Art Live: Fresh takes on tradition

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Work by Frank DePietro at Square Pear Gallery

Think you’ve seen it all when it comes to the Brandywine tradition of painting?

Danger Bird (wawa) by Kris Benedict at The Art Trust

The new exhibition at The Art Trust is out to prove you haven’t. The gallery is currently hosting two art professors from West Chester University with a show cheekily titled “Bridges, Barns & Cows, Oh My!”. Kristopher Benedict and Kate Stewart offer their unique perspectives in response to the beloved art tradition so prevalent around these parts. It’s a smart show curated by board member and fellow professor at WCU, Andrew Snyder. On view now through June 11th, it features a selection of paintings and a few unique takes on a very familiar object.

Dog Walker by Kris Benedict at The Art Trust

Of the work, "Dog Walker" Benedict said, “Thinking about my relationship to Wyeth paintings brought me to thinking about the themes. When you look at a Wyeth painting, you see a slice of life the way the a shaft of light comes through the window is the subject of a painting. And so for me, the idea of connecting the imagery of the painting to my everyday life started with a sketch of me walking the dogs." Benedict, who is also an amateur musician, tends to use descriptors like improvisational when making his works.  “I’m almost doing it as a way to challenge myself, or to not know what’s going to happen. It’s a way to get around the problem of being too good at something. If the results of a work of art are formulaic that’s really boring for me and so and as a maker, I think it would also be boring for the viewer. All the paintings in the show go through a lot of iterations and transformations.”

Arcosanti Visions by Kate Stewart at The Art Trust

Stewart’s more subdued paintings offer a tiny respite from the action going on in Benedict’s work but are bold nonetheless. Benedict again, “We’re both doing something psychological with color. Something a little bit inventive while trying to create atmosphere and mood to create these responses in the viewer.”

Stop in the gallery during normal bank business hours or visit here to see the show virtually. For a more behind the scenes look, go to Instagram here on Thursday, May 27th at 5:00 p.m. for the popular Eat, Drink & Be Artsy segment and listen to Kate Stewart talk about what inspired her works in the show. Meet both artists at a live closing reception on Thursday, June 10th.

Also in West Chester, artwork by Jessica Barber, Courtlandt Craig, John Hagel, Helen Litwa, Linda Braceland and Stephanie Kirk of the Art 504 Creative Collective is now on display at Bryn Mawr Trust on Paoli Pike. And, Phoenixville painter Teresa Haag is showing a collection of gritty cityscapes titled “Undefined” at Church Street Gallery through June 5th.

Work by Lele Galer at Square Pear Gallery

Square Pear in Kennett recently mounted a show of new works for spring. “Blooms” features art by familiar favorites like Frank DePietro, Lele Galer, Amy Iversen, Ann Guidera-Matey, Denise Vitollo and more. It will be on display through June 12th.

For fans of the abstract expressionists, Somerville Manning put together an online catalog of its fantastic show “Ninth Street Women and their Legacy” which can be viewed here. And, while Elaine de Kooning’s work sits on view in Delaware at SMG (through June 26th), Willem de Kooning’s work is now on view at Locks Gallery in Philadelphia.  From the press release, “Through twelve distinct works, spanning from the 1940s through the 1970s, “Willem de Kooning” highlights the artist’s strength in seamlessly traversing, and blending, abstraction and figuration.”  The show runs through June 30th and coincides with the Barnes Foundation’s exhibition “Soutine / de Kooning: Conversations in Paint”, through August 8th. Visit here for more details

Last but not least, Bridgette Mayer Gallery in Philly is re-opening with a new show titled “Karmic Joy” from June 1st through July 31st. From the press release, “The artwork featured in Karmic Joy will be a celebratory ‘homecoming’ for Bridgette Mayer Gallery, ushering in a new chapter in the gallery’s history and programming.” Artists featured in Karmic Joy include big name contemporary artists  Matthew Barney and Kehinde Wiley, legends Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, local favorites Tim McFarlane, Eileen Neff and many more. For more information visit here.

Whatever you do this week, support the arts!!

 

 

About Constance McBride

A native of Philadelphia, Constance McBride lived in Arizona for 16 years, where desert observations made a transformative impact on her work as a research based visual artist. Passionate about contemporary art, she was actively engaged in the local arts community. She served as a board member for several art organizations, managed an artist collective/gallery space, curated and juried several exhibitions and wrote for two arts publications in Phoenix. She taught ceramics at Shemer Art Center and Museum and exhibited her work both locally and nationally. McBride returned to Pennsylvania in 2018 and resides in Chester Springs with her husband and two dogs. In West Chester, she serves as a board member at The Art Trust Gallery at Meridian Bank and teaches ceramics at Chester County Art Association. She also teaches at Clay on Main in Oley, PA. She is a member of American Craft Council, Philadelphia Sculptors, and Women’s Caucus for Art, Philadelphia Chapter.

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