Evocations

Familiar Traditions for New Faces

By Shem Tane

In the traditional ways of Rembrandt and other Dutch masters, Kelly Carmody’s style is soaked with rich oils and her exhibit “Evocations” that opened at the Sloane Merrill Gallery on Nov. 13 leaned on those styles.

While the gallery holds the appearance of reading nook, there was a certain air from Carmody’s pieces that offered a larger feel to the room. The depth of her paintings offered a new take on historic styles.  The still lifes gave a rich warm tone to her collection. In the classical theme, there were paintings of flowers and food, but there were few that had corpses of dead birds caught my eye. “Flicker” is one of her strongest pieces I saw, because of its sheer range of colors and the flow of the subject. The detail displayed on the feathers hold the contrast between the bird and the looming background.

There is a high  level of technique in the pieces, created by someone who spent years practicing traditional styles. The way Carmody  combined old styles and modern themes is something that is unique in itself. It gives an translucent touch   I was sad to not see her collection of portraits that I had seen online, because that is the core of  where both of her influences shine. In the painting “Michael,” Carmody has captured the modern portrait with its mixture of classical tones and realists features and the composition of the face and the articles of clothing.

Carmody’s work leaves you with a new take  on the old form and how it influences the modern life in every way, shape and form.

(“Kelly Carmody: Evocations” continues through December 9^th  at the Sloane Merrill Gallery 75 Charles St, Boston, Mass. The gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call  (617) 227-1775).