Co|So Exhibitions | Ted Polomis: Recent Works

With his fourteen oil-on-panel compositions, Ted Polomis lines the walls of Co|So’s intimate Red Room Gallery with his insightful still-life depictions. Polomis’ subjects arrange themselves into three movements: a nod to traditional still-life paintings, striking portraits of singular objects, and animated paintings of nostalgic play-things, whose witty titles surprise the viewer as much as the pieces themselves.  

White Vespa
oil on panel
22 x 32

Polomis’ traditional still-life suite opens with a triad of crisp compositions in a, primarily, blue palette. In Teapot, Little Blue Inkwell, and Touch of Orange, Polomis incorporates cobalt blue glass bottles and vases, accompanied by pristine painted china. Punches of color finagle their way into the composition by way of a crisp slice of lemon here, or rotund orange there. All the objects sit patiently and classically among each other, serenely situated upon the cloth-draped table. White Pail with Apple and Three Gourds are painted with equally exquisite artistry, yet embody a heartier and more inviting presence with warmer colors and associations with harvest-time foods. 

Little Blue Inkwell
oil on panel
8 x 10

 A marked intensity of study presents itself with Polomis’ Rainbird, Acoma Vase, Nautilus, and the signature White Vespa. Instead of being placed in a well lit and bright, open space, these somber objects reside in a pool of focused light crowded by the darkness of an undefinable space. Nautilus seems to be a painterly parallel to Edward Weston’s hypersensitivity to documentation of nature's organic shapes. Each of these portraits imbue its sitter with a well-defined and regal sense of identity. 

Acoma Vase
oil on panel
24 x 24

The culminating movement of Polomis’ “Recent Works” exhibition reveals itself in his earnestly painted tableau of playful and characteristically nostalgic toys. Each set of players in Top Cop, Bureau Quacks, Flight Lines, Gee Bee, and Sky of Blue and C of Green sit atop a whitewashed wooden cabinet or shelves. There is an evidence of cared-for wear in both the objects and their environments – slight dents in the toy’s metal or chipped paint off the wood. The positioning and interaction of the objects presents each of them with pride and certainty of their role as a toy, whether it be a model airplane waiting to take flight, a cop keeping a watchful eye on a precariously positioned spinning top, ducks parading about in a row (cunningly titled Bureau Quacks,) or a toy yellow submarine containing the personages of John, Paul, George, & Ringo. These images elicit a “Toy Story” type of fascination – have we stumbled upon the playthings frozen mid-action? Or did they arrange themselves, waiting to be found? Looking up at the playthings, as if peeking up to a high shelf our hands can’t quite reach, makes curious youngsters of us all. 

Sky of Blue and C of Green
oil on panel
12 x 21

 After studying art first at Thayer Academy, then at The Rhode Island School of Design, Polomis studied the works of the Great Masters throughout Italy and thirteen other countries, before returning to New England, where he has worked as an animator and illustrator. In 1992, he and his wife founded a graphics and multimedia company, Active Image. Polomis continues to paint in his home studio in Massachusetts. For further information, visit www.polomis.com.

“Recent Works” will be on display at the Copley Society of Art thru December 24, 2011! To view the full online exhibit, visit https://www.copleysociety.org/exhibitions/current/redroom.html

Artist Feature :: Eli Cedrone

Eli Cedrone’s painterly images best capture the essence and light that exude from her subjects.  Whether painting a model's profile in a portrait, or defining the lines and shapes of a landscape, her images display both her talent and expertise as a skillful painter.

painter Eli Cedrone, CA

Having always maintained a passion for art and painting, Cedrone knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career in the arts.  After her studies at prominent art accredited colleges and universities in Boston and Italy, Cedrone pursued many forms of artistic employment, which included advertising and illustration. In 1990 she began a full time career in the field of her passion, no longer painting solely for the purpose of artistic expression.  Using her artistic background and education, she adapted her skills as a refined painter.  Her proficiency in illustrations and advertisements helped Cedrone master the observation of design and color in her paintings.  Best described as a contemporary realist painter, Cedrone primarily works with oils.  

Cedrone regularly submits to Co|So's A to Z shows in the Lower Gallery, After the Red Sox is currently on display. The small painting captures the ambiance of a late Fenway evening after the rush of the baseball game has subsided. To see another impressionist view of Boston, take a stroll through the Fairmont Copley where Copley Plaza hangs in the main hallway. 

