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New England's Culture Magazine

Artscope Magazine | March/April 2019

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Issue Articles

Robert Brodesky, "Intimacy," oil and enamel, 48” x 60”.

ROBERT BRODESKY: A SCREAMING SILENCE YOU SEE LOUD AND CLEAR

// Current Issue, Issue Articles, March/April 2019

by Ron Fortier

Whenever I go into a gallery, exhibit or anywhere art is exhibited, I crave enlightenment and I am always full of expectation. I seek, I want, I expect to be blown away by something that affects me in a way I never imagined. More often than not, I come away disappointed even at the international venues. When I’m asked to critique the work of another painter, I’m usually hesitant. The hesitation comes from worrying that I can’t or won’t be able to connect with the work I’m looking at. Not this time, though, and not with Robert Brodesky. I was both drawn to and intrigued by his work from the moment I set eyes on it. At this point, I am a bit hesitant to say that Brodesky somewhat embodies the romantic notion of the tortured artist — more later. There is a screaming silence in his work, and you hear it loud and clear. Contained therein is the proverbial tension that can only be cut by … [Read more...] about ROBERT BRODESKY: A SCREAMING SILENCE YOU SEE LOUD AND CLEAR

Michelle Benoit, "Untitled," 2019, mixed media on hand cut reclaimed Lucite and ApplePly, approximately 6 1/8” x 6 1/2” x 2 3/4”.

MICHELLE BENOIT: VISUALLY COOL AND CRISP TO THE EYE

// Current Issue, Issue Articles, March/April 2019

by Donna Dodson

Although many artists seem to languish or burn out at mid-career, Michelle Benoit is thriving. She has found a way to survive by working constantly, experimenting consistently and along the way she has gotten some very good advice, support and mentorship. Benoit is truly an inspiration to artists at any stage of their careers. Since graduating with her MFA and MA from the University of Iowa in 1999/2000, Benoit has had a successful career in college teaching. But in 2008, some health issues forced her to take time off which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The single-minded focus Benoit turned towards her work allowed it to grow and gain attention from galleries and collectors. She is currently represented nationally and internationally by Morotti Arte Contemporanea, Milan, Italy; Thomas Punzmann Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany; Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia and Margaret … [Read more...] about MICHELLE BENOIT: VISUALLY COOL AND CRISP TO THE EYE

David Arsenault, "Eastern Point," 30” x 40”.

DAVID ARSENAULT: A LOVE OF TRANSFORMATIVE LIGHT AND LANDSCAPE

// Current Issue, Issue Articles, March/April 2019

by Elayne Clift

It was 1970 when artist David Arsenault first saw a reproduction of a painting by American Realist Edward Hopper. Called “Gas,” it depicted a rural gas station at dusk with three red petrol pumps; he’d found it in a grade school library book. More than twenty years later, a professor in a graphic arts program reintroduced him to Hopper’s work and Arsenault decided to study painting. It seems fair to say that “the rest is history” when it comes to the artist the Wall Street Journal once referred to as someone whose “paintings could pass for works by Edward Hopper.” Arsenault studied painting at the University at Albany and began showing his work in 1993. Since then, his work has been exhibited in hundreds of local, regional and national exhibitions. It is also included in private and corporate collections across the country and beyond. Arsenault’s love of light and landscape have … [Read more...] about DAVID ARSENAULT: A LOVE OF TRANSFORMATIVE LIGHT AND LANDSCAPE

Craig Altobello, "Cliff Walk, Acadia National Park," 2019, 11 1/2” x 14”.

CRAIG ALTOBELLO: FINDING MARQUETRY’S BEAUTY BENEATH THE BARK

// Current Issue, Issue Articles, March/April 2019

by Linda Chestney

For artisan Craig Altobello of Peterborough, New Hampshire, marquetry, the art of assembling thin slices of wood to form an image, is an act of perfection and serendipity. His perfectionist tendencies propel him toward combing through numerous bins of hundreds of color-organized wood slices to find that piece. That’s where serendipity — finding the perfect slice — intersects with skill. The art of marquetry is not new, but it is rare. In the 16th century, Italian craftsmen began using marquetry on furniture — a stunning touch of decorative art emphasizing the beauty of wood. Today, many centuries later, Altobello marries his love of nature and wood in a contemporary version of marquetry. A longtime resident of the Monadnock region of New Hampshire, Altobello is fond of long walks in the woods and hikes in the mountains to appreciate the trees, wildlife and nature along the … [Read more...] about CRAIG ALTOBELLO: FINDING MARQUETRY’S BEAUTY BENEATH THE BARK

Sosint Naing Naing, Myanmar, Curve of the Century, 2018, pigment print, World Bank Gallery, Washington, D.C.

VISUAL DIPLOMACY: GLOBAL EMBASSIES OPEN GALLERIES TO U.S. VISITORS

// Current Issue, Issue Articles, March/April 2019

by Nancy Nesvet

The 35 days of the United States Government partial shutdown in late December through late January left the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. barren and vacant of visitors. Tourists and locals, temporarily not working, roamed, as in a sci-fi movie, the nation’s capital looking for open, free cultural exhibitions. Private museums, including the Phillips Collection and Kreeger Museum, charged fees that tourists were unwilling to pay, and locals at this time could not pay, not knowing when the situation would resolve and when their paychecks would arrive. The United Kingdom and France managed to keep their museums open, free and accessible during government strikes and temporary shutdowns; the embassies of these and other nations satisfied cultural cravings for all visitors. Foreign embassies, foreign collections and cultural centers offer permanent art on view, while temporary … [Read more...] about VISUAL DIPLOMACY: GLOBAL EMBASSIES OPEN GALLERIES TO U.S. VISITORS

Chalkboard Studio artists (left to right), James Wolf, Jackie Reeves, Richard Neal, photograph by Julia Cumes.

THINGS ARE HAPPENING HERE: CHALKBOARD STUDIOS CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY

// Current Issue, Issue Articles, March/April 2019

by Lee Roscoe

Chalkboard Studio in Barnstable Village, Cape Cod, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with an open house on April 27. The three core founders, Jackie Reeves, James “Jamie” Wolf and Richard Neal met at Cotuit Center for the Arts (which Wolf originated) — and started painting together there, for the hell of it. Reeves, who was looking for studio space, said, “I was used to working with other people around. I grew up in a big family where we all shared space.” Wolf “never worked with others until the three of us started talking, having a beer together. I found I could still throw paint with them around.” He was leaving Cotuit and wanted a studio. Neal had been making do in his basement. When fellow painters Karen Ojala and Edie Vonnegut showed Reeves the historical 1854 Old Schoolhouse owned by the Unitarian Church of Barnstable, she convinced Neal and Wolf to join her … [Read more...] about THINGS ARE HAPPENING HERE: CHALKBOARD STUDIOS CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY