The Sherry French Gallery is proud to present its annual summer show titled, “Gallery and Invited Artists,” featuring contemporary representational paintings and sculptures, along with still life and figure paintings. This summer-long show lends itself to the work of long time participating artists, in addition to new talent. Over twenty artists participate in the show, including: Eliza Auth, Fred Danziger, Carolyn Edlund, Judy Evans, William Gannotta, Jacqueline Gnott, Robert Heischman, Janet Laird-Lagassee, Victor Leger, Kimberly Meuse, Nancy Bea Miller, John Morrell, William M. Sullivan, Stephen Tanis, Dean F. Thomas and Gail Wegodsky.
The artists in this group represent a variety of mediums, including oil on canvas, oil on panel, watercolor on paper, gouache on paper, pastel on paper, and acrylic on canvas. Their paintings range in size from large-scale single panels and diptychs to smaller paintings that work in groups and series. Most of the artists work directly from observation and are extremely intricate in their respective artistic processes.
The focal painting of the show is “Gabriel’s Contest” by Stephen Tanis. Tanis’ paintings possess a sense of reflective sentiment drawing the audience into the scene. “Gabriel’s Contest” creates a profound interaction between the two characters as he represents the classic tale of Good versus Evil, with a twist--there is a sense of ambiguity as to which figure represents good in the image. By using colors generally associated with good on both characters, Tanis causes the viewer to make the decision for themselves concerning the disposition of the two characters. The painting is reminiscent of the Old Testament wrestle match between Jacob and the archangel Gabriel, as both men seem to be engaged in a deep struggle and there is no clear or immediate winner.
Kimberly Meuse is best known for her beautifully intricate paintings of flowers. They feature delicate bouquets in exquisite shades of blue, pink and purple. Frequently contrasted against a white background, as in her “Peony Bouquet”, the vibrant colors seem to leap from the paper and the audience can almost smell the sweet summer scent of peonies, hydrangeas, or lilacs. “Peony Bouquet”, an award-winning watercolor, is one of her simpler paintings, with the central peonies laid bare against beautiful folds of fabric and a solitary ribbon. By contrast, her paintings “Blue Hydrangeas and Plums” and “Late Summer” are more complex. In addition to her trademark bouquets of flowers and flowing fabric, there is succulent fruit that begs to be eaten, a beautiful Chinese vase or a gleaming silver pitcher.
William M. Sullivan’s large painting, “End of the Day”, is a seemingly traditional seascape that has an air of serenity and beauty surrounding it that could hypnotize any viewer. The softly rolling waves and setting sun create a sense of tranquility even in the midst of one of the world’s busiest cities. Also one of the largest paintings in the show, Sullivan’s “End of the Day” draws the eye like a magnet. The hints of blue in the water and the yellow burst of sun stand out against the dark grey and brown of the rocks, giving this painting a lifelike quality, as if you were standing on the rocks being sprayed by the waves.
Robert Heischman’s drawings encapsulate the quaintness and relaxation associated with a summer on the East Coast. Taking the audience on tours of lovely gardens and landscape architecture, one can almost feel a summer breeze chasing them along one of his stone paths. The viewer is invited to linger within the space of his charming gardens and stroll out of the composition to a garden of the imagination that is found just beyond the picture’s frame.
Our summer gallery show allows the human spirit to be reborn; the summer months are a perfect time for out spirits to come alive again. This gives our artists an unparalleled feeling of serenity, which converts itself onto fantastic freshness and modernity in their work. Through our realistic styles, our artists—both painters and sculptors—use our gallery show to depict the rejuvenation of nature. There is no better way to provoke our minds than with the beauty of representational, realistic art, be it through landscape painting or still life.
