PAINTERLY INTERPLAY

OCTOBER 1 – 29, 2016
KATHRYN SCHULTZ GALLERY | FEATURING EDWINA RISSLAND, LISA RUSSELL AND ROZ SOMMER
RECEPTION | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 6-8PM

In this exhibition Edwina Rissland, Lisa Gabrielle Russell and Roz Sommer explore the painterly interplay of perception and reality. All three are students of the ever-changing relations among form, light and texture. They pursue these themes in a variety of subjects ranging from concrete objects to inner emotions, from classic subjects to the unusual, from extraordinary events to those that escape the notice of most. All work to uncover the possibilities found in even the most mundane or overlooked subjects.

Russell and Sommer create interpretations of the world – both objective and emotional – in oils on canvas and board that exalt in the elemental tactile nature of paint as a medium. Rissland creates painterly compositions through the lens of her camera by framing the physical world to reveal the abstract reality already there. All three embed their perceptions in physical renditions that are direct, succinct, and juicy.

Russell is motivated by a search for essence and her desire to comprehend issues of being and existing through a process that involves continual questioning of objective reality and probing of fundamental issues about perception as it relates to the physical world. Through observation, interpretation and abstraction of carefully constructed still-life arrangements, she searches for underlying structures and internal harmonies and analyzes the interactive nature of form, light, and space. In her oils, she emphasizes simplicity of form to juxtapose distance and closeness, unity and separateness, substance and emptiness.

 Sommer harnesses the expressive qualities of paint, particularly oil paint, to explore a wide variety of subjects ranging from physical objects found in classic still-life compositions – foods, fish, everyday objects – to landscapes and portraits, to deep and difficult emotions found in the aftermaths of profound disasters both physical and emotional. A hallmark of her work is thick textural color and dramatic interplay of light and shadow that emphasize the intensity of her subjects. Through application of the paint itself – energetic brushwork and emanating light – she brings mystery to even the most benign situations.

Rissland focuses tightly on the form, texture and color residing at the core of her subjects to create images that often do not reveal their original source: they have become abstract “lens oils”. Even seemingly mundane subjects, such as paint being scraped or refreshed, can present a universe to explore with the eye and lens. Her subjects range from wooden hulls to street markets to landscapes. 

Rissland, who still shoots 35mm print and slide film, does her work up front through the lens so that the images stand on their own with a minimum of further fussing; many of the pieces in this show are unedited, full frame images.