May 4, 2023

SPECULARIS: A New Art Exhibition in Boston

Posted by in Fine Art
SPECULARIS: A New Art Exhibition in Boston

Steve Sangapore, a Boston artist and formerly Fine Arts Barista at The Fictional Cafe, is one of the most innovative creators it’s our privilege to know. He paints, sculpts, writes philosophy and hosts fascinating exhibits. In all his creative pursuits he’s always welcome at The Fictional Cafe. This week, Steve and fellow artist Rob Sullivan open a new art exhibit at Boston’s Fountain Street Gallery. This ambitious show of painting and sculpture brings to life its title, a Latin term that directly translates to “you watch” or “you look.” The work invites viewers in with its combination of traditional and modern practices and, echoing the contemporary specular, involves aspects of lenses and mirrors. Whether communicating transparency, the beauty of form or human spirituality, it is as if the artist is portraying images through a lens….

Continue reading →

March 22, 2023

To Wonder: Photograph as Art

Posted by in Fine Art
To Wonder: Photograph as Art

Natalie Christensen’s exploration of surface, angle, shape and color Artist’s Statement: The Deconstructed Self In 2014, I moved from the state of Kentucky to New Mexico, leaving my lifelong home and 25-year career as a psychotherapist behind. While it was an exciting moment, it was also a time of questioning and reflection. Like many artists who have come to New Mexico, I was immediately drawn to the distinctive Southwestern light. The beauty of the natural environment is evident to most people; however, my interest was in exploring the more banal peripheral landscapes which often go unnoticed by the casual observer. I began by photographing color fields and geometric shapes. I was interested in the way light and shadow could spark complex narratives, and quickly became aware these isolated moments in the suburban landscape were rich…

Continue reading →

August 2, 2022

“Art as Comic Expression,” by David Meyers

Posted by in Fine Art
“Art as Comic Expression,” by David Meyers

Artist’s Statement:In my artwork I am interested in the boundary between lowbrow and highbrow culture, the semiotics of visual language and revisionist mythology.  Emerging from a sardonic mire of humor, I look toward finding wonder in the mundane surroundings, a created narrative and a hair-brained idea somewhere between smart, silly and stupid. I love the visual language, the history and conversation that art creates, silly jokes, overthinking, under thinking and the dialogue in-between. I make the work that I want to see in the world. Art isn’t always about high notions of beauty and what ails the world, it can be about the screws in your pocket, about drinking a beer, about sitting in your underwear, about a piece of trash at the beach. Art’s power is its endurance, and I find it best fitting…

Continue reading →

March 5, 2020

Katherine Coons: An Autobiographical Art Journey

Posted by in Fine Art
Katherine Coons: An Autobiographical Art Journey

Artist’s Statement: “My work embraces several concepts simultaneously. The images in this proposal portray an autobiographical picture of my life, my travels, and the places that I have inhabited. I make creations that fit my mood, energy, and temperament. My inspiration comes from the nature that surrounds me, and I am deeply influenced by differences of culture, color, and the diversity of attitudes and ideas gleaned from these aspects. Numerous travels abroad to Europe and Asia have greatly influenced my artworks, having spent much time observing different peoples and their cultures.  Documenting my daily thoughts in sketchbooks, and subsequent ruminations on, and drawings from my daily excursions evolve into greater arenas of art making. Collected curios from these places are infused into my mixed media artworks and installations. My creations are derived from these experiences, while my art exhibitions illustrate these memories.” “I am greatly inspired by large, sprawling landscapes such as those of Alaska where I lived for seventeen years. I describe the paintings that evolve from these landscapes as gestural, fleeting sensations of transitory time and place. I would describe my work as expressionistic. Newer paintings include…

Continue reading →

January 8, 2020

Amanda Grafe: The Enlightened Paintbrush

Posted by in Fine Art
Amanda Grafe: The Enlightened Paintbrush

We’re very pleased to introduce Amanda Grafe, an artist, illustrator and author of four books. A Rhode Island native, she holds a M.S. from Johnson & Wales University. We met Amanda at the Rhode Island Author’s Expo in December and were immediately impressed with her creative work. We hope you will be, too. Artist’s Statement (1): Abstract painting allow rules to be bent in ways other art forms cannot. Sticking mainly with oils, but occasionally incorporating other mediums, has given me a chance to selfishly explore, emotionally mend, deconstruct enigmas, and fight against both societal and personal constructs I feel do not serve humanity.  Generally, I prefer not to title my work. Although titles are useful, I believe they can in some instances confine the viewer’s mind, instructing them as to what they should be…

Continue reading →