Sunday, June 28, 2009

Tillie's opening reception


As a Brooklynite, I am always present at Tillie's cafe painting opening receptions that come together with a happy crowd and plenty of wine, cheese and fruit. This coming Wednesday, July 1st, there will be the opening reception for Virginia Wagner's paintings.


This is what she says about her work:

The ponds, tree hollows, and icebergs in my paintings are my internal wilderness projected onto the external world. As an artist, I seek the intersection of myth and reality. The stories at these crossroads are distanced from real events to allow for critical analysis even as they address the psychological core of those events. In telling a story I often manipulate and distort the real, using lenses of fantasy, dream and theater. In this way I aim at the emotional rather than the historical truth. The moments where surreal elements disrupt daily reality are a source of continual inspiration. It is where myth meets mundane that the potential for the fantastic is the greatest, and my fears, desires and questions are able to play out on a fictional stage.


The realist imagery in my work is important to grant the viewer access to the scene, allowing them to assume the role of the lead character, or the shadowy figure lurking in the corner. Similarly, I use beauty to engage the viewer and suspend him or her in the piece. Beauty raises the stakes -- heightening the contrast between the seductive and the darker elements of life and art.


Where: Tillie's cafe, 248 DeKalb Avenue, Blooklyn, 11205

When: Wednesday, 7.1 starting at 7pm.


0 comments: