McGowan Fine Art announces the opening of “New to the Gallery,” a group show celebrating new art and artists to the gallery. The show will run Sept. 10 to Oct. 11, with a free reception, open to the public, taking place Sept. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m.
The show features abstract paintings of Pat Gerkin, Shaio-Ping Wang, and Liz Wilson, and representational paintings by Amy Brnger, Julia Jensen, and Jan Roy. Jensen and Roy have been represented by McGowan Fine Art, while Brnger, Pat Gerkin, Wang, and Wilson are newer to the gallery. Sarah Chaffee, director of McGowan Fine Art, is enthusiastic about the new art.
“These are artists we are very excited about. The gallery is really about color, and these artists deliver. Each is unique in their technique, but the imagery is different,” Chaffee said.
The abstract work is influenced by the physical and metaphysical world. Wang interprets Chinese Myth with abstracted images of weaving and knitting. The layering of acrylic and vinyl paints arose from her desire to recreate the depth of oil paint which she has had to abandon due to an allergy. Gerkin references layers of rocks and sand, with subtle color and textural gradations. Wilson, who has synesthesia, seeing colors where most others see letters and numbers, taps into her condition to create other worldly color combinations.
The landscape painters are all about technique. Brnger depicts traditional floral stilllifes with thick and luscious strokes of paint. A single stroke represents each petal making these paintings as much about the application of paint as the image. Roy uses her current warm palette to good effect in florals and marketplace scenes. Scumbled layers of paint create add an unusual surface texture. Jensen creates simple, serene beach and river views bound together by a seductive glossy surface. The gloss also heightens her rich reds and blues.
McGowan Fine Art is at 10 Hills Ave. Call Jessica Pappathan at 225-2515 for more info, visit mcgowanfineart.com, or contact jessica@mcgowanfineart.com. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and by appointment.
