"Imagining Space"
Featuring
Heather Barros
and
Larry Mitnick
April 8 - May 2, 2021
Imagining space is different from imagining spaces.
Heather Barros and Larry Mitnick understand that "spaces" are
constrained by boundaries. A meadow may be circumscribed by a row of
trees, and a room by its walls. In imagining "space" these two artists
seek to invert the perspective. Both ponder space independent of the
space’s periphery. They use forms we understand to prescribe a space we
may not. That space can be vast. That space can be twisted; it can be
atmospheric. So, for these artists and in very different ways, the path
through space leads to abstraction.
Heather Barros
oil on canvas
Heather Barros imagines space in paintings of interiors and landscapes.
She understands that spatial orientation requires an anchor point. She
seemingly provides these for us, but upon close inspection her anchors
are often unmoored. She may offer a window through which we can see, but
the view is empty. If not bare canvas, the paint has been wiped to
near-translucency. Detail is sacrificed, information is lost, but volume
survives. Other times it is unclear if we are looking at or through
water, through fog, or at sheer emptiness. "Viewers don’t quite know
where they stand," she says of this work. "But like moths attracted to
light, I hope to lure their gaze to a certain distance. They may be
looking at paint, but I want them to see and imagine space."
Larry Mitnick
"Side Order"
acrylic on canvas
Larry Mitnick’s paintings are more overtly abstract. He overlays shapes
and colors upon one another to create textured compositions with little
correlation to the world we normally perceive. We project upon these
works our own imagined sense of space. We see layered elements. Color,
value, and varying degrees of transparency are employed to suggest
depth. Acknowledgment of depth is this artist’s lure. His hook, what
captivates the viewer, is an enigma in its distillation. Exactly which
shape is in front of what? How can a color be in front of one element
and not behind another? These paintings pose uneasy questions. Their
beauty is that they assert their own sense of balance and order.
Visit the event website for more information and additional images.
Don't forget - along with our featured exhibit, all 16 of our
professional artists continuously have their work on exhibit. We look
forward to your next visit to Artists' Gallery, where there's always
something new to see.
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Please note that there is no opening reception for this exhibit
due to social distancing recommendations.
The gallery will be open our regular hours and we hope that you can visit us.
