Feature image: Juan Alejandro Fried Ortiz de Zarate, Derrick Tap Brooch, Sterling Silver, part oxidized.
Submitted
Stoughton, WI – Abel Contemporary presents Glynnis Lessing and Juan Alejandro Fried Ortiz de Zarate – Memento, 5th Annual Painting Invitational, in Gallery no. 5: Dragon Cove by Stephon Ashley
Events: Opening Reception Friday, June 19, 5 – 8 pm
Shows Open Online Saturday, June 20, at 10 am CT.
Artist Talks
Glynnis Lessing and Juan Alejandro Fried Ortiz de Zarate – Saturday, June 20, 1pm
Stephon Ashley – Saturday, July 18, 2pm
Glynnis Lessing and Juan Alejandro Fried Ortiz de Zarate – Memento
Raised primarily in the Midwest, Glynnis Lessing was introduced to ceramics at the age 25interest in clay throughout high school and gained early experience working for a potter at sixteen. After study- ing at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, she earned a BFA from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She has spent her career as an artist and educator.
Juan Alejandro Fried Ortiz de Zarate is an architect and artist whose work reflects the diversity of his ancestry, his urban experiences, and home in the countryside. Born and raised in Venezuela, Juan studied art history and architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Minnesota. As an architect and urban designer, he completed award-winning designs for public agencies and community groups. As an artist, he continues his study of form, space, and materials on a more intimate scale.
This show, Memento, refers to physical objects meant to remember a person, place, or past event. Originating from the Latin imperative for “remember,” these items serve as tangible reminders or tokens of memory. Lessing says about the show, “By creating these pieces that commemorate significant moments of joy or transformation in my long life, I am sending my memories out into the world; to lose the stories they symbolize for me and to become meaningful in other ways to other people. By making something that can last 10,000 years, I am entrusting bits of my life to strangers, to the ages, until all meaning is lost. I embrace this process as part of the beauty of creating functional vessels.”
5th Annual Painting Invitational
Our 5th Annual Painting Invitational showcases artists working in a range of media and styles within the discipline of painting. Each artist masterfully crafts thoughtful and compelling works presenting their particular point of view. Artists include Tony Conrad, Deb Gottschalk, Rachael Griffin, Charles Munch, Dennis Nechvatal, Kassandra Palmer, Trina May Smith, and Skyler Simpson.
no. 5: Dragon Cove by Stephon Ashley
Over the past decade, Stephon Ashley has created thousands of three-dimensional dragon sculptures. Working out of his studio at ArtWorking in Madison, WI, Ashley is a self-taught artist who constructs these colorful creations using a variety of conventional and unconventional materials, including pipe cleaners, plaster, clay, and fiber.
This exhibition features a diverse collection of these imaginative creatures, including a large plaster dragon and numerous vibrant works displayed as if in flight throughout the gallery. Many of these figures originated in the artist’s dreams, and Ashley has given them names and distinct personalities. The installation promises to be colorful, abundant, visually stimulating, and inviting for viewers of all ages.
Contact
Theresa Abel
524 East Main St., Stoughton, WI 53589
608-845-6600
theresa@abelcontemporary.com