L E S S
presence in absence

i.e. welcomes guest curators, Barbara Sternberger and Sharron Antholt, and their following selection of artists

Marc Wenet

Barbara Sternberger

J.W. Mahoney

Margy Lavelle

Galie Jean-Louis

Joe Goldberg

Ed Bereal

Sharron Antholt 

October 2nd - November 15th

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Less is a word that denotes what is not (yet) present, what is (purposefully) withheld, what is (intentionally) veiled or obscured, what is just beyond the eye’s reach and the mind’s understanding.

We are drawn to work that is barely perceptible or obscured; a work, or part of a work, that once existed but is now erased or partially hidden. We look for the pared down markings or brushstrokes that only just hint at reality, something held back, as if waiting.  Or work, which, on first viewing, can seem incomplete, temporary, or faded and almost bland. We think that Less embodies an expansive simplicity – and achieves it, in part, through what is left out. It is something we sense more than something we see.

We are interested in work in which the artist’s self, you might say, sits in the back seat of the work, or opts to run alongside the car. When we talk about work that has Less we are not talking about Minimal art nor is it formulaic.

We envision the exhibition as a focus on individual works. Work in the exhibition could come from artists whose medium or style of work is very different. A work could be included from an artist which fits perfectly with the ideas of Less while other work by the same artist may not.

Less emphasizes the significance of absence as a shaper of knowing. Less gives credence to the precious state of unknowing. The unknowing-just-before-knowing. Or alternatively, the unknowing that is its own pleasant end.

From a 12th century Taoist painter: 'The great work accomplishes more by not displaying itself'.

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Barbara Sternberger and Sharron Antholt thank Kim Vaeth, who contributed clarity as well as poetry to their ideas.

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Click here to watch a video tour of the exhibit.

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Join us

Curator's Meet & Greet on October 24th from 1 - 4pm,

outside under the orange canopy - masks required and social distance guidelines will be respected.