Peninsula Gallery to host Silence and Solitude art reception June 2
In these wildly unpredictable and aggressive political times, the slogan “Keep calm and carry on” seems to be more pertinent than ever. Peninsula Gallery’s new exhibition seeks to pour some oil onto these troubled waters. It appears that many people are seeking a little bit of peace and quiet in 2018, so Peninsula owners asked several artists to interpret the title Silence and Solitude, suggesting that paintings might feature isolated natural scenes or individuals in contemplative mood, all painted in a calm palette of colors.
Among those taking part are gallery artists Jacalyn Beam, Jean Doran, Howard Eberle, Doris Ingram, Gonzalo Navarro, Bill Patterson and Meg Walsh. They are joined by two other local artists, Nina Mickelsen and Jim Rehak. Peninsula includes the work of two newcomers, Caroline Adams and Eileen Murphy.
Adams, a Pennsylvania-born artist currently living in Germany, is a landscape painter who sees the enormous expanse of earth, sea and sky not just as a location but an inspired idea awaiting translation. “The concept of being part of something larger compels the ideas and intentions in my work,” she said. “My landscapes are meant to give a degree of ambiguity that allows them to provoke a sense of familiarity and calm without presenting a specific location.” Adams uses muted colors and soft forms to depict her clouds while keeping the land or sea beneath them slightly out of focus. The result is restful and contemplative.
Murphy has spent her life along the Hudson River and has lived in Brooklyn, N.Y., for the last 15 years. Her paintings are deeply indebted to the formal elements of geometric abstraction. There is intense attention to detail and technical virtuosity, yet she still manages to create a dialogue. She said, “The spaces that I choose to depict are the ones I know intimately. It takes time to really see a place, and my long relationship with these locations helps me to use extreme detail and abstract elements to communicate the way that these places feel, even more than how they look.” Murphy was awarded residencies to the Vermont Studio Center in 2004 and to Yaddo in 2013 and 2017. She received the Individual Artist Award from the Santo Foundation in 2017.
An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., Saturday, June 2, when some of the artists will be available to discuss their work. The gallery is situated in the shops at the Beacon, 520 E. Savannah Road, Lewes, just across the canal bridge from downtown.
For more information, call 302-645-0551. To preview the show, go to www.peninsula-gallery.com.
