The Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery is pleased to announce our upcoming exhibition Four Landscape Artists: March Avery, Steven Bigler, Michele Harvey and Ken Rush.
March Avery’s work inevitably invites comparison to her famous father, American artist Milton Avery along with her mother, artist Sally Michel. Growing up she was surrounded by artists who were part of her father’s circle, such as Mark Rothko, Byron Browne, Adolf Gottlieb, Barnett Newman, and Marsden Hartley. She developed her own style of carefully conceived abstract forms of color and patterns built in seemingly simple yet precise, graceful and eloquent arrangements. Her everyday subject matter is transformed into lively observations on modern life.
Initially it is realistic representation of the “Montefeltro Landscapes” that engages the viewer with Steven Bigler’s paintings, but a close reading reveals how significantly the historical associations of the region he paints influence his work. The Montefeltro region, southeast of Florence and northeast of Rome, was the birthplace of Raphael and Bramante, and as a source of inspiration for Greek and Renaissance artists and architects throughout history, has a close connection to classical painting. Bigler’s paintings of this region of Italy are a contemporary expression of a classical tradition.
Michele Harvey spends about seven months out of the year in her summer studio in the mountains. There she takes early morning rides into the misty, foggy woods and captures the distinct light and mysterious atmosphere that is seen in her work. A longtime gallery artist, Harvey’s signature triptych formats often include quiet roads or paths framing the central scene that provide one with the sense of simultaneously entering and leaving her misted landscapes. The union of the darker colors of the trees and the lightness of the vaporous sky create a lulling rhythm that draws the viewer into her mysterious world where time appears to stand still.
Ken Rush captures the shifting light and shadows that fall across the urban and rural landscape, a technique reminiscent of Monet. There is a mystery in Rush’s work that draws the viewer in; the scene is hauntingly familiar but it is not quite like any place one has ever been. The landscapes are purely conceptual; they reference memory and experience more than a direct act of observation. Rush uses a palate knife to create a textural surface that energizes his canvas, yet it retains a tranquil, still quality.
Gallery Hours are Tuesday- Saturday 10-5:30 pm. Press viewings may be arranged prior to the exhibition. For more information or to arrange a preview, please contact the Gallery at (212) 644-7171.