Duane Reed Gallery: Friday, 29 June 2012

Opening Friday, June 29th
Reception from 5:00 - 8:00 PM

Ross Richmond
"Coming Together"

Flair, 2012 
blown and hot worked glass
26" x 8" x 8"

Duane Reed Gallery presents the latest work of acclaimed artist Ross Richmond.   Richmond’s work is blown and hot sculpted, meaning that nothing is cast or mold blown, all pieces are made by hand while hot on the pipe in the glass shop. He first establishes the main shape of the piece, then allow the glass to cool working it in a colder state so that a more “solid core” is created to work from. If the piece is too hot the shape will distort as the details are brought out. Richmond uses a small oxygen-propane torch for all the detail work, which allows him a greater variety of flame shapes and sizes to work with. Heads are typically blown, whereas all hands are solid. With a blown shape he is able to inflate areas or “suck” areas in as needed. Hands are made solid so the delicate fingers do not collapse or distort. All colors are applied in layers of glass powders and the finished piece is coated with an acid to remove the shine for a matte finish.

“My pieces are typically narrative, working mainly with figurative elements and symbolic objects. Much of my current work is influenced by mans’ relationship with nature, as well as his impact upon nature. I find faces and hands to be very beautiful and expressionistic, a source of silent communication, and I use gestures and titles to help convey an overall story. My pieces are usually about communication with self, or between others.”

Also Opening June 29th
Intersecting Narratives
curated by Brian Smith

featuring

•Jason Bly • Brigham Dimick • David DolakMyles Keough • Sarah Paulsen • Travis Russell

Site Specific Installation: Boone's Crossing
mixed media - size varies
by Travis Russell

Duane Reed Gallery has invited painter Brian Smith to curate exhibition Intersecting Narratives,  showcasing emerging St. Louis artists.

Intersecting Narratives  is an exhibit of stories that have been shared and have yet to be told. These works by a diverse group of emerging Saint Louis artists forecasts a mixture of hope and unease that is reflective of contemporary culture. Each artist’s personal experiences and ideas resonate with a collective sense of memory.

Sarah Paulsen’s , Brigham Dimick, and David Dolak’s paintings include layered forms and themes of family. Energy appears to tingle and radiate from Myles Keough’s “landscapes.“ Highly saturated colors surround iconic industrial machinery in Jason Bly’s work.  And Travis Russell’s inventive art is a mix of painting, printmaking, sculpture and installation.

Intersecting Narratives brings together the artistic styles of the past, the art of the streets and the flurry of energy found in popular media - online, in magazines and TV. This mashed up set of layers is not just a pastiche of forms for their own sake. Each artist moves beyond irony and acknowledges a collision of feelings and multiple approaches to the use of traditional forms. Their thoughtful narratives are carefully rendered, considered and intersect both individually and collectively to form this exciting exhibition.

These exhibitions run through Saturday, August 4, 2012