“Winter Blue 20TEN’s” 25 works by 10 artists is an explosion of blue energy in abstract canvasses and works on wood and metal in oils, acrylics, resin and mixed media. All artists have been exhibited previously here, but not in this configuration. Here, blue in its many variations becomes the style, theme and genre, creating a body of works that dialogue with each other. William Beaver’s large vertical mixed media, “Shades of Gray” uses oil, cellulose fibers and torn blotter paper to create a surface with intense variations and striations, evocative of rough, mountainous landscapes. John Szabo’s works in resin from the “Galaxy” series are in solid bold blue and planetary shapes exploding from white backgrounds. Sprinkled throughout the show, they complement the others. John Holmberg also paints exploding abstract shapes, often echoing Szabo’s. Quim Bove, working in oil and resin, creates work with curves, angles, torques and vectors. Eva Carter’s pieces in oils, in more classic abstract styles, serve to inform and balance the others. Paula Schoen also works in oil, blending horizontal lines that drive the vertical canvas upward. Mark Erickson’s square works blend together muted to bold blues, suggesting an angry sky. James Leonard’s large canvas is abstract, but serene. Bruce Brainard’s breaking waves against sand and sky, the most representational images in the show, present a counterpoint of traditional stability. The show also includes Battersby and Robert Mah, working in styles reminiscent of abstract expressionism.
Published courtesy of ArtScene ©2010
