Chelsie Nicole Contemporary has partnered with well-known realist painters David Kassan and Shana Levenson for the gallery’s first national juried art exhibition. As the jurors of the show, Kassan and Levenson selected a broad variety of paintings that best embodied show’s theme and title Unwavering Resolve.
“We [were] looking for technical and conceptual balance,” explain Kassan and Levenson. “Great technique doesn’t always make a great painting...and concept doesn’t always come through without technique.”
Barbara Hack, Free to Be, oil, 36 x 36 in.
Among the featured artists is Annie Murphy Robinson, who will be showing her charcoal The Parlor, which captures in great detail the nuances of a young girl’s expression and dress in gradients of light and shadow. Robinson employs a rare process that uses sandpaper as a medium to embed dry material (charcoal and occasionally pastel) into heavy paper. “Using this technique, I am able to ‘see’ in the dark,” she says. “I use a myriad of photographic references, which allows me to lighten up the dark areas and balance them out with the lighter ones without washing out the details. Use of this technique takes the work to a ‘hyper-real’ level and lends itself well to the pervasive feeling of melancholy that exists. My intent is to confront the viewer and ask questions.”
Gayle Madeira, The Sacred Feminine, oil and gold leaf on linen attached to aluminum, 16 x 12 in.
One must engage the imagination to picture the color in Red Kimono, another stunning work of contemporary realism in charcoal by award-winning artist Tanja Gant. About the piece Gant says, “Red Kimono honors a strong and steadfast determination to keep going even when things get tough; a firm commitment to staying true to oneself despite unforeseen obstacles. It speaks of the unbreakable will to never give up.”
Gayle Madeira’s oil and gold leaf work The Sacred Feminine highlights the indomitable strength of women in the face of the challenges they are presented with today and in centuries past.
Also in the show is Barbara Hack’s powerful piece Free to Be. “The veil has fallen to the floor,” explains Hack. “No longer masked of uncertainty and trust, she presents to the world feeling content with her decision to face her journey with unwavering resolve…free to be.”
Tanja Gant, Red Kimono, charcoal pencil, 19 x 15 in.
Gallery owner Chelsie Murfee says, “As a lifelong artist and the founder of a new, female-owned gallery, I understand firsthand the level of dedication required to build a career in the arts. I see in the artist community a deep sense of introspection, dedication and hard work—qualities that echo far beyond the studio. Our goal for this exhibition is to honor this level of commitment. We’ve been moved by the artwork submitted and by the powerful, personal stories that accompany them. We can’t wait to see these pieces stand collectively in the gallery, as artists from across the country interpret this meaningful theme.”
Annie Murphy-Robinson, The Parlor, sanded charcoal, 24 x 34 in.
Unwavering Resolve opens on September 19 and runs through November 10. A reception will be held on September 20 from 5 to 8 p.m. with the announcement of awards taking place at 6:30 p.m. —
Chelsie Nicole Contemporary 101 E. Church Street • Ozark, MO 65721 • (417) 380-1074 www.cncontemporary.com
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