After the Red Sox, oil on canvas, 14 1/2 x 12

Eli Cedrone currently teaches oil painting classes at the Hunakai Studios in Foxboro, MA. She is also organizing a workshop in Bermuda scheduled for May. Her classes and workshops give attendees a full understanding of oil painting, as well as the knowledge and skills needed to create detailed landscapes and charming portraits. All information on her upcoming workshops and classes can be found on her website: http://www.elicedrone.com/. 

Stop by the Copley Society of Art from 3PM - 5PM Saturday, November 5th to see Copley Artist Eli Cedrone in action. She will be demonstrating how to complete a portrait of a model in one sitting, using oil on canvas. Works by Cedrone will be available for purchase during this free demonstration. Top off your Saturday Newbury Street stroll by watching this vibrant artist!

Will you be attending? Click HERE to let us know and like us on facebook!

Exhibition Feature: Sam Vokey

Moonlight and Peonies:  these two titles evoke the simple serenity that exudes from the images. The paintings by Sam Vokey were featured in the Copley Society of Art's premiere exhibition at the Boston Private Bank & Trust in the Prudential Center. In 2007, the painter’s consistent ability to fashion well-balanced compositions while cultivating the light and dark values awarded him the John Singleton Copley Award, the highest honor given by the Copley Society. 

Moonlight, oil on linen, 36 x 60

 Moonlight’s endless tumble of waves rolls forward from the gleaming dark turquoise ocean, in curves and swoops of thick, salty flurries. Dark masses of slippery rock emerge from the depths, interrupting the glide of the water into flying white sprays. A haze of pink and blue sky sits on the horizon, while the faint glow of distant houses and moonlight shines from within powdery clouds. The moon's luminescent reflections become distorted as they recede on the water. Moonlight and Peonies are exemples of Vokey's painting style: Realism infused with the softness of Impressionism.

Peonies, oil on linen, 23 x 22

The seascape of continuous, undisturbed motion of layered waves is isolated in the window frame of Peonies. The pink and blue smolder of the sky is reflected in the blushing flowers and their translucent vase. Vibrant accents of domestic life sit in a semicircular composition on the polished wood table – crisp green apples, smooth tangy oranges, and a gleaming silver pitcher, all peaceful observers of the spread of moonlight from their smooth yellow cloth. Vokey's typical serene views are currently on display at Boston Private Bank until mid-November.

Information taken from http://www.svokey.com/, About the Artist

Artist Feature: Kate Sullivan

“I thought the locomotives were overwhelming, 
and I wanted to express that.”
 - Kate Sullivan

On October 13,  the Copley Society welcomes you to indulge in the visual decadence of the latest show : Kate Sullivan's “Slow Roads & Hard Lines.” This solo show exhibition provides viewers with close-up, blown-up, industrial snapshots of a mode of transportation that paradoxically reads as both modern and anachronistic. The drawings encompass not only the intricate details of their subject matter, but capture a three-dimensional atmosphere – from streams of sunlight glaring off curves of metal to urban facades reflected in shop windows. Not to be mistaken for black and white photographs, these detailed graphite images seam the contemporary art world’s affinity for photo-realism with good old-fashioned drawing.
 

The striking Streetcars and Electric Locomotives: Waiting - Locomotive at Dockweiler, Germany imposes bold lines of smooth contours supported by complex weaving of angles and shapes. Sullivan puts every inch of the colossal canvas to use, including every dent in the diligent shell and every churn of wispy white smoke extending from the resting wheels.  Layer upon layer is recreated of the beautifully engineered structure, reinterpreting strict mechanics into a unique sculpture of the artist’s own creation. Every angle of shadow against the hot metal translates the power of the locomotive to that of the burning sun, and the complexity of the structure is further emphasized by the bare white background, permeated only by a cluster of slender trees.

Streetcars and Electric Locomotives: Waiting - Locomotive at Dockweiler, graphite on paper, 44 x 60

The three industrious vehicles in Buses of Truth sit exposed in the engulfing glare of the sun, whose rays simultaneously caress the gleaming shells and bounce off the broad windows. The light streams into the undisturbed structures, revealing rows of empty seats, while a pool of cool shade is contained under the heavy masses of the vehicles. In this way, Sullivan continues her play of light and shadow, using the wall of buses to project the extending light back into the viewer’s space.

Buses of Truth, graphite on paper, 20 x 30

This striking series of works engages beyond a simply literal reading of its industrial realm. Allowing the viewer a kind of aimless, meandering contemplation, Sullivan provides the trains, but she does not lay the tracks.

"Slow Roads & Hard Lines will be on display until November 10, 2011. 

Click HERE to visit the online exhibition.

