By Kristin Wissler The “Atmosphere to Edge” exhibition at the Kingston Gallery is a study of spectrum: A spectrum of sharp lines to soft edges, or, in the words of curator Jennifer Moses, “a spectrum of solutions,” ranging from “smoky to graphic.” The exhibition features work by Jeffrey Hull, Shona Macdonald, Craig Hood, Rick Fox, Leslie Roberts, Nona Hershey and Helen Beckman. Each artist is different from the other, and their pieces reflect that. Yet the selected works come together as a seamless exhibition that portrays the theme well. “I chose artists I already knew, and artists that I knew were religious in painting,” said Moses, explaining how she selected artists for the exhibition. Most of the works she selected are drawings in various mediums as opposed to paintings. This was deliberate, for, as Moses explained, “drawing is the foundation for painting.” On the softer, … [Read more...] about Atmosphere to Edge at the Kingston Gallery

By Joshua Ascherman In 1957, abstract expressionism was in its heyday, the art world was abuzz with talk of Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and the artists of the New York School — and Philip Guston was tired. "I got sick and tired of all that Purity! Wanted to tell stories," Guston proclaimed later, describing a transitional period in his art career which is the focus of "Philip Guston, Painter: 1957-1967," a new show at Hauser & Wirth's 18th Street location in New York City. The show is open through July 29, and Guston's dismissal of painterly "Purity" is its thesis. Despite Guston’s claim, many of the pieces now on show at Hauser & Wirth are painted in brush strokes reminiscent of Monet’s, emotive strokes which are characteristic of much of Guston's abstract work; in all of them, there is interplay between grey- and earth-toned backgrounds and sometimes colorful … [Read more...] about Philip Guston, Painter: 1957-1967 at Hauser & Wirth New York

By Kristin Wissler Walking into the Bromfield Gallery, one is greeted by six paintings, each one different from the last. Indeed, the only things these works seem to have in common are the fact that they’re paintings, and the fact that they were all created by Linda Klein. Her exhibition, “Signs and Wonders,” has no central theme or idea surrounding the paintings. From “Space Kettle,” which depicts a teakettle soaring through the inky blackness of space, to “The Sleep of Reason Creates Monsters,” a political piece centered around a wolf-like Donald Trump and his sheep-like supporters, each work is central only to itself, and could easily stand alone. Klein intended this to be so. “I decided not to do a series,” she said, adding, “I don’t need to be in one frame of mind while I’m working.” Instead of creating a central theme and working from there, she took inspiration from … [Read more...] about Linda Klein: Signs and Wonders at the Bromfield Gallery

By Kristin Wissler The Hess Gallery at Pine Manor College is displaying a different sort of exhibition this summer. Instead of serious fine art pieces, whimsical pictures decorate the walls. “Drawing Stories,” displays the artwork of four children’s book illustrators: Priscilla Alpaugh, Wayne Geehan, Ed Shems and Toby Williams. Their fun, yet technically beautiful pictures show that drawing for children is an art all its own. Priscilla Alpaugh’s pieces are from the children’s book Hold This!, a story by Carolyn Cory Scoppettone about a little girl finding little treasures to hold as she walks through a forest with her father. The sketchy lines of Alpaugh’s pencil work give a sense of playfulness to her pieces. The colors are light and gentle on the eyes, creating a relaxing mood within the work. The endpaper art of Hold This! is particularly sweet, showing several woodland animals … [Read more...] about Drawing Stories: Four Illustrators for Kids at Hess Gallery

by Meghan Richter Reductive abstraction is at play with Sand T Kalloch’s new works. She has focused her style around a minimalistic approach to color, using only one in each piece. Each piece shares a simplistic color scheme, and the same simple elements to capture geometric beauty. She’s been working in this style since 2007, and has broken it down to, “point, line and surface.” Each monochromatic piece alludes to different shades by proximity of one graphite line to another — the denser the lines, the darker the shade would appear. Being that darkness is the absence of color, Kalloch mimics the use of lighter shades by layering resin, and playing with dots of resin that adhere to no particular pattern. These resin droplets catch light like raindrops on a window, and add dimension to each piece. These, and some of her newer work, is on display through the end of July at Lanoue … [Read more...] about Sand T Kalloch: Mysticism in Simplicity at Lanoue Gallery