The opening reception for the show “Two Artists” at Fleming Street Gallery on Saturday April 30th from 6-9pm is an excellent opportunity for the many fans of Elio Hinds and David Laughlin to meet the artists and see their new works.
Elio Hinds paints the tales we’ve told each other for centuries, stories of corn, stars, light, and life. Her themes are universal; stories of where we come from and of what makes us human. Full of life and hidden mysteries, Hinds’ paintings reveal an alternate reality beneath the evident surface. Layers are peeled back to reveal unexpected spaces within.
We’re drawn into a world of dreams, old visions of other times and places. Some images seem vaguely familiar like fragments of half forgotten memories, others are an unexplained cipher. Hinds’ work is experienced; felt as much as observed.
Vivid color, vitality, and passion characterize Elio’s work. Her universe is huge, encompassing everything from the center of the earth to the farthest reaches of space.
“New Works”, Hinds’ latest paintings and “Embracing the Eye”, David Laughlin’s collection of new paintings, share the space at Fleming Street Gallery through May 19 at 830 Fleming Street on the corner of Margaret. The gallery is open daily from 10 am until 6 pm, or by appointment. For details call 305-296-9000 or visit FlemingStreetGallery.com for more information.
New paintings by David Laughlin, entitled “Embracing the Eye: Big, Little & Experimental Works,” will be presented at Fleming Street Gallery Saturday, April 30, with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Laughlin, who lives in Savannah, Georgia, periodically returns to his “island home,” where he lived from 1979 to 2005. For this visit, he will premiere a new assemblage of over 40 acrylic paintings on canvas.
“This collection is largely a pendulum swing from my last show in Key West,” said Laughlin, whose “Walkabout” series at Fleming Street Gallery’s 2009 Grand Opening, captured the essence of the Lower Keys outback where few people have travelled, with landscapes and scenes of nature painted in his signature hyperrealism. “With that set, I looked at the wide beauty and color of the natural scene, purposely trying to challenge — by omission — that which often brings the viewer instantly into a painting: the image of the eye.”
In his new show, Laughlin mercilessly explores and captures mood, character and nuance through subtle and stark studies of human faces, as well as surreal interpretations of states of mind and physical places.
Individual pieces range in size from faces that are five times life-size, to petite gems that can fit in the palm of your hand. At 3 x 4 feet, “Meds” illuminates the countenance of a middle-aged Medusa drowsily holding her head in her hands -- perhaps coming out of a moment of calm reflection — despite the incessant, roiling snakes living in her hair. On the other end of the spectrum, “Holy Man” is just 1 x 1 inch, a tiny but powerful vision of what David calls “a spokesman from Hell.”
Elements of Laughlin’s myriad artistic styles — surrealism, photorealism, and hyperrealism — emerge in other pieces, from a “Nude Study with No Budget”; to a hand catching lightning; to a quiet predawn study of one of Key West’s more notable sidewalk coffee shops.
A self-taught artist, Laughlin’s work has appeared in numerous galleries and juried shows, primarily in Florida and the Southeast, as well as public spaces. Noted for his exceptional use of color, his offbeat sense of humor, and an amazing natural gift for painting and drawing, Laughlin’s work appeals to serious collectors as well as fellow artists. He invites old friends, collectors and all who want to “feel the embrace” to stop by the opening — a Two Artist event which David is very pleased to share with island artist Elio Hinds, who will also be unveiling new works April 30, Saturday night, at the Fleming Street Gallery.
“Embracing the Eye” runs through May 19 at Fleming Street Gallery, located at 830 Fleming St. The gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 305-296-9000, or at www.flemingstreetgallery.com
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