2011 Summer Artists Series : Exhibition Schedule
Rocky Neck Gallery, 53 Rocky Neck Ave., Gloucester (978-282-0917)
June 8 - June 21: Figures in Motion, Michael Seif (photography)
Semi-Circle, by Michael Seif, archival pigment photograph
I photograph the figure in water to convey the beauty and grace of the human being in motion.
In water, surface swirls and glinting sunlight are telltale signs of motion, revealing an active, living creature of nature.
By photographing from above, I change the normal perspective, so figures appear to soar, fall, dance, weave in and out of each other's paths. They become schools of fish, or falling angels, a corp de ballet, or a whole other organism comprised of multiple bodies.
RECEPTION AND ARTIST'S TALK: Saturday, June 11, 5-8pm
June 22 - July 5: Luminous Landscape, Linda Cordner (encaustic painting)
Fireflie, by Linda Cordner, Encaustic painting, 24"x24"
Luminouse Landscape is a term I use to describe my encaustic landscape-based paintings. They are not based on specific places, but my abstracted intepretation of the landscape using encaustic. The pieces have a visual depth due to the layering and transleucency of the wax.
RECEPTION: Saturday, June 25, 5-8pm
July 6 - July 19: Simply Looking, Looking Simple, Claudia Kaufman (oil)
Lilies in Limelight by Claudia Kaufman, oil, 8" x 18"
As a contemporary realist painter, my works are studies in observation - still lifes of familiar objects that are deceptively simple, yet complex. In the studio setting, I challenge myself to translate the perceived three-dimensional world to a 2D field by observing and capturing the conditions of light, form, color and space through the painterly properties of oil paint. Stopping short of photo-realism, I work to keep the signs of my hand and brushstroke in my work and am particularly intrigued by the drama of light, transparency, reflection and shadows.
RECEPTION: Saturday, July 9, 5 to 8pm
July 20 - August 2: Zyg's Expression, Zygmund Jankowski, 1925-2009
(works on paper)
Summer in the Country by Zygmund Jankowski, watercolor
Zyg's paintings will be shown again at his first gallery location — Rocky Neck. It is a nostalgic show with subject matter of the area as well as paintings that show his use of color and his unique personality. (Represented by Myra Hall).
RECEPTION: Saturday, July 23, 5 to 8pm
August 3 - August 16: Slipping the Knot, Martha Wakefield (watermedia)
Slip 2 by Martha Wakefield, watermedia
This body of work is an exploration of loss—of love that once was vibrant has slipped away. To denote this spirited soul I am utilizing a slip—an article of clothing that conveys intimacy with the wearer. A slip can be utilitarian or sensual, revealing the beauty of the female form without portraying nakedness. It has an intimate relationship with the wearer acting as a second skin but also acts as a protective or proper barrier to the other influences. I am using color, shape, line and layering to convey a sense of someone wearing, moving, and living in such a sheer skin of fabric—yet one who remains hidden from our view. The garment holds the memory of a loved one; we sense a presence though in truth she has slipped away from the knot of life and family. All that remains is the clothes.
RECEPTION: Saturday, August 6, 5 to 8pm
August 17 - August 30: Proprietary Chaos, Laurence Kent Jones (photography)
Canope Pans Vert Series by Laurence Kent Jones, photograph
Due to my assignment to the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, I have resided in Port-au-Prince for the last four years. Haiti has a vibrant street life. Most people have very limited resources and housing is frequently no more than shelter to sleep and eat, while the rest of the day's activities take place on the street in the open. The small merchants settle semi-permanently into a spot on the sidewalk, a passageway, or in any open space that might be available, overrunning the public space. Poorer people have colonized the corners of the older neighborhoods and created huge informal squatter settlements. The line between planned portions of the city and the squatter settlements is obvious on the ground and shockingly clear from above. We're seeing an urban infrastructure develop that is very different from anything in North America. This collection of photographs taken before and after the 2010 earthquake, include journalistic street scenes and oversized panoramas of informally built hillside neighborhoods in Haiti.
RECEPTION: Saturday, August 20, 5 to 8pm
August 31 - September 13: From Cape Ann to Tahiti, Rokhaya Waring (oil)
Pink Evening by Rokhaya Waring, oil, 8" x 10"
Last June, I traveled to Moorea, a volcanic island in the middle of the South Pacific and part of Tahiti.
Moorea can truly be called "Paradise on Earth". A place I had only read about was suddenly the place I stood, paints in hand. I often had the feeling there of being in a dream. I couldn't help but think of Fletcher Christian and the Bounty or wonder where Gauguin and Matisse might have walked… My greatest challenge was seeing through its picture-postcard beauty. It is a real place, after all.
On Tahiti I was drawn by the swiftly changing clouds, lush vegetation, and the colors of the ocean- the same elements I love about my home in Gloucester, Mass., on the Atlantic. As far apart as they are, each place has helped me see the other- more often contrasting though at times reminiscent.
RECEPTION: Saturday, September 3, 6 to 8pm
Sept. 14 - 28: Four Seasons on Cape Ann: Its Sights, Its Creatures, BJ Wayne (oil)
Old Friends by BJ Wayne, oil
My goal is to utilize the techniques of the great painters of the 19th century to portray the 21st century world that I live in. Depicting the special waterfront communities of Cape Ann is an important focus for me. But I also have an affinity for painting animals. While some artists prefer to focus on one aspect of painting (landscapes, still lifes, etc.) I draw inspiration from those of the past who did it all, painting land and seascapes, animals, and more. In this show I am focusing on Cape Ann through the four seasons.
RECEPTION: Saturday, September 17, 6 to 8pm
September 28 - October 13: Sailing Surreal, Kate Somers (mixed media)
Sails 1 by Kate Somers, mixed media
The purpose of this show is to give the viewer the experience of sailing, the ever changing light as it bounces from sky to sail, from dawn to dusk, as the sun sets and the moon rises.
RECEPTION: Saturday, October 1, 5 to 8pm