Artist and musician Andrew Chalfen is fascinated by patterns, how they ripple, radiate, refract, bloom, interact, cluster, construct, and deconstruct. His works allude to aerial views, cartography, architectural renderings, musical notation, urban densities, and other natural and man-made patterns, while not literally being any of those things. Rather, his pieces reflect his psychological states during their creation, a kind of topography of thought and mood as he works through various aesthetic themes that have long held his attention. Shapes often spill out over edges, suggesting unseen continuations beyond, while others seek containment. His recent mixed media work with painted dowels focuses on connections, intersections, and layers, a non-representational way of depicting how we relate to the world and to one another.
Chalfen’s process mirrors that of his songwriting and music arranging. He utilizes the repetition of a small selection of formal elements, subtle variation, the timbre of color palate, rhythm, and a combination of randomization strategies and intentionality. Every work is a process journey, in which he refines elements that grab him from previous pieces, and then pushes into unknown territory with experimentation and risk, always iterating. He follows his instincts, deviates from them when necessary, and trusts the process to guide the work to a successful outcome and maybe even a breakthrough or two.
Viewers may not know what to focus on first, becoming overwhelmed and subsequently absorbed in the details. The experience is reminiscent of mediation. Certainly working on these pieces in the studio is a meditative, flow state way of being, where Chalfen can take his time to think about and explore through art-making themes of nostalgia, anxiety, play, musicality, fragility, impenetrable data, accelerating planetary chaos, and physical and psychic fragmentation.
Andrew Chalfen is a visual artist and musician living and working in Philadelphia. He has been featured at two solo shows in 2023 thus far. His work has appeared at many exhibits nationally and in and around Philadelphia, PA, such as at the Abington Art Center, The Hoyt Center, the Delaware Contemporary,the Arts Council of Princeton, Viridium Gallery, and many Philadelphia locations via his art collective Inliquid. His work has appeared on book jackets and rock album covers. He is the recipient of several awards and is the winner of the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Mid-Atlantic Regional for 2018 and his piece "Vibration Lands" was displayed at SCOPE Miami during the Art Basel/Art Miami fair.
2015
Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA
Course in Oil Painting
2003
University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Course in Graphic Art and Digital Design
2001-2002
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
3 courses in Graphic Art and Digital Design
2024
215/610 Contemporary, Delaware County Community College, Media, PA
Juried Exhibition, First Place, Stick Shift Flower
2023
Abstract Is Abstract, Virtual Exhibition, HMVC Gallery, NY, NY
Juried Exhibition, First Place, Looks Like It Sounds Good
2020
Delaware Contemporary, Wilmington, DE
Popular Vote Award for Vibration Lands
Prisma Art Prize
Finalist for Symphony Wave
Colored Pencil Society of America
Creative Art Materials/Caran d’Ache Award for Distinction for You Are Here
2018
Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Mid-Atlantic Regional
Finalist for Vibration Lands
Collections nationally and internationally
2020
Kostianovsky, Deborah, "On Hearing Wildflowers- Artist Spotlight on Andrew Chalfen," InLiquid.org, December 3, 2020
2019
Krieger, Deborah, "Patterns of Obsession, mesmerizing two-person exhibit at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens," Art Blog, April 2, 2019
2022
Cover art for the book “Who Should We Be Online?” Karen Frost-Arnold, Oxford University Press, 2022.
Cover art for the book “Abstractions and Embodiments: New Histories of Computing and Society,” edited by Abbate and Dick, Johns Hopkins Press, 2022.
2021
Artfolio2021, Catalog
includes 3 works, Juried by Beatriz Esguerra
2017
Chalfen, Andrew Look Up Coloring Book, Thunder Bay Press, 2017 (a collection of 84 pen and ink drawings)
On Hearing Wildflowers, Artist Spotlight on Andrew Chalfen
Patterns of Obsession, mesmerizing two-person exhibit at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
I have led and been a member of many bands. The Wishniaks (1986-91) toured the U.S. extensively and released two albums, an ep, two singles, and tracks scattered across various compilations. A video managed to be appear twice on MTV's 120 minutes. I have since been a member of the Barnaby's, Bundtcake Vesuvius, Gimme, the Shimmers, Joey Sweeney, and Helen Back and the Str8 Razors. In 1995 I founded The Trolleyvox, which over the next 13 or so years with a a rotating cast of musicians (but mainly lead vocalist Beth Filla) released five albums, a number of covers, and also did it's fare share of touring before a career in music completely stopped making sense.
I Think Like Midnight (2012 -present) is an instrumental band I formed with the Dead Milkmen’s Dean “Clean” Sabatino in 2012 and currently consists of me on guitar, Dean on drums, Josh Newman (American Altitude, Silver Ages) on bass, and Alesandr Yāker (Room Tone) on keys and occasional guitar. The elevator pitch is that we’re super-melodic and original indie instrumental rock music, with quirky intelligent twists, guitar twang, and hints of Surf, Folk Rock, and Motorik. We have released thre albums, Warm Seclusion Structure (2014) and This Land Is Your Mind (2018), Interim Contingent (2021) and an ep Kompromat EP (2019). We were to record our fourth album in Spring 2020 when Covid-19 hit. It is now completed and in production for a Fall 2023 release. You can purchase ITLM music here.
