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Little Big Things, a Group Show, at Van Brunt Gallery in January and February
How big is big? We are accustomed to thinking of wallsized paintings as a big paintings. The sculptures of Richard Serra fill large rooms at Dia:Beacon. That's big for sure. But as in all things that inhabit the physical world, big is relative. The biggest work of art is a speck of dust on a speck of dust in a far corner of our Galaxy, itself a speck of dust relative to the Cosmos. So "big" is located between our ears and is related to something else called "scale."
The show entitled Little Big Things running from January 12 to February 25 at Van Brunt Gallery investigates the big in terms of the small. Diminutive works by 9 different artists demonstrate that physical size is less important than a big idea and that pointing to "big mind" can outweigh the impact of tons of steel.
This is a welcome message to art lovers with minimal wall space and restricted budgets. It is not necessary to break the bank to obtain a work of art that can break your heart with beauty or break you up with a deep long laugh.
Many local gallery goers are familiar with the luminous landscapes of Colin Barclay who has produced seven small works especially for this show. Colin can evoke a world of feeling in a tiny 3" x 9" painting. The work of Thomas Sarrantonio may be less familiar, but he is an equally accomplished and distinctive landscape painter. For this show Thomas has created a series of paintings of the same single tree at different times of day, that taken together form a lyrical meditation on the cycles of time. Nature also grounds the work of Scott Daniel Ellison, His small paintings confront the big fears that sometimes threaten to overwhelm our lives.
Juan Garcia-Nuñez is an artist of varied interests and bodies of work. Juan is showing a group of small paintings that investigate three subjects: shadowy figures in landscapes, "portraits" of individual human teeth and quirky abstractions. The repetition of these themes has a cumulative effect that adds up to a mystery of large proportions.
The smallest paintings of all are those of Susan English. Some are not more than 4 or 5 inches wide. Nevertheless these are weighty investigations of pure form that are worthy of serious contemplation. Simon Draper also offers abstractions. Made from found wood that has been repurposed and sometimes repainted, Draper's works derive from a large sculpture he made for the Kingston Biennual. He has also created a kind of bookshelf/shrine that houses multiple small paintings. The gallery-goer is encouraged to take these out to take a look, a hands-on approach that defies custom in a major way.
Carol Struve offers beautiful meditations on color that take the form of monoprints. Julie Tooth has created a new series of her signature abstractions based on repeated jewellike oval shapes. And Katherine Streeter contributes small humorous narrative paintings that somehow connect to the bigger story of our lives.
Van Brunt Gallery is located at 460 Main Street Beacon. Gallery hours are: Thursday - Monday 11am to 6pm. The public is welcome to attend the artists' reception Saturday January 12th from 6-9pm. For more information about Little BigThings call 845-838-2995 or e-mail: info@vanbruntgallery.com
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