Co|So Exhibitions :: Beauty of Burma by Doug Adams

The Copley Society is proud to present Beauty of Burma, a collection of photographs by Doug Adams at Boston Private Bank in the Prudential Center. Doug’s work takes the viewer on an international journey, exploring the incredible architecture of Southeast Asia’s Myanmar.  His photographs capture the meditative beauty and peaceful serenity of Bagan temples at their most spectacular moments. 

Doug Adams, Temples at Sunrise (Burma), 28 x 18, photograph.

The exhibition provides insight into the area’s history and the magnificence of modern day Myanmar.  Over 4,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed across the ancient Pagan Empire’s capital city, Bagan, between the 11^th and 13^th centuries.  Today, roughly half of these structures still stand, making the city a world-renowned pilgrimage and spiritual tourism destination.

Doug Adams, Burma Sunset, 29 x 22 1/2, photograph.

Doug’s Burma Sunset offers a look into the challenges of building in Bagan, which is located in the “dry zone” of Burma: a desert-like area characterized by high temperatures, little rainfall and high winds.  Over time, these winds have eroded the elaborate stucco and wood designs that once adorned the region’s religious relics.  The image artfully captures the aridity of Bagan, punctuated with the spiritual oasis of temple architecture. 

Doug Adams, Bagan Sunrise, 26 x 36, photograph.

The stunning piece Bagan Sunrise displays the majesty and ethereal qualities of Burma.  The sun illuminates the misty morning fog, creating a cloud-like tapestry through which holy temples and bonsai trees emerge to greet the new day.  Adding to the spectacle, hot air balloons metaphorically mirror the viewer’s enlightening experience as they float through the air.

Come join us in the Prudential Center and allow yourself to experience the spiritual and architectural beauty of Myanmar. The exhibit will run through November 1, 2014, and can be viewed online here. We look forward to seeing you in the gallery soon!

Co|So Exhibitions:: GRIT: The Urban Landscape

The Copley Society of Art is proud to present Grit: The Urban Landscape, juried by the renowned Director of MIT’s List Visual Arts Center, Dr. Paul Ha.  This nationally influenced show unveils the raw fabric of the cityscape as seen through the eyes of both Copley and non-Copley members alike.

Ben Holiday, Elevated, 38 x 50, oil and enamel on acrylic.

Dr. Ha’s curatorial vision for Grit embraces the minimalist view of the city and urban life.  In his words, “though the urban area that surrounds, overwhelms, and confronts us daily can be the grit in our lives, we can also find moments of unparalleled beauty and solace from that same exact environment.”  The design of the exhibit creates a microcosm of the urban environment, with the varied blend of mediums and artistic ethos serving as a perfect metaphor for the melting pot that is urban life.  From the dusty pavement beneath our feet to lofty skyscrapers, Grit displays the full range of the metropolitan experience.

Julian Cherubini, Back Back Bay, 23 x 30, archival pigment print (photograph).

One of the show’s most notable pieces, an oil and enamel painting on acrylic by Ben Holiday titled Elevated, captures the simple and often overlooked beauty of naturally repeating and overlapping patterns that exist in an urban environment.  Awarded "First Place," Back Back Bay, an archival ink photograph on paper by Julian Cherubini, uses contrasting black and white to transcend the modern world and detailed brickwork to spark a sensory experience of Back Bay rooftops.

Sean Flood, Clarendon Alley at Midnight, 36 x 42, oil on panel.

Another feature of the exhibit, Sean Flood’s Clarendon Alley at Midnight, exemplifies Grit and the artist’s aim of unveiling all aspects of the city. Sean states: “my approach to painting urban scenes and structures simulates and celebrates the energy of the city and the construction process. The paintings reveal the process from foundation to structure to completed form.”

The exhibit will run thru November 1, 2014. We look forward to seeing you in the gallery soon!

Co|So Exhibtions: Continuum by David Kasman

The Copley Society of Art is proud to present Continuum, a solo show of monumental sculpture by David Kasman. Based in Boston, Kasman earned a Bachelor's degree from Cornell University in Mechanical Engineering before focusing on painting and sculpture. The artist is best known for both his bronze sculptures and landscape oil paintings.  His work is featured in many prominent collections including that of The Bush Family, Jamie Wyeth and Jack Connors Jr.  While this is David’s first solo exhibition at Co|So, he has been featured in many juried shows since his acceptance into the Society in 2002. 

David Kasman, Counterbalance, 102 x 33 x 33, bronze.

Kasman’s sculptures in Continuum explore the fine line between realism and abstraction, while focusing on the shapes that form the base of each subject.  Dimension is added to the work through the play of proportion, as monumental figures and miniature dinosaurs skew expectations of size.  This allows the viewer to understand the fundamental forms in a new way. He has said about his art: “I work to achieve sculptural compositions of mass and line that are strong, balanced and beautiful.  My art does not have a deliberate narrative agenda; I simply try to make objects that are as direct, honest, and as visually satisfying as possible.”

David Kasman, Counterbalance, 102 x 33 x 33, bronze.

A highlight of the exhibit, Counterbalance, a monumental 8.5 foot tall sculpture, embodies the grace and beauty of the female form without delineating delicate features. The figure in Counterbalance poses in such a way that displays the human body’s ability to internally attain equilibrium despite appearing outwardly asymmetrical. While neither the figure’s left and right limbs, nor front and back sides mirror each other, Kasman sculpted her to have a visual stability that transcends symmetry. The figure’s head is thrown back, her face covered with her forearms, this weight is offset by the way Kasman thrusts her chest out in the opposite direction. In her lower body, the equilibrium of mass continues as her bent left leg stretches behind her to visually compliment and structurally support her rear, shoulders, and head. In this way her title of Counterbalance is extremely fitting.

