Narrative Figuration
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DateMar 25 - June 5, 2011
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VenueWeston Art Gallery
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Exhibition Sponsor(s):
Whitney & Phillip Long and Barbara & Ethan Stanley
Exhibition Co-Sponsor(s):
Kathy Hamm and Tom Hemmer/Principled Wealth Advisors
Exhibition Details
The Cincinnati Arts Association’s Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Art Gallery in the Aronoff Center for the Arts premieres two new exhibitions on March 25, 2011 featuring Cincinnati artists: Narrative Figuration, a group exhibition curated by Daniel Brown, independent curator and arts writer, of five Cincinnati painters who explore narrative themes through figurative subjects; and Fibercations, an exuberant expression of color, texture and form through the sculptural art quilts of renowned fiber artist and educator Cynthia Lockhart.
For the exhibition Narrative Figuration, curator Daniel Brown has assembled an exceptionally talented cast of artists that shares a passion for painting and the human figure: Robert Anderson, Daniel O’Connor, Tim Parsley, Emil Robinson and Tina Tammaro. About their varying approaches to a common theme Brown states, "Working in a range of styles from the realist to the formalist to expressionist, all create narrative genre scenes, with the human figure central to them." They form a cohesive group of friends and colleagues who have the shared experience of attending the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. Brown cites varied influences among the artists that span the masters of Dutch portraiture such as Rembrandt, Van Dyck and Vermeer to contemporary artists such as Giacometti, de Kooning, Bacon, Freud and Fischl.
Prevalent in much of this group’s work are observations of everyday life and the celebration of mundane activities set within domestic interiors. Within these settings there is an underlying sense of narrative ambiguity conveyed by the figures that inhabit them: Anderson creates visual tension by exaggerating the geometric elements of the space and organic nature of the isolated figures within them; O’Connor’s more formalist figurative paintings revel in the expressive qualities of paint and color; Parsley’s contemporary genre scenes examine the subtle spirituality of place and domestic routine and how it defines our identity; Robinson’s elegant paintings seek to glean spiritual resonance from even the most mundane aspects of his life; and Tina Tammaro’s luscious paintings often imply a dramatic scene about to unfold between two individuals. A few selected works by Anderson, O’Connor, Parsley and Robinson suggest the presence of the figure without the figure being represented.
Having followed the progression of each artist’s creative development, Brown—who has been a keen observer of artistic talent in Cincinnati for more than forty years—has been a strong advocate for each and previously featured their work in a variety of group exhibitions that he has curated in the Cincinnati area. In extolling this group Brown enthusiastically states, "I believe in these painters’ work; we have the makings of a new Cincinnati School which has the possibility of becoming as important as the Duveneck School. The maturity of their work is remarkable."
download Artists’ Statement - curator
download Artists’ Statement - Anderson
download Artists’ Statement - O’Connor
download Artists’ Statement - Parsley
download Artists’ Statement - Robinson
download Artists’ Statement - Tammaro
Gallery Talk Series: Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m.
