The latest Mostly Abstract iteration, VI, will be spotlighted at Ashawagh Hall in Springs over Columbus Day weekend.
“In keeping with the rich and storied tradition of Abstract Expressionist exhibitions at Ashawagh Hall, a diverse group of artists will present Mostly Abstract Vl,” curator and featured artist, Beth Barry shared. “Most of these artists have shown together for many years and they are all creating work that is a visceral and emotional response to the world, not a literal one.”
 |
|
Anahi DeCanio’s V – Mixed media on canvas. (Courtesy Photo) |
Barry, an abstract landscape painter whose pieces are a “response to the light and movement of nature but through the lens of an abstract sensibility,” has spearheaded the yearly exhibition for the last six years.
The 2019 exhibition will encompass works by Barry, as well as Barbara Bilotta, Casey Chalem-Anderson, Anahi DeCanio, Anna Franklin, Robert Leibel, Mary Milne, Lesley Obrock, Bo Parsons, Sheila Rotner, Lieve Thiers and Mark Zimmerman.
“Most of us see an abstract painting and want to interpret it or find ‘things’ in it,” DeCanio shared. “I see real life objects and mentally frame them in abstraction so I’m excited to be part of a purely abstract exhibit with great fellow artists.”
“The paintings and sculptures presented are the external expressions of an intuitive internal process,” Barry added.
Mostly Abstract will boast a myriad of materials, ranging from clay to wood to metal to glass to paint to resin, and more. “The 11 other artists all have a similar sensibility, but approach their works in their own idiosyncratic way with a wide range of imagery,” Barry concluded.
“I always wanted to paint abstractly, but for someone who relied on drawing from a fixed viewpoint, it was a huge leap,” Chalem-Anderson relayed. “I approach it through color. I create space on the canvas that brings calm, peace and emotional lift.”
Mostly Abstract Vl will be on view Saturday, October 12, Sunday, October 13, and Monday, October 14 from 11 to 5 p.m. There will be an opening reception on Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m.
Ashawagh Hall is located at 780 Springs Fireplace Road in East Hampton. For more information, visit ashawagh-hall.org.
