The Arts Center at Duck Creek presents “All The Things,” a group exhibition curated by Erika Ranee, in the John Little Barn. The exhibition features artists Mike Cloud, Daniel John Gadd, Carl E. Hazlewood, Leeza Meksin, Jeanne Reynal, and Rachel Eulena Williams.
The six artists in “All The Things” defy the conventions of traditional painting. They adeptly blur the boundaries between “support” and “surface,” employing techniques such as manipulating stretcher bars, cutting canvas, and integrating diverse materials rather than solely relying on paint to construct their artworks. Drawing inspiration from elements of drawing, collage, and sculpture, these artists not only push the limits of painting but redefine its language.
“My aim in this show was to gather together artists who I deeply admire for expanding the traditional conventions of painting. They each have a fearless approach to utilizing ordinary everyday materials, with extraordinary results,” said Ranee.
“Erika Ranee: Feelings,” a solo show, will open in The Little Gallery. “Feelings” comprises 19 small canvases made for this exhibition, executed primarily in ink, crayon, and collage. The works were created in the artist’s home, reflecting her intimate and diaristic approach to this series. Using materials to convey meaning is an important part of Ranee’s practice, and it is also what anchors the works she selected for “All The Things.”
“Materials are a way to expand the language of painting,” Ranee said, citing artists Robert Rauschenberg, Suzanne Jackson, and Jean-Michel Basquiat as influences. “It is a way of talking about things that are important to us, without spelling them out. All the materials and all the marks carry a history.”
Ranee’s paintings reflect the ebb and flow of stimulus in our daily lives. Each abstract composition offers a kind of interior micro view, the compressed viscera of the painting rendered in poured paint, shellac, and collage elements. This vibrant matter is delicately balanced within a subtle geometry of borders and cornerstones, with thick lines separating deep space from flat planes, opening the paintings back up again.
“Last summer, I drove around (East Hampton) and got lost and chanced upon a beautiful little ‘hidden’ beach. This is the recall I’m relying on to build this series of work,” she said. “The places/memories appear as I’m painting, not before. No pre-sketch/planning. Just tapping into feeling and memory.“
An opening reception will be held on Saturday, July 13, from 5 to 7 PM, and the shows will run through August 11.