Bright Side

FEATURED ARTISTS: Laura Bennett, John Foster, Hilary Greenstein, Barret Lee, Derek Meier, and Erin Nistler

For Bright Side, Gamut Gallery welcomes six artists exhibiting works which share a connective mood and harness kinetic energy. Relying on the elements of line, color, contrast, texture and form within a space, the works are based in reality but result in a liminal experience. While the artists present different media – from figurative and representational to abstract and painterly – they exist in the spectrum of the whimsical and phantasmal, united through color and methodical expression. By attaching a visual context to an emotional state, the combined works create a dialogue optimistic in nature.

In Hilary Greenstein’s collage and oil paintings, she uses found vintage photos to invoke quintessential scenarios capturing the art of familiarity. Often existing in the lacuna state, her works are open-ended poetic pieces intended as evocative vignettes attached to childhood memories. Merging fine arts with a street art aesthetic, Barret Lee’s fantastical character paintings and floating landscapes lend a utopian outlook. Through thoughtful use of color and space, he provides intimate moments of reflection and retrospection.

Defying the misconception that abstract art is synonymous with chaotic design, artists Derek Meier, Laura Bennett and Erin Nistler create works which highlight the natural curiosity of the abstract movement with implied intention. Meier’s emphasis on color and texture rather than line or form conveys a sense of unpredictability, yet his use of small and large color fields is deliberate and intuitive. Through derelict symbols, crude geometry and found two-dimensional objects, he creates a visual dialogue inspired by the composition of a landscape. Using elements of scribble motif and playing with a light vs. dark color palate, Bennett’s paintings draw the viewer into a world where the focal points demand attention.

Nistler taps into the more methodical aspects of abstract art with works inspired by architecture, geometric shapes, fashion design and storytelling. Similarly inspired by geometry, John Foster explores how people relate to objects and architectural design. Uniting the organic with the inorganic, Foster’s series of reversed pyramid cut acrylic hedrons are designed to reflect natural light, creating sparkling, prism-like visuals. Colorful and captivating, his pieces allow for an experience with a sculptural composition.