GROUNDING showcases the work of Kathleen Gerdon Archer, Amanda Bittner, Paige Farrell, Jeffrey Marshall, and Vanessa Michalak.
These artists ground their work in direct engagement with their physical and psychological landscape. Each is drawn to, and inspired by, the natural beauty in which they create, either adjacent to the sea, or tucked into woods of quietude. Together these artists suggest a variety of interactions with the world, and how artists communicate with the self, and their surroundings. It is in this coexistence between artist and the environment where art is created. In the space between tension and beauty.
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Kathleen Gerdon Archer builds and photographs frozen ice-forms which resemble the geologic strata of the earth. Filled with personal memorabilia, she photographs them as they melt creating abstract portraits that question our sense of time and memory.
Amanda Bittner is a plein air artist who paints quiet moments of temporality and ecological complexity within the local woodlands of the North Shore. Each painting requires endurance to withstand the natural elements of the forest for an extended period of time, and a sustained observational focus to interpret the subject as honestly as the material allows.
Paige Farrell works in three artistic mediums; clay, wine and words. Working with clay, with its beautiful unpredictability, allows her to work in a deeply introspective and fluid space, a respite of sorts from the heady rigors of writing, and the multi-faceted rhythms of her work with wine. Each creative process brings a grounding, a sense of grace and awe, much as nature offers us, if we are willing, but for momentary pause.
Jeffrey Marshall makes his painting and drawings from on-site, primarily among the ever-changing landscape of fishing gear and construction debris assembled around the fishing wharf where his studio is based. His commitment to observational work allows him to unearth the complex movements, details, and stories that come from the extended study of a particular area.
Vanessa Michalak presents paintings derived from both direct observation in plein air and works loosely based on photographic reference. Though the process of creating paintings in both camps is distinctively different, each reflects a deep appreciation and respect for nature. Michalak’s adventurous spirit, which has led her up mountain peaks and along rocky coastlines, is displayed on canvas through exuberant, bold brushwork
Illuminates Them from Inside, Kathleen Gerdon Archer; April 19, 2024: Vernal Pool in Beverly Commons #2, Amanda Bittner; Untitled Paige Farrell; Study for Jimmy’s Stuff, #2, Jeffrey Marshall; Flatrocks, Vanessa Michalak
Opening Reception
Thursday, June 20, 4-7 pm
Artists’ Talks
Thursday, July 11, 5-6 pm
Gallery Hours
Sunday & Monday, 12-5 pm
Thursday-Saturday, 12-7 pm