Spring
Collection:
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Spring Collection show at CARRIE HADDAD
GALLERY APRIL 1 to MAY 9
Springtime at the Carrie Haddad Gallery brings the work of five
fresh, bold artists: painters Jenny Nelson,
Ragellah Rourke, Ron Gee, and Lionel Gilbert, Stan Lichens plus
sculptor Peter Hoffman. Works in the show span over thirty
years, starting with Lionel Gilbert, who began painting in 1924.
Within the span of artists in the show a span of artistic
influences is apparent, dictating the development of abstract art
from the influential movements of the late 19th century and early
20th century.
Lionel Gilbert’s paintings from the
70’s up to the present draw upon Picasso’s Cubist still lives as
well as the Impressionist works of Cezanne and Monet. Gilbert’s
"white paintings" in particular are reminiscent of Monet’s
paintings of waterlilies, consisting of bold strokes of bright
yellow and pale blue which peek through a field of white.
The influence of Cubism is also apparent in
Peter Hoffman’s polychromatic wall sculptures. A woodworker
as well as a sculptor, Hoffman assembles his abstract pieces from
scraps of wood he has accumulated over many years. The finished
pieces are brightly painted, an element Hoffman considers as
important as the physical form of the work. Since moving to
Columbia County from New York City, Hoffman has seen a transition
in his work from repeated geometric patterns to a more
spontaneous, organic look which he refers to as "ordered chaos."
Ragellah Rourke’s three-dimensional
mixed media paintings consist of paint on plaster on wood panel.
The lines and patterns she paints and gouges into the surface of
her paintings are inspired by architectural structures and forms
she sees in nature. Her palette represents both of those sources
as well, ranging from rich greens and browns to gray and black.
The heavy lines which crisscross her canvases and the earthy
palette also reveal a debt to the early Cubism of Picasso and
Braque. The work of all three artists is a combination of
abstraction and figuration; the objects depicted in each painting
are a suggestion that appears only after minutes of study.
Jenny Nelson’s new abstract works are
concerned with light and color, carrying on a tradition that began
with the Impressionists’ obsession with light on the landscape.
Pale pinks and greens predominate, and dim shapes appear through
layers of paint. Phyllis Gilbert of the Woodstock Times has
praised her work, saying, "these strong, expressionistic oils show
a respect and love of the medium; the abstractions are stimulating
and yet gentle, speaking of deliberation, observation, and
analysis."
In the Upstairs Photography Gallery, Rhinebeck photographer
Stan Lichens exhibits a series of
figures and animals just recently completed. Lichens uses a very
delicate process in his work allowing him to hand-color platinum
prints on tissue paper using silver and gold leaf.
The Spring Collection will be on exhibit from April 1 through May
9, and an opening reception will be held at the gallery Sat.,
April 3 from 6 to 8pm. All are welcome to enjoy refreshments and
meet the exhibiting artists. The gallery is open Thurs. through
Mon. from 11 to 5pm and is located at 622 Warren Street in Hudson,
NY. For more information, call the gallery at (518) 828-1915 or
visit our website at www.carriehaddadgallery.com.
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