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.

Co|So Exhibitions: New Members' Show 2014

Currently on display in the upper gallery of the Copley Society of Art is the 2014 New Members’ Show, featuring the society’s 11 newly accepted members from 2013. Artist membership at the Copley Society of Art is extremely competitive and reflects Co|So’s commitment to emerging artists. The Membership Committee assesses each applicant on the strength of their body of work, and accepts for membership only those whose work is truly outstanding. Artists who are invited to join the organization represent a great diversity of styles, media, and techniques.

The New Members’ Show 2014 introduces an exceptional group of artists who explore and challenge the traditional beaux-arts concept of realism. The exhibit features two works from each of the 11 new members. While each work is based in realism, they all offer a fresh approach in concept or media to an oft-utilized style.  

Percy Fortini-Wright, Green Line Through Old Boston Garden, 34 1/2 x 50 1/2, spray paint on panel.

Percy Fortini-Wright’s spray painted cityscapes present everyday Boston thoroughfares in a new light. Green Line Through Old Boston Garden depicts a nostalgic view of the MBTA in black and white, reminiscent of a vintage photograph. Fortini-Wright has revitalized the old trolley car with strong lines, textural drips of paint, and the modern haze of pressurized paint from a can.

James Campbell, Adam, 36 x 36, oil on canvas.

Adam by James Campbell shows a contemporary, graphic, and cropped look at the portrait. The over-life-sized head of a boy stares out at the audience with interest, his dark eyes cleanly defined through line. Campbell furthers the graphic look with large strokes of a contrasting blue for shading. The painting captures the striking gaze of the boy, bringing the central details to hyper-realistic focus, which is further emphasized by the textured hat and flat shirt.

Anne Salas, Poppy Field, 31 x 37, oil on canvas with 22kt gold leaf.

The still-life is given vibrancy through Anne Salas’ surrealist-inspired style and bold colors. Her Poppy Field offsets the bright red of the flowers with a gold leaf background evocative of Klimt. The paint is layered in drips and strokes on the canvas, creating a depth to the field that is in direct contrast to the flatness of the poppy flowers. Salas’ technique and color palette gives breath and life to the floral motifs, enlivening the viewer experience.

The exhibit will run thru February 6^th, 2014, and can be viewed online here. We look forward to seeing you in the gallery soon!

Historical Co|So :: The Armory Show in Boston Part II

Every city on the Armory Show tour was taking a risk in exhibiting the controversial art of the Modernist painters.  Even New York City, the American art capital was nervous to see the work of the degenerate artists arrive.  While New York may have been taking a risk, Boston was causing a scandal! In the historically more conservative city, the works in the 1913 exhibition were considered downright outrageous to some of the members of the Copley Society of Boston.

John Monteiro, Horse, 14 x 16 1/2, scratchboard.

Before arriving in Boston, the Armory show stopped in in New York and Chicago.  Often thought of as the most famous event to link the European movements of Fauvism, Cubism, and Futurism to the U.S., the show took both cities by storm.  Hosted at the 69^th Regiment Armory in NYC the show featured over 2,000 paintings by both European and American artists.  In comparison, space constraints at the Copley Society of Boston only allowed for 244 paintings, all by European artists, to be displayed.  Before traveling back east, the exhibition had a tumultuous reception at the Art Institute of Chicago, where students and patrons incited a protest against the art on display. 

Floor Plan of Copley and Allston Halls in the Grundmann Studio Building, 194 Clarendon Street, Boston.

Despite the willingness of the Copley Society to take a chance with the Armory Show, there was significant debate between the members.  A letter written by Frank Gair Macomber to fellow Copley Society member Edward R. Warren expressed his concern in being associated with supporting provocative European artists:

“We all feel that the Society should avoid seeming to give any sanction to the movement.”

               -Letter from Edward Warren to Frank Macomber, March 31, 1913

The Society made it clear that the exhibition was brought to Boston purely as an educational tool: they wanted to give the public a chance to form their own opinions of the art without seeming to endorse any of the movements. Even so, the Society worried about the immediate reception of the Boston public. In his letter to Walt Kuhn, secretary of the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, Warren lamented:

“It takes time in Boston, even in the case of an unusual exhibition to awake public interest.” 

               -Letter from Edward Warren to Walter Kuhn, March 21, 1913

Unfortunately, this turned out to be true as the Boston show attracted only a fraction of the number of New York and Chicago visitors. 

Vcevold Strekalovsky, Addison County I, 20 x 26, oil.

Though it may have taken a bit more time to awaken interest in Boston, the Copley Society is proud to have been a part of the historic show!  Join us in celebrating the centennial of this significant and momentous period of art in America with two unique exhibitions – a members show of contemporary artworks inspired by the Modernists represented in the Amory Show, and a historical show of archival print materials from the original 1913 exhibition. Both exhibitions run through August 21, 2013, and can be viewed online here: https://www.copleysociety.org/exhibitions/current.html.