New Artist Exhibition 2014 January 25 2014

New Artist Exhibition 2014

Opening reception:Saturday, February 1, 4 - 7pm

Exhibition dates:February 1-22, 2014

New Smyrna Beach, FL–– Arts on Douglas presents,New Artist Exhibition 2014, a group exhibition featuring mixed media paintings, ceramic sculptures, and fine art jewelry by seven exceptional artists, new to the gallery. The artists in this exhibition collectively demonstrate bold and innovative ways of working with paint, clay, and metal. The participating artists include: Kelly Berning, Trent Berning, Cicero Greathouse, Titane Laurent, Bridgette Rallo, Chris Robb, and Barbara Umbel. The group exhibition will be on view from February 1, 2014 through February 22, 2014 with an opening reception on Saturday, February 1 from 4-7 pm. The opening reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.

Kelly Berning (ceramic sculpture): Kelly finds great interest in the interactions between the conscious and subconscious forces in the mind of a person. Kelly's large-scale figurative ceramic sculptures explore the many masks used to express and, more readily, guard human emotions. The artist explains: "Unsolicited psychological activity, conjured by fears, loss and discontentment can take precedence in everyday life. Although the source of these issues may disappear physically, there is an apprehension that still lingers; controlled by the unconscious." Her Cerberus-like figures stand watch over those universal concerns attributed to life, death, fertility and transformation. Kelly's work is rich with symbols and metaphors that draw attention to those areas of life that we cannot explain, understand, or control.

Kelly Berning received her M.F.A. in ceramics from the University of Tennessee.

Trent Berning (ceramic sculpture): Trent's ceramic forms lean toward surrealism. His imaginative sculptures draws from his interest in the body and its internal mechanics. Trent’s sculptures are adorned with ornate finials, referencing ancient perfume bottles and protective exoskeletons, suggesting movement, transformation and renewal. Trent’s work is guided by the natural attributes of clay and the construction process.

Currently, Trent Berning is the Assistant Professor of Art in Ceramics at Daytona State College. He received his M.F.A. in ceramics from the University of Tennessee.

Cicero Greathouse (mixed media painting): Cicero’s abstract paintings are the result of on-going experiments with ideas, imagery, color, techniques, and materials. "Abstraction is both a concept and object, and is foundational to art, and subsequently it is the focus and motivation behind my work," Greathouse explains. Greathouse's intuitive approach to painting is a study of how various media interact. Geometric shapes emerge and then disappear into surrounding forms and color. This tonal transition provides an intimate viewing experience, emphasizing the elemental appeal of color.

Cicero splits his time between studios in Orlando, FL and San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico.

Titane Laurent (mixed media painting): Laurent's process is illustrative of the modernist sensibility that explores the tension between media and subject matter. "I work with the sentiment of destabilization that is provoked by the juxtaposition of abstract elements, such as square/round, black/white, thin/thick. I then “search” for the harmony between these contrasts, which keeps them balanced. The abstract forms and contrasts mutate naturally into scenes of family life and relationships with the realization that everyday activities are gestures which remain universal”, Laurent explains. Ambiguous figures painted win rich detail using acrylic, oil, charcoal, Chinese ink, and collage, dominate the visual field. The paintings have an overwhelming presence and emotive intensity that commands attention.

Titane has studied art in Brussels, Luxembourg and Auckland. She currently resides in Winter Park, FL.

Bridgette Rallo (jewelry): Bridgette Rallo uses traditional and innovative fabrication methods to create her fine art jewelry. Strongly tied to the environment, Rallo's work incorporates gems and minerals in her jewelry, as well as fiber, glass, shells, coral, primitive and ethnic beads. Rallo is an expert in Chain Maille and Precious Metal Clay.

Chris Robb (painting): Color is central to Robb’s dynamic compositions. His grasp of the formal properties of color–– hue, value, intensity, and temperature–– permits him to layer multiple colors without overpowering the structure of his compositions. “Painting for me is an exercise in color relationship. At its core that’s what makes the painting work,” explains Robb.

Robb has developed a signature performative style that draws attention to the tactile and physical pleasures of artistic marking making. "I am driven by rhythms and reactions to every mark made," the artist explained. His rhythmic gestures articulate a distinct visual language characterized by overlapping planes of color interrupted by assertive brushstrokes and dripping paint.

Barbara Umbel (jewelry): Barbara Umbel's collection of fine art jewelry is inspired by the natural color variations and precise geometry of seashells. Umbel's jewelry designs demonstrate her remarkable sense of proportion and understanding of color, line, and form that enhance the natural beauty of shells, sea urchins, silver, and precious gemstones.

“We are thrilled to announce this exhibition of new artists as Arts on Douglas is always looking to represent artists who appeal to art enthusiasts and season collectors alike,” states Meghan Martin, Gallery Director.