Interstices

Interstices – the newest group exhibition at VillageOne Art – presents a contemporary take on representational painting through a variety of compelling viewpoints. Artists offering their fresh perspectives on painting in the exhibit include Wes Aderhold, Jacob Child, Kevin Cobb, BARC the dog, Mariel Rolwing Montes, Steffany Ojeda, Danielle Scott, Arielle Tesoriero, Caroline Villard, Ming Wang and Sophia Weisensel. Introspective visions pervade these paintings, many of which are portraits, infusing them with lush interiors and fantasy elements. In “Interstices,” the common theme of mystery forms a link connecting a range of painting styles and approaches to composition.

Narrative paintings that incorporate portraiture materialize throughout the exhibit, creating dream worlds that inhabit similar visual cues to those found in works by Modern Surrealist masters such as Marc Chagall and Leonora Carrington. Artworks embrace disparate yet complementary elements which suffuse these paintings with a heightened sense of meaning, offering almost mythological insights into the subject matter depicted. Bold and powerful color palettes pervade certain paintings on view while figures shown in fragments, offset compositions or Mannerist poses infuse other works with a surreal sense of storytelling. Where portraits take center stage in some works, other images combine multi-perspectival viewpoints with strong color combinations and surprising composition choices, offering inventive and experimental visions in contemporary painting. A tension suffuses works throughout the exhibition due to the range exhibited: paintings embrace volume and flatness, figure and abstraction in equal measure, combining to form a compelling group exhibition in this year-end display of painting prowess.

Artworks on view in Interstices offer mystery and intrigue as a departure point for considering ourselves and the world around us through the vision of artists whose varied practices will continue to drive future trends in American painting.