review: some gems in trio of providence art club shows · of the handful of pain

______________________________________________________________________________ByChanningGrayJournalArtsWriterJuly06,20169:30PM

Review:SomegemsintrioofProvidenceArtClubshows______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thebestisacollec<onofpain<ngsbythreemembersinthelargeMaxwellMaysGallery—ifyoudon'tmindaliIlerepe<<on,thatis.

PROVIDENCE,R.I.—OfthethreenewshowsattheProvidenceArtClub,thebestisacollec<onofpain<ngsbythreemembersinthelargeMaxwellMaysGallery—ifyoudon'tmindaliIlerepe<<on,thatis.DonatoBeauchainegoesinforoilsoftoweringcloudforma<ons,oUenpushinghispaleIetotheextremewithorangesandelectricblues,makingthesceneslooklikesunsetsonanalienplanet.ThenthereareMaryDorseyBrewster's<ghtimagesofgurglingbrooksthatarealmostindis<nguishablefromoneanother.Andfinally,GeorgiaNassikashassubmiIedaseriesofsubtlewaxpain<ngsonboardthataresomeofthemorehandsomepiecesintheshow,ifyouareafanofminimalismandcolorfields.

AnumberofBeauchaine'spain<ngsremindmealiIleofthebillowingcloudsintheworkofthelateTomSgouros.They'reroman<c,tobesure,andseemtorevelinlightandcolor.Butthereareafewcanvases,like"ChanceofShowers,"wherethecolorsarenotquitesoexaggerated,whereearthandskyaremoreintegratedintoawell-craUedlandscape.Andthereisanappealingpain<ngofwhatappearstobeBeavertailLight,whereaforegroundofrocksandgrasspokeintothegray-bluewaterunderaskyofcreamcloudsthatlooklikefros<ng.Andforacompletechangeofpace,there'sacharmingliIlecanvasofahalf-dozencolorfulkitesbobbingintheskyoverastretchofbeach.

"LetEveningCome,"byGeorgiaNassikas,isoneofthemorestrikingentriesinanexhibitattheProvidenceArtClub'sMaxwellMaysGallery.

AsforNassikas,sheusesbeeswaxandpigmenttocreatefieldsoftoned-downcolorswithwonderful,richtextures.Somesuggestlandscapes,oratleastahorizon."LetEveningCome,"oneofthemorestrikingentries,combinesaforegroundofwarmorangeandyellow,withwhatcouldbeabandoftreescappedbyahillandanareaofpaleblue.Butinothers,Nassikasplayswithsquaresandrectangles.In"IslandEdge,"fouroverlappingsquareswithburstsofrichhuesstandalongafuzzy-edgedstripofslate.Meanwhile,thereareahandfulofeye-catchingpiecesinthemembers'showintheneighboringDodgeHouseGallery,althoughtheformatisawfullyscaIershot.Thisisthethirdyearthatmembershavebeengiven16-inch-squarepiecesofMasoniteandaskedtoproduceapain<ng,orinthecaseofRuthEmers,gluesomeseashellsontheboard.Lastyear,therewere65entrants;thisyear,78—whichresultsinanexplosionofimagesthatdon'thavemuchincommon.There'snothread,nocon<nuitytoashowlikethis,whichmakesitaliIlehardtowrapyourheadaround.Ofthehandfulofpain<ngsthatcaughtmyeye,I'dincludeChris<neMcIntyre-Hannon's"Resonance"whereadelicateborderofsheetmusicsurroundsasquareofswirlsofblueandorange;JanaMatusz's"AlmostThere,"withitswoodsymountainpathandadistantpeakthat'sallaboutthepaint;andJeanneSturim's"TheBallet,"withitsdrama<cligh<ngandstrongcomposi<oncreatedbyamaledancerthrus<ngayellowlegintotheforeground.AndwhileI'mabigfanofMaryDandero'sabstract,energe<cdrawings,Ididn'tthink"BoxofYarn,"withitstanglesofchalkandacrylic,wasterriblysuccessful.Itjustdoesn'thavethecadenceand<ghtnessofherbestwork.InthesmallCastelnovoGallery,there'sagroupofhard-edgepain<ngsanddrawingsofintersec<ngstripesandrectanglesinbright,solidcolorsfromMarjorieHellmanthatarepreIysterile.AllthreeshowsareupthroughJuly22attheProvidenceArtClub,11ThomasSt.—cgray@providencejournal.com(401)277-7492OnTwiIer:@Channing_Gray

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