David Kasman, Predator, 27 x 10 x 8 , bronze.

Upon walking into the upper gallery, Kasman’s Counterbalance is the first piece to draw the viewer’s eye. Its curvilinear lines and elegant but risky relationship with gravity sets the tone for the rest of his work in Continuum. The show’s smaller, more linear, pieces mimic the playfulness between visual and structural balance in his larger figural works. In Predator, the dinosaur is shrunk and composed of basic geometric forms to relate the animal in a new and understandable way. The sculpture reads as dangerous and dynamic, the captured essence of the dinosaur. In short, Kasman has accomplished his goal of creating “direct, honest, and visually satisfying” sculptures.

The exhibit will run thru June 26, 2014, and can be viewed online here. We look forward to seeing you in the gallery soon!

Artist Interview :: Mike Weymouth

Get to know a Copley artist! Michael Weymouth's works are currently featured in the solo exhibit "Latitude 45" in the Red Room gallery.  Recently, the Co|So staff interviewed one of our diversely talented artists, known for his lush and loosely painted landscapes, about this work and his artistic career. 

Michael Weymouth, On The Road to Siena, East, 12 3/4 x 24 3/4, oil.

1.       Who is your greatest influence?

It's hard to pinpoint another artist. I actually don't like it when someone looks at one of my paintings and says, for example, "it looks like Richard Diebenkorn," even though I like his paintings. I am more reflective of all the people who nudged me along the way, i.e. my fourth grade art teacher, my next door neighbor, etc. who encouraged me to follow my muse into the arts.

 

2.       Tell us about your work in Latitude 45º.

The 45th parallel runs through the heart of Maine, my home state, and two of my favorite painting locations: Southern France and Tuscany. Ironically it runs through Japan where I would also like to paint.

Michael Weymouth, On The Road to Auxerre, 12 3/4 x 12 3/4, oil.

3.       How would you characterize the arc of your career?

I attended New England School of Art and Design not knowing which path I would take. I had started to paint seriously at the end of my time in school and was on a good trajectory, but I decided to take the path more taken and became an illustrator and graphic designer. I started my own firm, Weymouth Design 10 years out of art school and also started shooting photos as part of the business. Weymouth Design went on to become one of the country's leading annual report design firms and is still in business today. I am now semi-retired and painting a lot. I have published three books: How Photography Can Make You A Better Painter; Maine (Island Time); and The Gentle Whisper Of Living Things.

 

4.       Did you attend an art school?
Yes. New England School of Art and Design.

Michael Weymouth, On The Road to Beaujeu, 12 1/2 x 18 3/4, oil.

5.       When did you realize you wanted to be an artist?

My kindergarten teacher singled me out as an artist. However, it took many years before I realized art school was where I belonged. I also spent many years expressing myself creatively in my business, so in a sense, once I got on the art train, I never got off.

Artist Interview :: Beth Dacey

Get to know a Copley artist! Beth Dacey's works are currently featured in the exhibit "That Was Then" at Boston Private Bank in the Prudential Center.  Recently, the Co|So staff interviewed one of our prominent painters, known for her nostalgic paintings of 1950s America, about this work and her artistic career.

1.        Who is your greatest influence?

It is difficult to choose a single, greatest influence. I am inspired by Sargent's mastery; Cezanne's boldness; Munch's emotion, Hopper's narrative ability. I also love the Bay Area figurative painters, but that barely scratches the surface.  Since I try to tell stories with my work, I am strongly influenced by writers, as well: Virginia Woolf's expanded moments to Dostoevsky’s psychology.   I just read The Goldfinch, by Donna Tarte, which blends art and fiction really well.

Beth Dacey, Two Women, 40 x 30, oil on canvas.

2.        Tell us about your work in That Was Then.

The work in the show reflects my interest in reinterpreting old, black and white photos.  I try to figure out the tension or story in the moment captured.  In Two Women, I was intrigued by the drama in the body language between the two characters, primarily in the attitude of the woman on the left.  In Couple with House, the original photo showed a typical, happy couple from the 50's.  I saw a more intriguing dynamic in the placement of hands and tilt of bodies.  In Woman with House, I invite the viewer to wonder about the relationship between the woman and the house, as well as the (perhaps) more interesting story between her and the picture taker.  

Beth Dacey, Couple With House, 30 x 40, oil on canvas.

3.        How would you characterize the arc of your career?

The path of my career has been like that of many women my age.  My life was focused on other things, such as school, teaching, marriage, and raising children, art was a luxurious, extra thing. I didn't focus on painting until later, twelve years ago, when my life opened up a bit.  At that time, I rented a studio and since then, the "arc of my career" has moved forward at a rapid pace.  Apparently I had a lot to say. I continue to paint almost every day in my studio, and I look forward to more ways of sharing my work.  I have no plans of slowing down.

Beth Dacey, Woman with House, 40 x 30, oil on canvas.

4.        Did you attend an art school?

I did not go to art school.  My formal education was focused on English, which allowed me to teach writing and literature.  While this study enriched my painting in its own way, a parallel, informal education was ongoing, as I took art seminars and classes, with individual artists and at MassArt, DeCordova, and the SMFA.  

5.       When did you realize you wanted to be an artist?

I always wanted to be an artist, but never thought I could BE one.  I was creating art long before I heard the words coming out of my mouth, "I am an artist."  Referring back to the time I got my first studio -when I opened it up to the public, exhibiting my work in my first "open studio," I felt like (and knew I was) an artist.  

The exhibition runs through April 15th, and can be found off of Center Court in the Prudential Center (800 Boylston Street), near the Barnes & Noble.