On Exhibit: Stuart Chapman
#REINVENTINGTHEAD - Photographs
April 15 - May 22
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 17 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I’ve cultivated a love for imagery that lives within the context of two parallel worlds; that of visual advertising, and, where and how that advertising exists in the world that it’s trying to influence. This Instagram project which I’ve named #REINVENTINGTHEAD, is a unique look at how advertising prevails as both central character and antagonist in the visual story that we all live in. The convergence of these two visual worlds can be found within a window’s reflection or in the unique juxtapositions of what is both planned and unplanned.
#REINVENTINGTHEAD is a compilation of original photographs, taken not with professional equipment, but with various generations of cellphone cameras that I have carried with me for over ten years. The images are meant to be artful, highlighting how a simple camera, paired with Instagram can be utilized as a legitimate vehicle for artists to procure and catalog their work. Paired with thought-provoking and sometimes humorous captions, these images should prompt you to observe the world of advertising in a completely new and different way.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Stuart has been snapping pictures since he was a teen. His passion was to become a photojournalist after studying journalism and video communications at Southern Connecticut State University in the 80’s. He worked for several area newspapers including the Hartford Courant, Waterbury Republican and Manchester Journal Inquirer as a field photographer and darkroom assistant, and also traveled through Europe and Australia doing freelance travel photography before eventually settling into retail business ownership here in CT.
At the age of sixty-one, this is Stuart’s first gallery showing. Along with #REINVENTINGTHEAD, Stuart routinely contributes to several of his other Instagram galleries @CROWNROCK1196 under the hashtags #HORIZONTALPEEKS, #SECRETSABOUTBRIDGES, #CROWNROCKCANDIDS and #CROWNROCKBIKES
Coming Soon: Erika Larskaya
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"Impermanence" - Mixed Media
May 26 - July 10
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 29 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
ARTIST STATEMENT:
“My work is driven by experimentation, essential for my growth as an artist. I explore shape, texture, and color using various media, finding inspiration in unexpected materials like rusted metal or beach debris. I create interesting textures with coal, tissue paper, eggshells, and more, utilizing quick-drying acrylics and latex paints for spontaneity. My style blends conceptualism, minimalism, and abstract expressionism, reflecting impermanence and the beauty of contrasts. The seemingly chaotic final result embodies my mind transitioning to calm, capturing fleeting moments before they take shape, free from expectations and regrets.”
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Erika Larskaya is an abstract artist who specializes in acrylics and mixed media. Originally hailing from St. Petersburg, Russia, she made the journey to New York City in the late 1980s at the age of 21, eager to learn English and build a new life for herself. After studying design at the American Business and Fashion Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina, she briefly pursued a career as an interior designer. However, her true passion lay in being at home with her children and dedicating time to painting. She began exhibiting her work in 2008. While she has received formal training and appreciates traditional foundational skills like figure drawing, her love for experimentation and pushing artistic boundaries has led her to develop a unique methodology and technique that allows her to express the emotions that are felt but not easily seen. Inspired by other female artists who have overcome adversity and societal challenges, she creates her art from her studio in northwestern Connecticut.
To see more of Erika's work, visit her website at https://www.erikalarskaya.art/
The Jamie Gagarin Gallery and Exhibits at OWL
The Jamie Gagarin Gallery is a space dedicated to showcasing a diverse range of art for the enjoyment of our community. Exhibits rotate several times during the year and feature works for sale by artists.
All exhibits include an opening reception.
Patrons can meet the artist, have a first look at the artwork and enjoy refreshments. All exhibits and opening
receptions are free and open to the public.
Since the art gallery shares its space with the community and library events, it is recommended that you confirm
that the art gallery is open before visiting. Please call us at 860-567-8030.
How to Submit Art for Consideration for an Exhibit
All artwork exhibited is selected through a competitive, juried process by the Cultural Committee appointed by the President of the OWL Board of Trustees. The Cultural Committee uses guidelines in its selection including technique, price range, size of proposed work, type of medium, type and style of framing, and artist credentials.
For more detailed information on the submission process, click here.
Gallery Dimensions