New evoLOUtion Exhibit
The
Gallery at The Brown Hotel
Review
by Keith Waits
Entire
contents are copyright © 2013 Keith Waits. All rights reserved..
The
Gallery at The Brown has featured the work of local artists quite often in the
past. But under the auspices of new Gallery Director Talia Piccini, it appears
to be extending its reach into a newer generation of emerging artists. New evoLOUtion gathers an eclectic mix
of styles and media from Ashley Brossart, Bill Carner, Chris Chappell, Aron
Conaway, Jae Grady, Shawna Khalily, Thaniel Ion Lee, Keith Linton, David
Iacovazzi-Pau, Alexandra Roisen-Tash, Gibbs Rounsavall and Ted Wathen.
Artist
Keith Linton, whose own work is included, coordinated the exhibit. If it
appears that Mr. Linton has simply reached out to his estimable network of artist
-friends to collect this work, the range of quality of what is on display is
strong enough to make any claims of nepotism seem churlish. Although short on
sculptural work (one of the drawbacks of the tidy space) the collection of
paintings, drawings and photographs are diverse enough to allow a little
something for any taste.
The
large number of pieces are hung salon style, stacked on top of one another so
as to pack in as much work as possible – which is the primary fault here. The
work is very good, but the crowded walls create some visual clashes despite the
care evident in Mr. Linton’s choices in installation; and one cannot help but
wonder if the work would be better served if the images were given a bit more
room to breathe.
 |
| Ashley Brossart, "Washington & Wenzel Butchertown," oil on canvas, 2012. |
Ashley
Brossart’s visceral and sweeping application of the medium turns “Washington
& Wenzel Butchertown” into a surprisingly kinetic impression of the local
community landscape, and her work overall was very strong. One of the few 3-D
pieces was the intricate construction of Ms. Brossart’s “Churches and Steeples.”
The folded paper piece hung off of a column that interrupts the room – a
precarious placement that emphasized its delicacy and intimate scale.
 |
| David Iacovazzi-Pau, "Moulay," oil on canvas, 2012. |
Another
dominant group of work was portraits by David Iacovazzi-Pau. One grouping of
four and another oversize piece, “Moulay,” is situated to catch your eye as you
enter the room. The oil-on-canvas photo-realist image is intriguingly smeared
as if digital images had suffered some distress, lending the otherwise
straightforward portraits a slightly surrealistic tone.
 |
| Ted Wathen, Big Four Bridge, Detail. 2010. |
The
most seasoned of the group, photographer Ted Wathen, provides three epic-scale
prints that discover beautiful repetition in the support structures of local
Ohio River bridges. “John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge #2” is simply stunning.
Conversely, Aron Conaway makes compelling the idiosyncratic juxtaposition of
objects both whimsical and enigmatic in his three photographs, including an
amphibian contemplating three drops of bright paint in “Burrough’s Toad.”
There
would seem to be no end of good work to talk about: Jae Grady’s paintings on
reclaimed window panes that evoke stained glass images both visually and
thematically and Gibbs Rounsavall’s immediately identifiable round panels
filled with bright, tightly composed patterns of color are just two more
examples.
It
will be interesting to see how this new trend in programming develops for the
Gallery at the Brown Hotel. Although overcrowded, this is a strong group;
whether it constitutes a clear declaration of intent remains to be seen. Watch
this space.
New evoLOUtion Exhibit
February
15 – March 17, 2013
The
Gallery at the Brown Hotel
355
West Broadway
Louisville,
KY 40202
Monday
– Friday, 8 a.m-9 p.m.
Saturday
& Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
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