wendy artin ~ the parthenon friezes

Last Friday night, 11/4/11, I attended the opening reception of Wendy Artin‘s new exhibition titled The Parthenon Friezes…this is her eighth solo show at Gurari Collections of Boston and certainly one the most profound I have ever experienced…with a pure passion for her ancient subject, she pours her heart and soul into each and every brush stroke…sharing more than her expert touch, she opens our eyes to a deeper beauty…

THE PARTHENON FRIEZES ~ WENDY ARTIN

“Wendy Artin’s November exhibition entitled THE PARTHENON FRIEZES, at Gurari Collections, is a demonstration of patience, endurance, visual insight and painting mastery. Galleried at the British Museum, the Parthenon sculptures enjoy world renown for their representational beauty, conflict of a storied past, and their sheer magnitude of sculptural presence. This new series of large monochromatic watercolor paintings are life-size in scale so as to best evoke the splendor of this ancient parade.” ~ press release

Gurari Collections
460 Harrison Avenue, South End of Boston
November 4 – November 28, 2011

“Wendy Artin’s Parthenon Friezes are meditations on works of art that have haunted her for many years. She is an artist of consummate skill, working in a medium over which she has complete control. However this skill never calls attention to itself. It is always used in service to the original sculptures. In these paintings she has been able to demonstrate the sensitivity and precision of her observations, but more significant – even miraculous – she has been able to convey the depth of her feeling – her wonder, her admiration, and her love for these ancient marbles.” ~ Alexander Purves, Yale School of Architecture, October 2011 (above ~ Wendy Artin and Alexander Purves at the opening reception)

“For years I have been dreaming of painting them. I wanted to spend a long time staring at them, drawing them, getting lost in the cracks and relief, understanding the rhythmic movement of the heads, the bodies, the legs.” ~ Wendy Artin

“Our first response to these extraordinary paintings is to enjoy the cinematic rhythm of the legs, the draperies, the bodies – the power of the overall composition. However we are well repaid if we take the time to let our eyes graze slowly over the surface of the watercolor – to watch the artist pull the forms from the paper. Her brush has caressed every contour. Our eyes follow her hand as it guides the water over the rag paper leaving some spots dry, drenching others – always alive, always becoming. Working back from the white of the paper, applying water and pigment, deepening the darks, she is excavating shadows much as a sculptor carves into a block of marble to reveal form.” ~ Alexander Purves, October 2011

photos by me, 11/4/11

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gurari collections ~ meeting wendy artin

photos by danielle boudrot, 10/29/10

Last night was the opening reception for nine by six, a group show of plein air artists at Gurari Collections in Boston. It was a wonderful evening filled with art, wine, food, old friends and new friends. My favorite story comes from a conversation I had with Wendy Artin and Joe McKendry. I was most fortunate to be near their laughter and they graciously welcomed me into their circle. We started talking about the creative process and how art, music, and sports relate to one another. After some discussion, we discovered the connective threads to be daily practice, repetition and dedication. Wendy then shared with us a story about a master Japanese painter (i’ll do my best to recreate it for you!) ~ The artist was commissioned by a wealthy man to paint a masterpiece and was given a year to do so. When the time came to show the wealthy man the painting, the artist took out a piece of paper and painted the subject on the spot. The wealthy man was furious! The master painter was outraged at the wealthy man’s reaction! The artist then walked over to a cabinet, opened the door, and thousands of the same painting fell to the floor! ~ The story speaks so perfectly to the time, study and practice that goes into creating a work of art. I couldn’t help but think of Wendy’s paintings and the time it takes her to perfect a single brush stroke.

The first photo (above) is of an older man greeting Wendy. I was so moved by their hands that I decided to crop the image to illuminate this gesture. For me, it captures the essence of Wendy the person and Wendy the artist. All evening, she was giving and thoughtful to those who know her and to those of us just getting to know her.

above, Wendy Artin, Temple of Saturn

above and below, Wendy Artin, close ups of Temple of Saturn

above and below, Wendy Artin

above, Russ Gerard ~ owner of Gurari Collections

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nine by six

“This inert marble is so filled with light, with life, with memory, that we are made to forget that, in the end, these are just stains on a piece of paper made by the strokes of a brush. We are stunned by the beauty of the image.” ~ Alexander Purves writing about Wendy Artin’s show Columns, September 2009

above, Wendy Artin ~ Roman Forum, watercolor on cotton Khadi paper

The opening reception for nine by six is tonight at Gurari Collections in Boston’s South End. The group show features six plein air artists whose paths have crossed over the years. Each artist is showing nine works, hence nine by six. Wendy Artin is one of the six showing tonight and I couldn’t be more excited to meet her! I hope to have some great stories (and photos) to share with you tomorrow. Included in today’s post are some images from Wendy’s website, similar to the pieces in the show. If you would like to learn more about the artists and the personal stories behind nine by six, please go to Gurari Collections

above, Wendy Artin, Haut-Les-Mains, watercolor on cotton Khadi paper

-  N I N E  B Y  S I X –

An Exhibition of Nine Paintings by Six Artists

Stephen Harby, Alexander Purves, Buzz Yudell,

Wendy Artin, Tina Beebe, Jeremiah Eck

October 29 – November 28 , 2010

Opening receptions

Friday, October 29, 2010 from 6:00 – 9:00 pm

Friday, November 5, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm

Gurari Collections, 460 Harrison Avenue, Boston Massachusetts 02118

Tel: 617.367.9800 email: gerard@gurari.com

above, Wendy Artin ~ Cabbage, watercolor on cotton Khadi paper

paintings are from Wendy Artin‘s website

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