Knotty Girls

Art Buzz: Knotty Girls exhibition opens at Atelier Newport

By Emily Randolph

Atelier Newport art gallery opens its summer exhibition schedule with Knotty Girls, a playful twist on summertime. All are invited to the opening reception this Sunday, June 19th, 2:00-4:00pm.

“This exhibit brings together two strong women, Renee Levin and Jennifer Day, and the iconic imagery we typically think of as nautical or boating,” says the gallery’s founder Bobbie Lemmons. “This exhibition intends to build a bridge between abstract and nautical collectors and to bring a fresh point of view to iconic imagery we see and use daily.”

Artists Jennifer Day spends her time between Corsica and the Cape, where she and her husband are avid swimmers. Her inspiration for painting is the drama of water’s liquidity without the infinite options of applying local color. To achieve this, she uses black oil paint on top of white gesso. Her process of scraping back black oil paint to find the light underneath is an intuitive process. Jennifer also explores the ephemeral form of clouds, which are in fact, another form of water. “I work between two opposites: the order and geometry of the picture plane versus the challenge of the nebulous and the impulse of nature to escape the plane altogether,” says Day.

Artist Renee Levin is best known for her modern depictions of coastal natural objects. Her large-scale paintings allow her to emphasize the nuances, patterns and textures of these objects while celebrating their unique beauty. Each painting bears witness to her calm and meticulous process. There is a playful juxtaposition of light and shadow, which create depth and movement in her work. Levin fuses a world of polish with grit, painting elements of her objects with perfect smoothness, yet adding harsh textures overtop creating a surprising harmony of modern, contemporary paintings. Her work was featured in Vogue in 2021.

Lemons is excited to present its first opening after two and half years. “This exhibit kicks off the Bermuda Race, and we kick off our season every year with our spin on nautical. We are part of an international sailing community, which we hold dear. But this is also a community in flux, and change, and our aesthetic point of view is part of that ever-changing urban landscape. We hope to bridge the gap for contemporary and nautical collectors.”

Opening reception:
Sunday, June 19th, 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Atelier Newport
200 Bellevue Ave
Newport, RI 02840

The show runs from June 17 – July 22, 2022.

 

 


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