June 2016
Haynes Galleries presents “A Realist Showcase”
June 17 to July 30, 2016
NASHVILLE— To begin the summer, Haynes Galleries will turn its focus back to the foundation of its collection— fine Realism in all its forms. “A Realist Showcase" will present the gallery’s finest artists in a variety of vignette celebrations. With great American artists, modern Realist masters, and fresh Contemporary work, the groupings will awe with their diversity and craftsmanship. “A Realist Showcase” begins June 17 and continues though July 30. The show is free and open to the public.
The centerpiece of “A Realist Showcase” is a vignette of paintings and photographs by some of the country’s greatest contemporary artists. It will be the best realist work the gallery has to offer and will revisit the work of young, emerging artists and seasoned veterans like Ellen Cooper. With masterful draftsmanship and the ability to capture the character of her subjects such as in Defiance of Erebus, Cooper’s paintings reflect the personality and grit of her strong female subjects. Although Gregory Mortenson paints in a traditional style, his portraits are modern and inviting. In Underground Busk his subject is a classically trained artist as well but in music instead of art. Mortenson’s work is a study in contrasts — at once timeless and timely, refined and gritty, exalting and melancholy. Karen Horn’s photo-realist paintings bring life to floral still-lifes in a manner rarely seen in watercolor. With an exacting attention to detail and showing a remarkable control of the medium, Horn’s Stacked Still Life expands upon the exquisite history of floral still-life painting. Each element— the type of flower, its vase, the pedestal— in Horn’s work is carefully chosen to complement the others.
For Seth and Catherine Haverkamp, painting is a family affair. The married couple often paints their friends and family members— including their children— and their daily lives from their east Tennessee home. A stellar selection of their colorful and contemplative paintings will be on display in “The Haverkamps.” While the paintings of these two rising stars in Realism are inherently personal, there’s something universal in their narratives. Themes that relate to all of us at some point in our lives can be found in paintings like Catherine’s Transitions and Seth’s Essie’s Headdress: soul searching, the transformation from child to young adult, and the relationship between parent and child. Executed with bright, beautiful colors and the utmost attention to mood, Seth and Catherine Haverkamp’s portraits, still lifes and landscapes are luscious views of some of the most quietly important days in their, and our, lives.
Fans of sculpture are in for a treat during “The Figure,” a showing of the gallery’s best bronze and plaster sculptures. Small and large works by Alan LeQuire, Alicia Ponzio, and Chippie Kennedy explore movement, sensuality, and grace. Ponzio's portrait busts, including her own self portrait, feature a sense of motion and subtle emotion in cold bronze and plaster. Chippie Kennedy’s over life-size figures including Into the Woods are feats in bronze, balance, and design. Viewable from all sides, they tower over guests and astound with their execution. The works of Nashville’s own Alan LeQuire is a natural addition to the sculpture grouping. From miniatures of the famous Musica to portrait busts, guests can experience the work of LeQuire on a remarkable human-scale.
Burton Silverman has devoted his artistic career to telling the stories of other people. In particular, he has masterfully developed a skill for portraiture, creating a deep understanding and empathy between his subjects and viewers. A special group of paintings from various points in Silverman’s illustrious career will be on view for the summer in “Burton Silverman: The Consummate Realist.” Whether in watercolor or oil, a small quick sketch or a full-size finished portrait, Silverman’s work in this vignette will reveal how effortlessly Silverman appears to capture a subject’s inner state. That effortlessness, however, is the result of intense foresight, careful planning, and years of experience leading to Silverman being one of the most renowned and respected Realists of the last half century.
A viewing of these summer vignette shows is a journey through American Realism’s past, present, and future at Haynes Galleries. Altogether “A Realist Showcase” will be a show brimming with variation and visual interest.