Co|So’s
summer exhibition New England Perceived,
features work by a selected group of artist members that explore and celebrate
New England. Juried by Jonathan
Fairbanks, (Director of the Fuller Craft Museum and former curator of American
Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) the show
includes a wide variety of media, including oil, pastel, watercolor, graphite,
photography and wood carving. The works are tied together through their evocation
of the spirit of New England in the summer months and beyond.
Perfect Pairing by
Ann Trainor Domingue depicts the iconic New England lobster meal. Sun pours in through an adjacent window,
gently illuminating the feast of lobster and white wine. Domingue’s prominent
use of reds and blues produces a contrast in temperature, creating the
impression of cool shade at the end of a hot summer’s day. The overall effect is the feeling of leisure
and relaxation, two ideals that are synonymous with summer in New England.
Steven Simpson’s The
Other Side of the Tracks is the 2nd place prize winner of the
Summer Members’ Show: New England
Perceived. This work depicts a view from the Charles River with the Boston
University Bridge in the foreground and the Boston cityscape receding into the
background. A B.U. sailboat shares the focus of the painting with the bridge as
other boats are shown behind it on the water. The Other Side of the Tracks is a common image for many during the summer
as they walk or run along Memorial Drive and look across the River to
Boston.
Claudia Kaufman’s Jar
of Limons is an innovative and refreshing take on fruit still lifes.
Assorted lemons and limes are packed within a traditional mason jar, presumably
to garnish a summer dish or drink. One cannot help but imagine the tart citrus
flavor of these fruits when observing the saturated green and yellow pulp. The dark
background highlights the subject and creates the focal point of the
hyper-realist depiction of the mason jar and its ripened contents. Jar of Limons is a stunning display of
Kaufman’s talent as a still life painter, and is a perfect summer work.
With
thirty-six works in all, New England
Perceived presents a diverse array of artists and styles and is sure to
feel as much like summer as lively Newbury Street outside. New
England Perceived will be on view through August 22, 2012. Stop by the
gallery for a taste of summer in Boston!
