Harbinger, Susan Jaworski-Stranc, reduction linoleum print, 12" x 12"

On Thursday, April 15, 13FOREST Gallery will open Strata, an exhibition of new and recent work by notable Boston-area printmakers Anne Silber, Ellen Shattuck Pierce, Marc Cote and Susan Jaworski-Stranc.  Strata focuses on the versatility of printmaking, and the means by which ink can be manipulated to create infinite layers of meaning.  Together the show’s four artists employ stencil-based serigraphy, linoleum-block and woodblock printing to produce worlds that can be serene, humorous or meditative.

Early Autumn: Reflection, Anne Silber, serigraph, 17″ x 35¾”

Anne Silber, the lone seriographer, uses stencils to force smooth layers of semi-transparent ink onto paper.  In much the way of a watercolorist, she distills scenes of the natural world into essential color blocks with few lines separating them from one another. Silber’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Brooklyn Museum, the Rose Art Museum and the Worcester Art Museum; and it has appeared in movies such as Charlie Wilson’s War, First Wives Club and The Departed.

Susan Jaworski-Stranc is one of two artists in Stratawho employ linoleum blocks in the printmaking process. Carving multiple plates out of linoleum, then inking and pressing them to paper, Stranc creates representational scenes and symbolic compositions, such as silhouettes denoting winter’s approach. Her color sensibilities might appear similar to Silber’s but closer inspection reveals the chance print marks of linoleum. Stranc’s books and prints have been exhibited at the Danforth Museum, the DeCordova Museum and the New Britain Museum of American Art; and they are part of the permanent collections of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and the University of California.

The work of Ellen Shattuck Pierce, also a linoleum-block printer, uses intricate black-ink lines that define compositional elements and clearly separate blocks of color. Of late Pierce has been using this technique to depict domestic scenes that clash with contemporary ideals of domestic bliss. Her frequently stressed-out themes suggest states to which any mindful but overworked parent could relate, such as a family meal that devolves into a dinner-plate battle scene atop fine table linens. A native Vermonter, Pierce now lives in Boston and her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries across Canada, Massachusetts, New York, Arkansas and Wisconsin.

Darn Ocelots Stole Conrad, Marc Cote, woodcut, 32″ x 25″

]]> http://thecapitolsquare.com/blog/2010/04/14/paper-chase-strata-opens-thursday-april-15/feed/ 0 http://thecapitolsquare.com/blog/2010/02/02/romancing-the-square/ http://thecapitolsquare.com/blog/2010/02/02/romancing-the-square/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:16:40 +0000 Andrai http://thecapitolsquare.com/blog/?p=587 East Arlington will be Romancing the Square this Valentine’s Day weekend with a series of events that will inspire as much love for your surroundings as for the people who surround you.

Kicking off on Friday, February 12, a series of events and specials in Capitol Square will celebrate the mysteries of love and art. Exhibits will be found in galleries and restaurants and several other venues. Capitol Square, East Arlington’s business district, is a fun destination for great cinema, eclectic shopping, and scrumptious dining. Home to the Arlington Center for the Arts and a flourishing community of creative-minded businesses, Capitol Square nourishes the artistic inclinations in all of us.

The weekend will culminate with a raffle drawing for the “Whole Lotta Love from Capitol Square” gift basket – valued at over $600. Businesses are donating merchandise and gift certificates to the basket, which will be raffled off to benefit the Arlington Center for the Arts. Raffle tickets can be purchased at ACA and at ARTBEAT during the weekend, with the drawing on February 15th.

Activities and Specials: Friday, February 12: 13FOREST Gallery – Alone|Together exhibit Opening Reception 7-9 pm

ARTBEAT – free Valentine craft for kids and adults starting at 4 PM

Artwear – 25% off all jewelry, raffle to win a red floral scarf

Sabatinos – 10% off all dine-in orders

Flora prix fixe menu Candy & Cupcakes at Leader Bank

Saturday, February 13:

ARTBEAT – free Valentine craft all day; Robot Valentine workshop starting at 3 PM

Artwear – 25% off all jewelry, Georgia Gersh trunk show 1-4

Sabatinos – 10% off all dine-in orders Marbella – 50% off cabinets, and free kitchen sink

Flora prix fixe menu

Candy & Cupcakes at Leader Bank

Sunday, February 14:

Sabatinos – 10% off all dine-in orders

ARTBEAT – free make a special Valentine card

Kathmandu Spice – prix fixe menu

Marbella 50% off cabinets, and free kitchen sink

Flora prix fixe menu

Art on display at: 13FOREST Gallery – Alone|Together – new work by Jeff Heyne and Dorothea Van Camp

ARTBEAT – work by local artists

Flora – painting and photography by Lynne Klemmer

Za – new work by Lauren Drake