The Drawing Room Art Gallery has announced its upcoming exhibition, Inspection: Poetics of Space, will open Jan. 31 and be on view through March 21.
The Drawing Room invites the public to attend the Opening Reception and meet the artists on Saturday, Jan. 31, from 6:00 to 8:00pm.
Inspection highlights the work of four contemporary artists working in the fields of drawing, painting and photography: Alyssa Dennis, (Brooklyn, NY), Christopher Gallego (Woodstock, NY), David Mitchell (Southeast Asia), and Tollef Runquist, (Searsport, ME). Referencing Gaston Bachelard’s 1958 book, “The Poetics of Space,” the exhibit celebrates intimate spaces, both interior and exterior, and the spirit of architecture, both realist and abstract.
Christopher Gallego’s contemporary realist paintings and drawings are mesmerizing through their astonishing detail and sensitive rendering of light. Humble, gritty spaces are elevated to the grandiose and remarkable. Mundane subjects such as an exposed underbelly of plumbing pipes, or the worn floor boards of an urban studio apartment are so brilliantly rendered that they convinces us that such inanimate objects possess a character and hidden soul of their own, capable of stirring us in deep and emotional ways.
David Mitchell’s abstract photographs are rich in color, textured and eerily atmospheric. These unconventional photographic images provide fascinating metaphors of an internal, dream-like experience similar to the auras that Mitchell experiences as a result of seizures caused by a condition known as Left Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Whether referencing ambiguous spaces or the isolation in the more obvious rooms, windows and doors, there is a mirage-like suggestion in the clouded views of places and spaces with a distinctive reverence for architecture and the quiet energy that exists within these walls. Each work is precisely composed, and although on the outset might appear formalist in nature, are profound in their subtle complexities of texture, hue and even the suggestion of the spiritual through light.
Alyssa Dennis’ monumental drawings appear as ethereal architectural renderings that feel both playful and thought provoking. Using graphite, pastel and gouache, graphically drawn structures are intricately layered and seamlessly woven with lively plants, sprawling vines and wild animals. When looking closer, ghosts marks of erased lines reveal an integral part of her process while suggesting the passing of time, change, and fleeting visions of dreams and fantasies. Man made structures dance and harmonize with the natural environment in captivating ways, taking viewers on a delightful journey of possibilities, hopes and dreams.
Inspired by the beauty and mystery of the visual world that surrounds him, particularly domestic structures and interiors, Tollef Runquist’s loose and painterly oil paintings operate on both abstract and representational levels. What at first sight appears as a realistic image of light casting through a window, upon closer inspection dissolves into simple moments of brilliant color and fluid shapes. Painting from scenes of the familiar, Runquist’s works explore the visual perception of color and form when cast by sunlight and shadow. His work honors the utter beauty present in the everyday, and conveys how such unpretentious places can often be the most stunning.
There will be an artist talk by featured artist Christopher Gallego on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 6:00pm.
Both events are free and open to the public. RSVP is appreciated. The Drawing Room Art Gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00am to 5:00pm (Closed on Sundays.)
The Drawing Room is located at 220 East Putnam Ave in Cos Cob.
For more information contact The Drawing Room directly at (203) 661-3737 or email at [email protected]