Lumiere presents "Common/Ground"
The work of Jim Mott and Adam Smith
thru September 27th, 2024
We have been going to see gallery shows and recently we feel a renewed energy from the creative community.
This month there are two new exhibitions that might stimulate your imagination and take you on a nature walk. One show is at Lumiere, which is around the back at 100 College Avenue in Rochester. "Common/Ground" features the work by two close friends - Jim Mott who is a painter, and Adam Smith who is a photographer. They share a love of being outdoors, and they both exhibit a knowledge of and an engagement with our landscape.
Jim Mott paintings at Lumiere
I have been following the progress of Jim Mott over the years, and I first wrote about his itinerant artist project back in 2002 for American Artist Magazine. The editor at that time was Stephen Doherty who was himself a plain air painter, and he was interested in Jim's project. Jim's style - a form of realism captures the time of day in clear color and composition. He often paints outdoors on modest size panels which are featured in this present show.
Adam Smith and Jim have known each other for years. Adam's photos have a dynamic which in the photo below is implied by a movement forward of the image. Other compositions have a classic serenity.
Adam Smith photos are part of "Common/Ground"
Adam Smith at Lumiere, 100 College Avene, Rochester, NY
We are lucky to have so many gifted visual artists in our area, and I urge you to go out and see what they have to offer. Just yesterday, we were at the opening of a show that is also devoted to nature, seen from a different perspective. Gloria Betlem is the artist and the show is being presented in an exhibition space called the Williams Gallery in the First Unitarian Church of Rochester.
What makes this show unique is the attention to detail for an unlikely subject - and that is - portrayals of lichens in each new composition. Gloria said that she is interested in abstraction, and she found this subject for her recent series of pastel drawings when she was out on a hike in Florida. She writes in her artist statement that she has been on the lookout for these beauties growing on trees, rocks, or on any surface they choose to live.
"Happy Rappi", pastel by Gloria Betlem in the Williams Gallery
The work that Gloria Betlem has created for this exhibition is a six - year long survey of different species of lichens which she see as her muse! This is a blend of art and science, and something that also requires great skill and tenacity to bring across as a work of art. She has a way of engaging the eye in each stroke of color from her pastels and you will want to know more about how she finds such interesting subjects!
Gloria Betlem's pastels at First Unitarian Church, Rochester, NY
