly than anything I've seen with an anima or manga bent. Therein lies to genius of his work.

Check out pics of his work here and here.

Mark your calendars, Susan Eley Fine Art has a show entitled New Work by Amber George & Kentaro Hiramatsu that opens 05.06 and runs through 06.26.09. If you really want to see how amazing the work is, you've got to see it in person. Trust me.