Aliya Linstrum Gallery Presents Richard Painter's " Elegies "

Written by Carlene Slaubaugh Wednesday, 16 February 2011 00:13

Atlanta, GA - Aliya Linstrum Gallery is excited to announce the opening of “Elegies,” an exhibit of works by Richard Painter.  A highly sought after artist, Richard Painter has gained national and international recognition for his unique process of creating images by charring the surface of wood panels.  On Exhibition 3 February until 24 February, 2007.

Richard Painter sees his work as a chronicle of his encounter with life—an attempt at recording what he sees and experiences.  The artist says of his work “from childhood I have always been fascinated by how persistent life is—and yet how instantaneously it can be taken away.”  The artist uses burned images to further illustrate his feelings on the fragility and tenacity of life.  This main theme sets the stage for many diverse areas of interest, which is evident in the choices of imagery in the overall body of work.  Fragility is represented by birds, moths, planes and boats.  Painter believes that people carry their scars with them through life.  Many of his paintings portray the skeleton or infrastructure of a boat; a plane; a moth, thus further illustrating the tenacity of life and also a life lived to the fullest, as Painter shows “respect for a life that has been fully lived, from the ground up, so to speak.”  Painter’s works are profound both in their messages and in their imagery.

Mr. Painter was recently honored with his first ever solo exhibition in a museum with “Encounters”, organized by Peter J. Baldaia for the Huntsville Museum of Art.  This landmark exhibition, which included Painter’s signature charred panel “paintings” as well as two sculptural works that lend a sense of gravity and power to the wall pieces, ran through January 7^th, 2007.  This collection of works and the recognition they have received are proof that Richard Painter is one of the most interesting and gifted artists working in the region.  Aliya Linstrum Gallery is proud to be the first gallery to exhibit the works from “Encounters” along with a few never-before-seen pieces produced specifically for our “Elegies” exhibition.  This will be a rare opportunity to view groundbreaking works by one of our modern masters of contemporary art.