By Sarah Kinkade Boston, MA - As the sound of African music flows throughout his studio, Philip Gerstein’s art pieces begin to sing their own songs in a burst of color and textures as their stories unfold. Each stands out in its own distinct way with different mediums and color palates, creating a theme of experimentation and discovery. Gerstein uses mediums of oil stick, glitter, powder pigment and textured gel to give his artwork a 3D perception that insists on a prolonged and closer look. Many exhibitions focus on a central theme or a particular artistic style; this is not the case with Gerstein. His exhibit “¡Experiment!” at Galatea Fine Art through April 26 showcases his diverse painting styles that range from his tranquil patterns of red in “The Power of Intention” to edgier pieces like “Listen and Ye Shall Hear;” each style is vastly different, yet appears to go hand-in-hand … [Read more...] about Philip Gerstein: ¡Experiment! at Galatea Fine Art
Artscope Online
Actors’ Shakespeare Project presents God’s Ear
By Sarah Kinkade Somerville, MA - In today’s world, audiences expect to walk into a theater and see the traditional story arch; there are clear marks of an introduction, rising action, climax and conclusion. This is not the case with the new ASP production of God’s Ear; every expectation is torn down from beginning to end as it takes audiences through the thought process of life-changing tragedy. The main word that comes to mind while watching this thought-provoking production is surrealism. Instead of watching a series of events based on reality, the play takes on a dream-like quality as we enter the minds of the main characters: a father and mother, Ted (Gabriel Kuttner) and Mel (Tamara Hickey), who have suddenly lost their son. Through these viewpoints, along with the use of clichés and scraps of ordinary conversation, it becomes evident how meaningless words and everyday … [Read more...] about Actors’ Shakespeare Project presents God’s Ear
Formal Aspects at the Cape Cod Museum of Art
By Rhiannon Leigh As a Cape Cod native and artist, I understand using the child-like sense of home, vibrant sunsets and colors of the coast and the overall relationship with nature to evoke one's passion. "Formal Aspects," an exhibition in which six artists use their memories of time spent on the Cape to create vastly different portrayals of their experiences with the unique Cape Cod landscape, is currently on view at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis. The show features Erica Adams, Emily Berger, Joanne Freeman, Sarah Hinckley, Joanne Mattera and Mira Schor, who utilize several different mediums and techniques that give the show contrasting qualities ranging from bright, color field paintings that evoke a light hearted emotion to paintings that hold a much darker meaning. Sarah Hinckley, who curated the show, wrote that she finds her inspiration from her experiences growing … [Read more...] about Formal Aspects at the Cape Cod Museum of Art
“Intuitive Space Idealized Visions” at Lesley University
By Rhiannon Leigh Cambridge, MA - Although the rain and snow had caused the scheduled Feb. 5 opening reception for their "Intuitive Space Idealized Visions" show to be postponed, the warm tones of "reconstructed landscape" beach scenes of Kathleen Jacobs paired with the abstract works of Dana Pasila created a compelling contrast in the Atrium Gallery at Lesley University. Pasila and Jacobs, both graduates of the MFA program of the Lesley University College of Art and Design, each have their own version of the abstract. While Pasila uses geometric shapes with sharp, defined edges in order to create a work that is aesthetically pleasing, Jacobs uses soft, less concrete lines and shapes in order to create a visual that represents the "tranquility amidst chaos, and order within randomness" (Jacobs) of landscapes. Each piece was carefully chosen in order to create a space that gave … [Read more...] about “Intuitive Space Idealized Visions” at Lesley University
Facial Expressions at Danforth Art — A Rationale for Impromptu Visits
By James Foritano It was raining on the Sunday before Martin Luther King Day and the brightest email I received that morning invited me to come and view Danforth Art’s current exhibit “Facial Expressions,” where an artist acquaintance of mine happened to be exhibiting a portrait. Why not? I love to people watch! And so, we launched ourselves from Cambridge into a grey curtain of rain and soon were stepping up to Danforth Art’s front door on Framingham’s Union Avenue. The pair of docents who stepped up to take us in hand must have intuited our mission’s carefree spirit since they kept us well back from the scholarly placards and asked that we only look and tell what we saw. I did eventually see Suzanne Hodes’ portrait of Oskar Kokoschka, a powerful rendition of one of my favorite expressionist painters. Otherwise, though, I saw faces in a crowd, and they were all unique, as … [Read more...] about Facial Expressions at Danforth Art — A Rationale for Impromptu Visits
Boriana Kantcheva: Likely Stories at 13FOREST Gallery
By Sarah Kinkade Arlington, MA - “Monsters, ghost stories, horror movies and dreams have fascinated me since childhood and now serve as reference points,” said Boriana Kantcheva, whose “Likely Stories” exhibit has recently opened at 13FOREST Gallery in Arlington. The show features paintings that fuse people and animals and is inspired by fairy tales and folklore of Eastern Europe. Despite the common theme throughout her collection, every painting is unique and especially eye-catching. The different uses of color and subject matter guarantees that the spectator will have plenty to look at. What is truly fascinating about her work is the amount of detail that goes into each piece; the more one looks at her paintings, the more detail is discovered, but the painting never becomes overwhelming. Working primarily with gouache, an opaque watercolor paint, Boriana uses immensely tiny … [Read more...] about Boriana Kantcheva: Likely Stories at 13FOREST Gallery