"I knew that if I finished, I would never make art," is how Jylian Gustlin explains leaving college one semester short of a degree in computer science and mathematics to attend the Academy of Art College, San Francisco.

Gustlin has been shaped by the technology explosion of Silicon Valley and her art uniquely combines the effects of modern technology with traditional techniques. Working with two-part epoxy resin, oil and acrylic paints, charcoal, wax, gold leaf, pastel and graphite on board and paper, she draws, paints and scratches on her surfaces. Just as she challenged the creative limitations of the latest computer software when she worked as a graphic designer, Gustlin experiments with a variety of materials to discover their effects. Her artwork often conveys the same complex layered effects possible in computer programs, such as Adobe Photoshop and 3d Studio Max. Diversely inspired by a lifelong love of the Bay Area Figurative artists, mathematical theories such as the Fibonacci sequence, the resonant tones of Latin phrases, African masks, and antique Roman vessels, Gustlin’s work is a modern hybrid of painting, sculpture and new media.

Jylian Gustlin lives in the heart of Silicon Valley, where she formerly worked as a graphics programmer for Apple Computer; she now paints full-time. For the past several years, she has contributed her artwork to the Visual AIDS Annual Charity Auction. In addition to participation in some group shows, HANG is the first gallery to exhibit her work.