Buster Levi Gallery is pleased to present Through the Window, a group show of member artists Barbara Smith Gioia, Bill Kooistra and Martee Levi at 121 Main Street in Cold Spring, New York. The exhibition will run from April 3 through May 2, 2021.
The paintings in this show are abstract and all in their individual way address color, composition, process and rhythm. Below are statements by each of the artists about the works in this show:
Barbara Smith Gioia:
Blue Violets 2020 acrylic on canvas
My work alternate between two ways of working. One is to first turn my drawings into prints, cut up the prints and collage them onto canvas and then paint into them. The other is to print directly onto canvas and paint into it creating atmospheric cadences of color. The painting in this exhibition is an example of the latter: atmospheric cadences of color created through a multi-step process of drawing, printing and painting. The rhythm of printing begins the process of translating paint and color into rhythmic form…a kind of dance that combines a set of rules with plenty of improvisation and spontaneity.
Martee Levi:
Untitled 2021 oil on canvas
“Don’t be so perfect”,Thelonious Monk said to the singer Abby Lincoln. That quote is on my studio wall to remind me. I usually don’t title my work but perhaps these new works could be called “off minor”, a Monk composition. On the other hand someone came into the studio and saw these works and said “Ahh Schoenberg. “ Both composers were known or famous for their off the grid compositions. The grid has been the foundation of my work for a long time. These paintings are my attempt to get off the grid while still keeping contact with it
Bill Kooistra:
This set of paintings are a visual exploration based on the surface of shell fragments that have been invaded by Red Boring Sponges (Cliona celata) that cause the holes found on their surfaces. The sponges bore into the surface in order to inhabit the shells which eventually crumble when there are too many holes.
Cliona Celata 9 2019 oil on panel
My initial focus in this series is the compositional potential suggested by the holes especially on shell fragments. The holes do not form patterns though at a quick glance they make look like they are. The arrangement used in the first two paintings was closer in resemblance to the placement of the holes on the shells. Gradually I began to improvise more, especially with scale, but also placing more emphasis on cropping and and the feeling that there is a lack of pre-arranged order. I never attempted to use color descriptively and as the series developed the color often took on an emotional tone.
My strategy in these paintings is both formal and emotional. While there was an objective origin to the series, my response to the shells and the natural world in general, is intuitive.
Gallery hours are: Saturday and Sunday: 12 – 5pm, or by appointment.
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