Figurative artwork often features strong narratives that come from stories the artist crafts or ones they leave open to interpretation by the viewer. In the show Mirrors of Curiosity at RJD Gallery in Bridgehampton, New York, collectors will explore the works of Kris Lewis, Rachel Moseley, Jesse Lane, Yana Movchan and Jorge Santos. “They each create a mood and vision unique to themselves, and each leads the viewer to question the composition, and challenge their own perspectives of the artwork,” says gallery principal Richard J. Demato.Kris Lewis, Exit of the May Queen, oil on wood, 20 x 20"

Jesse Lane, Gauntlet, colored pencil on Bristol board, 20 x 31"

The artists use their viewpoints and styles to create distinct art. “The beauty of professional art is when seeing a curated collection and we still all recognize and know the identity of each artist immediately, for each has their own narrative style and hand,” elaborates Demato. “We celebrate their strong, creative freedom, and hope that each of them might bring more diversity and enjoyment to your own personal collection.”

Movchan’s paintings Beautiful People 1 and Beautiful People 2 will be included in the show. Discussing the series she says, “The idea of those paintings is to connect with surroundings. Sky and lizards match to [a person’s] skin, and that’s where I see the beauty. The portrait of the man [Beautiful People 2] is more personal to me because I painted my beautiful son. I wish him to live in harmony. The pile of fabric on the back looks like a mountain—he is the climber—[and it also is a symbol] of going up in life with the blue sky above.”

Lane has done many self-portraits, but Insomnia is more personal, as it “represents the exhaustion of facing a difficult challenge,” he says. “I made this at the end of a long, trying chapter. This piece helped me push through it.” Another one of his colored pencil drawings is Gauntlet, which features a model that could resemble an older version of himself “to emphasize the passage of time—suggesting being at the end of a tremendous struggle, triumphant, but exhausted,” Lane shares. “I chose to portray both these elements because great victories don’t come without great difficulties.”Jesse Lane, Insomnia, colored pencil on Bristol board, 27 x 23"

Kris Lewis, Low Tides, oil on wood, 40 x 30"

He’s Never Touched Dirt and He’s Never Been Hurt, by Moseley, is the first in a new series. Explaining the piece, she says, “I’ve always been drawn to the campiness and nostalgia of Western art and have wanted to make Western paintings that fit my body of work. Recently I’ve been playing with illustrative and flat, paint-by-number inspired elements in my paintings and working to find a way to combine these components with tight realism. This painting is the first in a new series that celebrates fantasy and the cowboy as a sex symbol. My cowboys aren’t working the land or rounding up cattle; they are manicured and fancy, a façade like the backgrounds they stand before.” 

A work in her more signature style, End of Season at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, she says, “encapsulates the feeling of the end of summer or a long day spent in the sun.
I wanted to capture a long day, sun-kissed skin, heat and the untroubled feeling we associate with summertime. After moving back to the California coast from the desert, I was also excited to capture the sky, which has a lot more moisture in it and a very different look.”Rachel Moseley, He’s Never Touched Dirt and He’s Never Been Hurt, oil on wood panel, 24 x 24"

Rachel Moseley, End of Season at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, oil on wood panel, 20 x 12"

In Low Tide, Lewis depicts a timid and humble child. He says, “A young life that needs guidance, direction and offers examples of their early courage to navigate the intimidating and often turbulent world around them. Nevertheless, even at such a young age, a child can contribute, inspire others, and work toward improving the world that surrounds them.” Other works by Lewis, such as Forage and Exit of the May Queen, have elements to enhance the viewer’s imagination. “Using symbolism from various Northern European springtime and summer solstice traditions, Exit of the May Queen is a portrayal of a distressed young girl looking past the confines of the painting and into the distance,” he adds.   

Mirrors of Curiosity will be on view at the gallery August 1 through September 30. —

RJD Gallery 
2385 Main Street • Bridgehampton, NY 11932
(631) 725-1161 • www.rjdgallery.com 

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