By Becky Shea Sarah Meyers Brent’s “Salvaged Garden” inhabits its own space at Kingston Gallery through August 2. This sectioned off room is more preferable for Brent because she is able to encompass all four walls with paintings and installations. Her installation, “Salvaged Garden,” stretches across one entire wall and the tips of the vines and running paint lines touch the floor. She had sketched a shape of “Salvaged Garden” on the wall before hanging it. On the other three walls are paintings. Brent paints by placing the canvas on the ground and working on top of it. These paintings certainly do not come across as flat when hanging on Kingston’s white walls. The flowers, vines and mounds of dirt are three-dimensional fixings that reach out to the viewer in this enclosed space and bring them closer to the beauty of Brent’s work. Once these flowers, vines and mounds of dirt lure … [Read more...] about Sarah Meyers Brent: Salvaged Garden at Kingston Gallery
Exhibits
Bear Kirkpatrick: The Human Diorama at 555 Gallery
By John Paul Stapleton 555 Gallery is currently host to a photography exhibit that goes beyond the present to explore the depths of human nature. In “The Human Diorama,” Bear Kirkpatrick, has brought together portraits and other pieces from his many series to show how people interact with — and adapt — to the natural world.“We are all a learned thing — an ever-gathering and ever-adjusting animal,” Kirkpatrick explains in his artist statement. “It is those traits that I use my camera to find, if only for 1/200th of a second. They are the ghosts of presence and memory, the vestigial elements we carry within and about us as invisibly as spirits.” These portraits, as the name of the exhibit suggests, are Kirkpatrick’s response to the dioramas he was fascinated by as a kid, but they are displayed, for the most part, on the body of his subject. Now, instead of creating images that … [Read more...] about Bear Kirkpatrick: The Human Diorama at 555 Gallery
Hokusai at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
By James Foritano Boston, MA - There’s just no telling where telling detail will show up, except, of course, as you take in the “Hokusai” exhibit currently at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. There, it’s everywhere — and you are the omniscient, highly selective eye. A word of warning, though, before you start your journey through old Japan. In our fast-paced times, we are more used to crisply defined objectives, looking at our crowded world with a summary eye, and then ‘tweeting’ our response to those who have to know. Hokusai had a different mission, a different pace, a different audience in mind. He exercised his omnivous eye, tireless hand to record, to tell, albeit with economy and wit, nearly everything to everybody. Whoever you are, you are there. Have an eye for the beauty of flowers, birds, insects? Prepare to be mesmerized as the horsefly homes in on the … [Read more...] about Hokusai at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Migrating Colors 2015, Haitian Art at Wedeman Art Gallery
By Rhiannon Leigh Newton, MA - “Migrating Colors 2015,” an exhibition featuring the work of 10 Haitian artists, is currently on view at Lasell College’s Wedeman Gallery. These artists, both from Massachusetts and Jacmel, Haiti, depict their experiences of the 2010 earthquake and the subsequent emotional journey from loss to acceptance to growth. Common themes within the work include the marketplace, the jungle, magic realism, voodoo rituals and, most importantly, a sense of community. The artists, who had lost their workspace, materials and many of their works during the earthquake, also lost the drive and passion to create art. However, with the help of the Haitian Arts Assembly, the artists were able to obtain new materials and through the creation of new works, were able to transform from victim to survivor. The exhibition features paintings by Norestant Lamour, Vady … [Read more...] about Migrating Colors 2015, Haitian Art at Wedeman Art Gallery
Sarah Meyers Brent: Primal Garden at the Walter Feldman Gallery, Boston
By Sarah Kinkade Boston, MA - Life is a complicated mess: there are ups and downs, joys and disappointments, smooth sailings and rough landings. It can be both ugly and beautiful, yet, the view of beauty generally prevails as almost everyone can agree that ‘life is beautiful.’ This sentiment is captured in the artwork of Sarah Meyers Brent. Brent’s inspiration mainly comes from her own life as she works through various situations and events, finding beauty in untraditional ways. Within her drawings and sculptural paintings, she embraces the ugliness of things while highlighting the hidden prettiness underneath it all. And yes, many of her paintings go beyond the standard definition of the word and enter the category of sculpture as they ooze and explode off the canvas. Many of her materials are organic — for example, flowers and dirt — mixed with acrylic to help give it shape. … [Read more...] about Sarah Meyers Brent: Primal Garden at the Walter Feldman Gallery, Boston
The Transformative Art of Martin Bridge
By Natalia Chilcote Roxbury, MA - The first installment of Inner Sanctum Studio’s Salon series on March 28 presented the exhibit, “The Transformative Art of Martin Bridge.” A dedicated mycologist, painter and theater instructor, Bridge’s life has been shaped by and remains rooted in visceral experiences of and participation in the natural world. A passion for the ancient networks that form the basis for Earth’s soil systems continuously inform his art and inspires him to explore new avenues in his work. At the heart of his art is a personal transformation that he underwent years ago while exploring the forest with friends. A chance encounter with the root systems in the ground led him into a deeper interest in mycelial colonies and their roles in aggregating nutrients and the speed of plant decomposition within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The writings of famous … [Read more...] about The Transformative Art of Martin Bridge