Members' Reception Tonight!*

Thursday, October 13 5:30 - 7:30

*Members: Free | Non-Members: $10

Co|So Exhibitions: A to Z Savory

Vibrant – a single word to describe the Copley Society’s Lower Gallery’s current walls, abundant with color, texture, and tang.  Co|So Artists A to Z: Savory displays an undeniably flavorful selection of small artworks from our artist members, completed in a variety of media. Ocean views, done in acrylic, teem with waves, and streams of light next to smoky glows of sunsets glisten in oil. On the opposite wall, small portraits of mice lugging stolen food scurry amid frames of poised graphite and watercolor nudes. As expected from the exhibition’s title, food is a prominent subject, ranging from a sweet watercolor of a perfectly frosted cupcake to a vivid photograph of fresh Brussels sprouts. 

A few highlights of the exhibition include Ellen Rolli’s two acrylic and mixed media compositions, Salt/Pepper # 1 and Salt/Pepper #2. Sleek black and white contrasts blend in a stormy charcoal background of both projecting and concaving textures, engaging the eye further with each closer view. Layers of confidently applied paint alternately reveal and conceal yellow-tinted paper forms, which are anchored by 3-dimensional textured gray hues.

Ellen Rolli | Salt/Pepper #1 | mixed media | 16 x 12

Ken Northup presents idyllic views of serene landscapes of sand and sea. While Drift Log evokes a solitary sweep of sea air from still, darkened waters, Ocean Reflections gives the viewer a glance at an undisturbed, clear spread of ocean. Northup’s third piece, Alla Prima Moonscape, illuminates the marshy setting under a mystical full moon, where he contrasts glimpses of polished paler blues against a deeper, opaque sky. 

Ken Northup | Alla Prima Moonscape | oil on canvas | 9 1/2 x 9 1/2

Also painting in oil, Susan Dragoo Lembo captures familiar scenes in glowing, sunlit settings. Snapshot views of a quiet moment of reading on a park bench are depicted in Sunday Ritual and Quality Time. In Three for the Road, the simple habit of taking the dogs for a stroll is brought to life in rich colors and cool shadows against bright sunlight and pale grass.

Susan Dragoo Lembo | Three for the Road | 11 x 13 | oil on canvas

Despite their smaller dimensions, each work captures, engages, and captivates the viewer – whether it be by evoking longing for a crisp ocean breeze or a sun-warmed park bench, intrigue at the complexity of textures within a single piece, or mouthwatering aromas. Co|So Artists A to Z: Savory will be on display until November 10, 2011. Don't miss the chance to view this diverse and colorful selection of small works. Stop by the gallery, or click HERE to view the exhibition online!

‘Then and Now’ Juror Bio: Joel Meyerowitz

Light caught through a split-second shutter mystifies and endures at the new contemporary photography exhibit currently on display at the Copley Society of Art. Subjects submerged in water pull us into eerie dreams; stark black and whites highlight contrasts, while shades of grey grace us with comfort; crisp, vivid colors align themselves among creatively composed shapes of penetrating shadows.  Viewers will be magically drawn into past and current worlds in all new ways. 

Juror's Choice: I Become You by Michael Seif

This beautiful and cohesive collection of photographs comprises Co|So’s new exhibit, “Then & Now: The Enduring Allure of Light in Photography,” juried by Joel Meyerowitz.

Image credit: Joel Meyerowitz

Meyerowitz is a well known street photographer from New York City, who is particularly recognized for his use of color photography.  He began his artistic career in 1960’s Bronx, New York.  He began experimenting with color and developing techniques at a time when colored photographs were not considered a ‘serious’ form of art, while black and white images were more widely accepted as art. Despite popular culture, Meyerowitz continued to exercise his artistic abilities in color photography.  He began teaching his techniques and theories on color in art and photography at Cooper Union in the East Village of Manhattan during the 1970’s.  

Juror's Choice: Tangled Two by Andrea Kemler

In a way, Meyerowitz revolutionized the art world’s view of color in photography.  He forced the art world to recognize colored photographs as a high form of art, comparable to the artistic merit granted to that of black and white images.  Meyerowitz, along with fellow artist friends Stephen Shore and William Eggleston, greatly influenced future photographers and artists to experiment even more with color and to accept this practice as an identifiable and significant form of art.

Juror's Choice: The Fallen 19 by Lark Carrier

Light is another key element in Meyerowitz’s work, and he selected the photographs on display as evocations of the continued importance of light as a photographic subject.  "Then & Now: The Enduring Allure of Light in Photography" will be on display at the Copley Society of Art through October 6, 2011. Click HERE to view the online exhibition.