Since January 2018, Art Spiel has highlighted rigorous work of mostly female mid-career visual artists and other marginalized artists, as well as non-profit and smaller art venues, through formats such as artists profiles, interviews, studio visits, and exhibition reviews, with an emphasis on the creative process.
Etty Yaniv of Art Spiel on Mixed Media
Etty Yaniv Studio Photograph
The Tate glossary of art defines Mixed Media as a term used to describe artworks made of a combination of different media or materials. Many art historians think the use of mixed media began around 1912 with the cubist collages and constructions of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. In any case, it has quite evidently become a central artistic approach which has expanded traditional attitudes, blurring what is “right” or “wrong” to use as art media. In DUMBO Open Studios the visitor will find that art can be made of Anything or Any combination of things.

Rachel Zhang, 89 Bridge Street, C
Through painting and video/animation Rachel Zhang probes into human psychology and behavior in context of social structures. Her imagery depicts absurdist figurative scenes in public spaces. The figures in state of distortion, especially of gendered bodies, informed by archetypal roles from myths, history and current events.
Elise Church, 68 Jay Street, 604
Elise Church bases her mixed media work on vintage photographs. She is a collector of discarded and second-hand materials such as vintage sewing patterns and photos and since 2013 she has been using 1960’s snapshots as key element in her mixed media work.


Jamie Martinez, 54 Pearl Street, 1E
The Colombian-American interdisciplinary artist Jamie Martinez explores in painting, sculpture and installation how indigenous spirituality and lost ancient beliefs intersect with history and economy, specifically looking closely at the exploitation of Central and South American land and workers.
Rodney Ewing, 20 Jay Street, M09
In richly layered drawings, prints, sculptures, and installations, Rodney Ewing re-examines overlooked human histories and trauma of the Black Diaspora.


Caledonia Curry, 20 Jay Street, M07
Caledonia Curry / Swoon, makes intricate prints, installations, animation, film, multi-year community based projects exploring how the creative process can act as a catalyst for social change and interpersonal healing.
Liz Collins, 20 Jay Street, 306
Liz Collins, an artist at the Two Trees Cultural Subsidy Studio Program, makes artworks and installations of variable scales, mostly based on textiles and fiber with vivid colors and bold patterns.


Bahar Behbahani, 55 Washington Street, 256
Bahar Behbahani, the Iranian born Brooklyn based artist approaches landscape as a metaphor for politics and poetics, a cultural landscape in context of history and contemporary context. Through painting, video, installation, and performative talks the artist references the multi-layered ways in which people navigate space and place.
Ari Tabei, Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program, 20 Jay Street, 720
Ari Tabei, born and raised in Tokyo, now based in NYC, digs into her phobia for insects, challenging her own vulnerability as a human as she explores the non-hierarchical system in female dominated society of social insects and their biological altruistic characteristics, drawing parallels to human society. Utilizing sculptural garments and accessories that serve as protective gear, she disguises as an insect through a ritualistic play of “surrendering her ‘powerless’ body to the habitat.”


About Etty Yaniv
Etty Yaniv’s dimensional installations merge photography, drawing, and painting. In the open studio visitors will see paintings and installation work in different stages of process. Etty is also the founder and chief editor of the online art publication Art Spiel.
About Art Spiel