Gallery 50 The vision for Gallery 50 is to become a destination space. A welcoming place where visitors can be immersed in various forms of art’s expression. An open forum in which to share and promote the work of national and regional artists, both emerging and established, whether they are painters, photographers, sculptors, writers or filmmakers. During each exhibition Gallery 50 will focus primarily on the work of one artist. A selection of works by other represented artists will also be displayed.
Gallery 50 Vintage in Motion Gary Medovich September 27 - October 16
Gary Medovich
Gallery 50 Iconic Trompe-l'oeil Michael Fitts and Victor Spinski September 18 - October 14 "This is the most exciting show of the season," Gallery owner, Jay Pastore enthuses, "both of these artists take an ordinary object and recreate it by using an old art form, trompe-l'oeil. This causes a natural tension between the mundane and the sublime, most viewers have an immediate emotional response. Fitts does this with flawless trompe-l'oeil painted on found metal, while Spinski uses ceramics as his medium." Michael Fitts is originally from Washington D.C. and now resides in Charlottesville, Virginia. He graduated with a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and was awarded a grant from the George Sugarman Foundation in 2007.
"After I graduated from art school, I began looking for alternative surfaces to paint on – partly for the experimental aspect, but mostly because I didn't have money to spend on canvas. I noticed a neighbor was throwing out a piece of old sheet tin with his trash. I retrieved it and have been painting on scrap tin, copper and aluminum ever since." Fitts explains. "What I found appealing from the onset was the sheer variety of surfaces tones and textures that I come across in my search for metal. For me, surfaces are very important, more important than the subjects painted on them. Of particular interest are scrap pieces that have markings or distressed paint or dents and scratches that were produced long before I discovered the piece. Collaboration with those past forces, elements and people keeps the process evolving and interesting. I also enjoy the thought of retrieving materials from the trash heap and breathing new life back into them through my paintings. The subjects I paint in oils are drawn from the most generic of popular culture visuals, with an emphasis on objects that are used once, then discarded and quickly forgotten. The unexpectedness of elevating the importance of ephemeral objects to the status of art is what I find most interesting."
Victor Spinski is a Wilmington, DE based artist who specializes in Trompe-l'oeil ceramic pieces inspired by the work of the Yixing artisans of eastern China. His work is shown extensively throughout the United States and is in the collections of many museums throughout the country. Spinski is presenting a sampling of his work, and will be having a solo show at Gallery 50 in the near future.
Spinski notes of his work, "While the Yixing artists inspire me, I do not recreate or copy their work. My aesthetic lies with industrial society's utilitarian materials. I replicate styrofoam, plastic, stone, glass, paper, cardboard, wood, and an assortment of metals. Where the Yixing artists seek tranquility, order, and peace in their forms, my work shows action, disorder, and a hurried appearance. Within this purposeful chaos, I strive to achieve unity and order."
Paint Tray With Can and Roller, Victor Spinski, 2008 life size, ceramic
Gallery 50 Submerged Selina Lamberti September 13 - September 28 "The images in this series are all taken from the water, changing the perspective of traditional waterscapes and landscapes. Water has been a theme throughout the history of art, and has been a consistent theme throughout photography's own history. The constant rhythm, movement, and immensity of the ocean are a source of reassurance to many. Moving water of all varieties is hypnotic in its calling, thrilling, and yet calming; It is for these reasons that the sea draws me in." -Selina Lamberti Selina Lamberti recently received her B.F.A.in Photography from the Corcoran School of Art and Design in Washington D.C. The photographs on display are from her Senior Thesis Project. She is about to start her graduate studies in Photographic and Collections Managment at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada.
