An Extravagant Exhibition of Paintings in Bristol - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Michael Rose, Art Contributor

 

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At a time of year when many community art centers are beginning to turn their attention to small works exhibitions, Bristol Art Museum is hosting an altogether different type of show. The museum’s current exhibition Extravagant Chemistry, Anatomies of Painting, is a breathtaking survey of painters from throughout the region, and one that will excite anyone who loves the medium. While digital work and cutting-edge technology often make headlines in today’s art world, this exhibition proves that the art and craft of painting is alive and well.

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On view through January 15, 2023, Extravagant Chemistry features paintings by ten artists. All of the works on view employ paint as their central medium, while many of the pieces included in the exhibition also push the boundaries of what a painting is and means.

 

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Damian Bellotti

 

The show opens with a stunning wall-mounted canvas by Providence artist Jordan Seaberry and offers up many highlights. Kathryn Geismer’s sensitive portraits and multi-layered artworks are infused with sensitivity. Damian Bellotti’s canvases are thickly impasted and highly textured. Leigh Tarentino and Emily Wilker examine the tradition of landscape painting with equal verve in their respective voices. Tarentino is quietly focused on color, while Wilker utilizes a concave panel to invite viewers into a landscape. Christian Drury’s work brings together collage painting and drawing, while David Clarke and Lynette Haggard exhibit well-composed works with punchy colors.

 

Some of the most painterly submissions to this painting show come from Ashley Pelletier. She is a Rhode Islander who earned her BFA at Rhode Island College and who is currently enrolled in the MFA program at MassArt. Pelletier’s works in the show are those of an artist who relishes in the sheer delight of using pigment and binder. Some of her images are fleshy and corporeal, while others explore color relationships, layers, and forms.

 

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Ashley Pelletier

 

Speaking of what she hopes visitors to the show take away from her work, Pelletier says, “My painting practice is about intuitive play. I hope viewers have fun when looking at the works on view at Bristol Art Museum. I want visitors to recognize the energy that can be carried through a brush stroke. I make paintings because I love and enjoy oil paint, and I hope that's evident in these works.”

 

Pelletier’s contributions do not stop at those created with palette and brush, though. One of her submissions to Extravagant Chemistries is part painted panel and part knit yarn, probing the question of where the painting ends and the textile begins.

 

Asked to consider the future of painting with her own practice as a reference point, Pelletier says, “My painting practice has always been about an exploration of materials, and that's something that will continue to drive the work. It has long been said that ‘painting is dead’ but yet, painting is still as relevant as it's ever been. Artists will always find new ways to reinvent the medium.”

 

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Douglas Breault

While one of Pelletier’s pieces blurs the boundaries of painting and textile, co-exhibitor Douglas Breault offers a central installation that melds painting, sculpture, and photography into an exciting whole. Breault was raised in Rhode Island and now practices his craft as an artist, professor, and curator throughout the region.

 

Displayed on sawhorse-like structures in the middle of the gallery, Breault’s sculptural compositions are earthy and ethereal. Using found objects, images, and, of course, paint, Breault unpacks memory and meaning in vivid and evocative artworks.

 

Asked for his outlook on the medium of painting, Breault says, “Painting is a tradition that has existed as long as mankind, and because of that, it can be understood as a direct reflection of the maker and documentation of the time they have existed. The act of making and viewing paintings will continue to serve as a method of deciphering and likely rejecting the role of technology in our lives, and continue to offer solace and space for both the viewer and the maker despite the cacophony of images we consume daily.  Painting isn't dead, it is just really hard, and artists will continue to offer an attentiveness to the world translated through color, form, and sensation that only the tactility of paint can offer.”

 

If there is any doubt that painting is still a powerful mode of artistic expression, then Bristol Art Museum’s current exhibition should soundly put it to rest. For those who love paint, this show is a must-see.

 

Extravagant Chemistry, Anatomies of Painting is on view at Bristol Art Museum through January 15, 2023. The museum is located at 10 Wardell Street in Bristol and is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 1-4 pm each day. To learn more about this show and plan your visit, go to www.bristolartmuseum.org.

Michael Rose is a multi-talented fine art professional based in Southern New England. Since 2014 he has served as the gallery manager at the historic Providence Art Club, one of the nation’s oldest arts organizations. Through his current freelance work he advises collectors and artists, provides appraisal services, teaches, and completes curatorial projects.

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