RJD Gallery | 1/01-2/02 | Romeo, MI

Elemental

RJD Gallery welcomes the new year with a group show that discusses the elements of storytelling.

For the new year, RJD Gallery brings to light a new show that explores the critical components of storytelling in art. The exhibition, titled Elements: A Look at the People, Objects and Landscapes of Artwork, features approximately 30 paintings by six prominent artists, that celebrate and reveal the unique elements each artist incorporates to convey a deeper message.

“One of the great joys of art lies not only in viewing the composition as a whole but savoring the individual elements that bring the piece to life,” says gallery director Joi Jackson Perle. “We relish taking a closer look at the people, objects and landscapes that inhabit artwork; they help to reveal the painting’s narrative and support character development.”Haley Hasler, Trick Roper, oil on canvas, 48 x 36"

Haley Hasler painted her show piece Trick Roper the year she moved back to Colorado after 17 years away. The artist notes that the landscape of her birthplace resonated strongly upon her return. “I wanted to bring the trope of the Western cowboy painting into collision with my European painting education, with its heroic saints and Madonnas, and then further integrate these themes with the 'female' artistic tropes of the Snake Goddess and the pinup,” she says of the piece pictured here.

A central element of storytelling for Hasler is her portrayal of the female figure as it often was in historical art. The artist also inserts her own self portrait into her work. “I look in the mirror and conjure her up with my own face and body,” she shares. “Using the reflected image of the woman I know best, wrought by this inner life that will impose itself, I make my heroine a self-portrait; I make the painting itself an autobiographical narrative."Jack Gerber, Day in the City, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48”"

For artist Geoffrey Laurence, it’s more to do with “exploring human emotions and the expressions between people,” he says. “I try to reflect the underlying tensions that exist in situations that we find ourselves in and the hidden feelings we experience internally in the journey of our lives.”

Laurence’s show piece Interior, after Degas, depicts a woman lying in bed, gazing at the viewer, while a male figure in the background looks back upon her over his shoulder. The “elements” indicate that something inappropriate may have transpired between the two, but the artist makes sure not to reveal too much and intentionally keeps the story ambiguous.Geoffrey Laurence, Interior, after Degas, oil on canvas, 32 x 44"

Geoffrey Laurence, Sailor’s Knot, oil on canvas, 19 x 22"

Artist Rachel Moseley also caters to ambiguity, and likes to “hide the obvious to allow the viewer to draw their own conclusions or impose their own experience into the work,” she explains, referring to her piece, The Standoff, which depicts a unique scene with a dog and a figure in bunny slippers holding a hose. “When I plan the elements in a painting, I mostly think about efficient storytelling. My paintings are deeply personal...Creating a composition is a lot like writing a story for me—I like to set a tone and there should be enough information to give a sense of beginning, middle and end, even if it's not explicitly spelled out. I feel people will connect more with the work then ifI simply paint a model well.”Rachel Moseley, The Standoff, oil on panel, 24 x 18"Another highlight of the show is Mihaela Atomei’s Nature Girl, in which the artist relies on mankind and nature as important elements. “In general, beautiful and harmonious things attract me and this shows in the work I make,” Atomei says. “I can not separate myself from the figurative image. The character I painted in [this piece] radiates light and is graceful in her massiveness. In her hand she holds a peach, once called Persian apples, the symbol of longevity, spring and marriage. Perhaps the character is searching for her soulmate. The story was born during the creation of the artwork, not before. The woman is made to give and in this lies her force. She is like a promise and, like nature, she is reborn with every stage of life.”Mihaela Atomei, Nature Girl, oil on linen panel, 28 x 28½"The show also features the talented Katie O’Hagan whose piece Resistance, portrays a sheep following a woman onto an empty pool diving board. “It is ultimately a reflection of a general unease I was feeling at the time,” says O’Hagan. “[Living in a relatively small community] can sometimes feel oppressive and sometimes outwardly benign entities have an underlying menace, hence the relentlessly encroaching sheep.”
The show at RJD Gallery runs from January 1 through February 2 and will also include Day in the City by the late artist Jack Gerber. —