Opening at Nazareth University
Art Center Gallery
Care to spend some time looking at new artwork, or do you just want to read about it?
I want to do both! Actually, since I have been writing this blog, I often spend some time out at gallery shows and later in the day I can read a bit before bedtime..that is my routine.
This Friday, I had the pleasure of walking into the Nazareth University Art Center to see the new two person art exhibition for Bradley Butler and Mitch Messina. Mitch is showing his new sculptures and Bradley has a selection of new paintings. Before we enter the Art Center Gallery, walking up the stairway we see a wide arrangement of colorful glass pieces created by Michael Taylor that he calls "Right Place/ Right Time". This sculptural assemblage has been donated by the artist and it brings to mind clocks and the passage of time as part of the college experience ( see below ).
"Right Place/Right time" by Michael Taylor
Michael Taylor was also in the crowd at the opening of the Art Center Gallery and we had a quick chat. I looked around at the show and walked over to speak with Bradley Butler about his paintings - he was once my student when he studied at the graduate level in the studios of Rochester Institute of Technology back in the day.. After graduation Bradley worked for over a decade as the Director of the Main Street Arts in Clifton Springs - a few miles to the east, and he brought many interesting shows to that gallery representing the work of many other artists. Now, Brad has moved on to be a song writer and performer as well as continuing his work as an artist and doing a bunch of teaching as well!
Bradley Butler with his paintings
Bradley's paintings are restrained in terms of the colors he selects and this allows for an engaging and poetic approach to an imagined landscape. He takes us along a path and shares his vision of what we may find along the way. One painting by Brad really reminded me of the British artist Turner whose paintings had very active surface tension and movement.
Bradley Butler acrylic on canvas "Restless Peace"
Mitch Messina is a Professor at Nazareth, and he has been working with metals and ceramics with a range of textures, creating new sculptures that have a relationship to still life. Some of his new works are presented on a pedestal, so it is easy to walk around them and see them from every angle. There is also an interesting piece called "Spigot" hung on a wall which could be viewed as a kind of exclamation, with texture, form and color.
Mitch Messina's art called "Spigot"
As I mentioned earlier, later in my day I can enjoy reading a book and I found one I can recommend by writer Martin Gayford, and it is called: "How Painting Happens ( and why it matters ). Stories inside this book take you into studios to speak with a variety of artists about what they do and why. The texts begin to explore the questions that the books' title implies. If you are at all curious as to what goes on in the minds of the artists, pick this one up and enjoy!
Martin Gayford writes about artists in their studios.
Well now, I have to get back to my own work in the studio. and before I set up my paints I glance outside on a sunny day and what did I find?
Alan looks out his window and finds his signature in the grass!
