Co|So Exhibitions :: Winter Members' Show: Impressions

Co|So’s newest exhibition, Impressions, showcases our artist members’ depictions of both natural abstractions as well as highly-structured, man-made forms.  High-contrast, black and white works are scattered throughout more colorful pieces, predominately featuring calming shades of blue along with vibrant reds and yellows. Presiding over the space from its perch in the center of the gallery, Peter Coes painted wooden sculpture of a house draws the eye with its sharp lines and innate sense of whimsy. Kate Sullivan’s hyper-realistic drawing of the Dresden skyline, Mary Hughes’ linear, abstract painting, and Ginny Zanger’s intricate monotypes compliment one another with high attention to detail and focus.  The obsessively detailed works are offset by the impressionist renderings of figures and landscapes offered by Robin Samiljan, LaVerne Christopher, and James Kubiatowicz.

Jennifer Day, Sesuit, oil on canvas, 36 x 36

The two largest works in the show stand out for their literal and figurative attention to the passing of time.  Jennifer Day’s oil on panel piece  Sesuit was granted second prize by jurors David Brown and Miriam Stewart.  This tumultuous ocean in black and white visualizes the movement of the water, not in a frozen moment, but in a continuously changing cycle. Sesuit is exemplary of Day’s artistic technique of allowing her painting to reach full composition through organic growth.  The artist explains that she only has a vague idea of how a piece will end up at its start; she allows the composition to adapt to her own willed impositions on the media.  Jennifer Day’s artistic vision in exploring the interaction between the visual and the emotional is strongly evident when viewing her piece.

Mary Hughes, Strata, acrylic & oil paint marker on canvas, 60 x 47 3/4

Strata, by Mary Hughes, demonstrates the artists' keen eye for detail through its repetitive, layered amorphous lines.  The painting is reminiscent of topographical maps, implying a sense of traversed space and time.  Hughes drew her inspiration for this work from her time spent studying the landscape of Ireland.  Hughes observed endless divisions within the vast landscape composed of fields, stone walls, and roads.  These boundaries and borders inspired her to “build” walls with paint.  Though her direct source of inspiration is not overwhelmingly evident, the linear boundaries formed by earthy color combinations in her work pay homage to her development as an artist.

In their various sizes, mediums, and content, the pieces of Co|So’s Winter Members’ Show represent the diversity of our artist members.  Impressions will be on view until March 29, 2012. To view the works stop by the gallery or click HERE to view the exhibition online.  We’d love to know which pieces are your favorites!