Southampton - A solo exhibition of collaborative work by video artist and filmmaker Shoja Azari and painter Shahram Karimi will be on view at LTMH Gallery's pop-up exhibition at Tripoli Gallery of Contemporary Art, from July 29 through August 15, 2011. The space is located across the street from the Parrish Museum. Featured in the exhibition are the artists' innovative "video paintings," which combine painting with video projection to create dynamic surfaces of moving images. The opening reception will be held on Friday, July 29, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. A special benefit for Southampton Fresh Air Home a not-for-profit residential camp for physically challenged youth, presented by Leila Heller, will be held on Saturday, August 6 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. A percentage of proceeds will benefit Southampton Fresh Air Home.

Azari and Karimi's video paintings are achieved by superimposing filmed footage of landscapes onto canvases that are painted with the same subject matter. Once the mirrored moving image is projected onto the painted canvas, the flat surface is suddenly brought to life. The physical result is unexpected, and the viewer gets a distinct impression that these surfaces have been infused with poetry and life.

Included in the exhibition is Azari and Karimi's "Silence Series," 2007-2008, which is comprised of four video painting works each representing one of the four seasons. In these works, abstract views of a lake are depicted with subtle movements of wind, water, rain, and other natural elements bringing the canvas alive, and imparting an element of real time on an otherwise frozen moment.

Also on view will be two new video paintings, "The Mist," 2011, and "Dusk," 2011, which introduce increasingly realistic elements including birds, boats, buildings, and people. "In The Mist," a trio of people swim across a misty lake. "Dusk" portrays a spectacular view of the New York City skyline, alive with light and movement.

Iranian-born Azari has lived in New York City since 1983. His films and video installations have been screened and exhibited widely around the world. His video work has been seen in solo gallery exhibitions in London; Turin, Italy; and Köln, Germany, and at art fairs including Art Basel, Switzerland, and ARCO, Madrid. Most recently he has had solo exhibitions at LTMH Gallery in New York, and Galerie Jerome de Noirmont in Paris. Since 1997, he has collaborated with Shirin Neshat on video installations and feature films including "Women Without Men," which won the Silver Lion for best director at the 2009 Venice Film Festival. Shahram Karimi was born in 1957 in Iran, and grew up in Shiraz. He has worked as the production designer on many of Shirin Neshat's films, most recently the award winning "Women Without Men." Karimi's art has been widely exhibited in Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Germany, Italy, and New York. He most recently had a solo exhibition at the Stadtmuseum in Siegburg, Germany. Currently his exhibition, "The Rose Garden of Remembrance," is on view at LTMH Gallery through June 20, 2011.

Also on view will be a new sculpture by American artist Rachel Hovnanian. Her five-foot sculpture of a black bathing suit is the artist's newest work to explore the reward and the cost of beauty. The work, which is entitled "Body Armor," 2010, is delivered with monochromatic precision and while it is made of bronze it looks like leather. Hovnanian uses simple observation honed by life experiences that often verge on the caustic and the humorous. The artist explores the tensions encountered by conforming to conventional beauty as well as how physical beauty is valued and the search for inner meaning.

About LTMH Gallery
Founded in 1982 by Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller, LTMH Gallery has established a worldwide reputation in both the primary and secondary art market. Known for an active and innovative exhibition schedule, the gallery shows paintings, works on paper, sculpture, installation and video from international contemporary artists to modern masters, with a specialization in artists from the Middle East.

With an emphasis on discovering and cultivating new talent, the gallery presents imaginative thematic exhibitions and tightly focused solo exhibitions with work from both prominent figures on the international stage and emerging artists.

LTMH Gallery has the distinction of presenting the first viewings in New York City of work by contemporary artists who have developed important international reputations. The gallery also carries the work of major 20th century modern masters. The gallery has placed work in major private collections and museums internationally. With a rigorous art fair schedule, LTMH Gallery participates in fairs in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Istanbul.

For over 25 years, the gallery's mission has been to inspire dialogue among collectors, curators, artists and critics. With its long-standing commitment to creating linkages between Eastern and Western culture through art, the gallery is well positioned in the burgeoning Iranian, Turkish and Middle Eastern art market. The hallmark of LTMH Gallery is its salon atmosphere attracting an international group of leaders in art, business, fashion, media and government. LTMH Gallery's location at 39 East 78th Street and Madison Avenue in a townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan provides an intimate setting to view work, and is within walking distance of The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.