For decades I’ve composed and recorded instrumental music, first on a cassette 4-track machine, then digitally. I’m also guitarist and song co-writer in Velvet Kirtan with Beth Filla, and have been known to stretch my live guitar skills and make new neural connections in the bands of Adrien Reju and Matt Keating.
2018
I Think Like Midnight, This Land Is Your Mind
I Think Like Midnight, Kompromat, Wilber Records
2014
I Think Like Midnight, Warm Seclusion Structure, Quadrapus Records
2008
The Trolleyvox, Your Secret Safe/Luzerne, Transit of Venus Records
2006
The Trolleyvox, Present the Karaoke Meltdowns, Transit of Venus Records
2002
The Trolleyvox, Leap of Folly, Groove Disques Records
1999
The Trolleyvox, Ephemera for the Future, Groove Disques Records
2024
Effervescent, CFEVA Art Box at Lincoln Square, Philadelphia, PA
2023
Mind Gardens, The Open Gallery, Vincennes, IN
The Pixelated World, Arts & Education at the Hoyt, New Castle, PA
2021
Winter Solo Series, Abington Art Center, Jenkintown, PA
2015
Selected Drawings, Aksum Restaurant, Philadelphia, PA
2022
Synesthesia, InLiquid at The National Building, Philadelphia, PA
2019
Patterns of Obsession, Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, Philadelphia, PA
2014
Paintings and Drawings: Andrew Chalfen & Nicole Donnelly, Seeds Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2024
Switch: Small Works, The Center for Emerging Visual Artists, Philadelphia, PA
Metamorphosis, Morton Contemporary Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
215/610 Contemporary, Delaware County Community College, Media, PA
Little Luxuries, Mainline Art Center, Haverford, PA
InLiquid Toasts 25, Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Franks, Philadelphia, PA
9th Annual Benefit, Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Materials Matter, Powell Lane Arts, Collingswood, NJ
/'ab,strak9t)/, ArtFluent, virtual exhibition
Collage/Assemblage, SITE:BROOKLYN GALLERY, Brooklyn, NY
In the Abstract, Virtual Exhibition, The San Fernando Arts and Cultural Center, Encino, CA
Waiting to Detonate, 3-artist show, Arts Council of Princeton, NJ
2023
Attraction to Abstraction, Wayne Arts Center, Wayne, PA
New Painting, Virtual Exhibition, Site:Brooklyn Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Abstract Is Abstract, Virtual Exhibition, HMVC Gallery, NY, NY
Wings, Virtual Exhibition, Gallphium/Biafarin, Canada
Earth, Virtual Exhibition, Exhibizone/Biafarin, Canada
Completely Color Virtual Exhibition, Inter-Society Color Council, Washington, DC
3rd New Appalachia Show, Vestige Concept Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
2022
Tactile Sublime, Virtual Exhibition, Dodomu Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Motion, Virtual Exhibition, Art Fluent, Boston, MA
Order/Disorder, Virtual Exhibition, B Extraordinaire Gallery, St. Louis, MO
Neoteric Abstract X, Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY
1st Annual Juried Show, Powell Lane Arts, Collingswood, NJ
Celebrating Color, Juried exhibition, Rhode Island Watercolor Society, Pawtucket, RI
Drawn to Macon V, Macon Arts Alliance, Macon, GA
2021
Biafarin Awards, Virtual Group Exhibition, Ontario, Canada
Hope and Possibility, Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Ellarslie Open 37/38, Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, Trenton, NJ
Juried Exhibition
Small Wonders, Fine Line Creative Arts Center, St. Charles, IL
Juried Exhibition
Textures and Patterns, Las Lagunas Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Juried Exhibition
2020
Purely Abstract, Fine Line Creative Arts Center, St. Charles, IL
Juried Exhibition
Abstractions, Cape Cod Cultural Center, South Yarmouth, MA
Juried Exhibition
Riverfront 20/20, Delaware Contemporary, Wilmington, DE
Juried Exhibition
Small Works, Big Talent, Las Lagunas Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Juried Exhibition
Congruence, Virtual Exhibition, I Like Your Work Podcast, Columbus, OH
Juried Exhibition
Banished for the Good of the Realm, Virtual Exhibition, InLiquid, Philadelphia, PA
2019
Hatch, InLiquid at Park Towne Place, Philadelphia, PA
2018
Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Finalists, SCOPE, Miami Beach, FL
For Vibration Lands
Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Mid-Atlantic Regional, Arch Enemy Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, InLiquid with Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia, PA
New Now, InLiquid Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2017
Natural, James Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2016
Natural, James Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
