RY555441253 by Chris Bathgate
The newest exhibition at the Gallery Imperato is a triumph of hard work and imagination. Patterns of Obsession showcases three artists working in the Baltimore area whose work all have a common pattern of arrangement and are incredibly intense in their process and approach. The works include three-dimensional drawings, precision-made metal sculptures, and mixed-media Polaroid collages.
Dana Reifler Amato uses architectural paper, oil bar, graphite, gold paint pen, and gold leaf to create multi-layered drawings. They are abstract, simplified forms of architectural and holy spaces, using curved grids and repeating lines. The finished product is an ethereal, almost ghostly image, as each shape is covered by another piece of paper, making the images barely come through. Amato's process is extremely precise, using small razor blades to meticulously cut the paper shapes. It is also ever-evolving, with pieces getting edited and re-edited, sometimes taken apart completely and used in new works altogether. Amato is originally from Seattle, but she was trained at the Maryland Institute College of Art.
Christopher Bathgate is a self-taught mechanic who combines individually fabricated pieces of copper, steel, aluminum, brass, and stainless steel into small sculptures with a space-age feel. Some even resemble molecules. They all have smooth, shiny surfaces and incredible symmetry. His process involves casting each individual piece himself, and then fitting them together into these complex structures.
Matthew Kern is also self-taught, and uses a vintage Polaroid SX70 camera to create a documentation of experience. He depicts dreams, memories, emotions, and responses to his environment using the images. Kern peels each photo out and alters the image, etching into the emulsion with charcoal, pencil, ink transfers, markers, paint, and other media, then fixes the images into a grid format. The etchings add a second dimension to the collages, adding context and another perspective to the overall piece. He also uses colors in some of his images to contribute to the theme. Each photo is like a snapshot of memory, and extremely evocative of the viewer's own experience.
The exhibit is varied and the work seemingly unrelated, but the passion of the artists and the meticulous detail and focus shines through and ties the artists together. The work is of course available for purchase, and prices and other information are available to visitors. The gallery is at 921 E. Fort Avenue suite 120, and is open on Saturdays from 11 am until 7 pm. The exhibition will continue until May 2.
Comments