Viewing and Buying Art

Brrr!

It’s definitely cold here in Minnesota, but some artists seem inspired to keep producing, which is lovely for the rest of us as it gives us a much needed distraction during these chilly, snowy days.

"Remnant 1," by Rita Kirsch Dungey

Rita Kirsch Dungey heats things up nicely with her work currently on exhibit at the Penn Lake Library in Bloomington (88th St & Penn Av) through the end of December. This is one of her pieces from her “Remnant” series. In this image you should be able to see the rough, frayed threads and get a sense of the stiffness of the canvas. It’s mixed media, primarily acrylic, I believe.

"Remnant 2," by Rita Kirsch Dungey

This is a fun piece just for symbolism. The shapes could be said to represent a mountain at night (with a comet?), a face with a yellow-orange nose or two people sleeping in a cave. I wish you could see it in person, as the colors seem noticeably off in this jpeg. That’s a continuing problem with reproducing art.

(If you ever get bored at a library, pick out two separate, full-color illustrated books on your favorite artist and locate the same masterwork in each. I did this with one of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings and was shocked by the way the colors skewed depending on the printing reproduction methods. It’s really a very interesting experiment for anyone who enjoys art.)

"Remnant 4," by Rita Kirsch Dungey

Ms Dungey has four other works in addition to this series at the Penn Lake Library which have a distinctly different feel to them. Though they are also abstract with a rich, bold color scheme, those pieces seem constrained by their frames. In the past I would have always preferred framed art, but seeing these pieces together made me question my habits. Once I saw the Remnant series on the brick wall of the library, I fell for the informal, rugged look.

"Remnant" Series at Penn Lake Library

These works are hung at eye-level on a tall, tall brick wall. They really look like they were designed for that space. Most of the pieces have an anchor of rich, moody red in them while several include a delicate stream of lavender blue that’s unexpected but delightful. The colors aren’t the same from piece to piece, but you can sense the interplay that the close hues encourage.

I’m so glad Ms Dungey gave me permission to show both the professionally photographed pieces (white background) against those of the informal library snapshot. Usually we only get to see artwork in one format or the other. This is a rare opportunity to compare what a work looks like out of context with that same work in an actual setting. In this case, I think her choice of hanging the pieces off the wall an inch or so, helps add to their dimensionality. Similarly, I believe a brick background provides a sense of permanency and reality to these abstracts, that a flat wall wouldn’t. The setting changes the way art is viewed and I think it’s necessary to be reminded of that from time to time, even if it’s as subtle as whether the piece is framed or unframed. It all influences the viewer.

Since we still have to get through winter and many of us have more shopping to do, I’d like to invite everyone to the Vine Arts Center Holiday Sale this Saturday and Sunday, from 10 to 5. I’ll be there on Saturday, 12 to 5, on the second floor, near the ART SWAP. If you’ve never been to one, you’re in for a real treat. You get to bring in art and swap it for other art! I was introduced to this last year at the Art Shanty Project on Medicine Lake. (Yep, it’s frozen. Yup, the ice houses are all built around art themes.) Click on Art Swap and Art Shanty Project to learn more.

I’ve been very lucky to have my ornaments for sale at Anne and Friends in the Wayzata Bay Center. It’s such a cool shop! It has paintings, sculpture and glass. (Check out the Facebook page for more pictures.) The advertisement, above, features my church ornaments. Isn’t that amazing? I was so danged proud when I saw the flyer. I still really can’t believe it!

Her shop is much larger than I expected. This picture doesn’t do it justice, but you can see some of the layout.

Did I mention Ms Dungey’s works are for sale? I was surprised at how affordable her prices are. If you’d like to contact her (or any of the artists I feature in my blog), use the comment feature. I’d be honored to make the connection.

My longest blog yet! I just get so excited about art. Come see me at the Vine Arts Center on Saturday and please, STAY WARM!

—Chris

 

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