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.