STRONG LINES
2018 Friends' Juried Group Exhibition

May 4 - July 28, 2018

Opening reception: Friday May 4, from 5 to 9 PM during Art Loop

Strong Lines is a group exhibition juried by The Creative Vision Factory's Michael Kalmbach featuring Friends of The Delaware Contemporary. Artists Paula Cahill, Brian Conaty, Phyllis Gorsen, Suzy Kopf, and Gregg Morris examine geometry and linear structures while moving beyond traditional approaches to painting through their distinctive styles.

The first shape one learns to make as a child is a line, a scribble, the connection between two points. As we grow, the crayon is replaced by a pencil, the pencil by a pen, the pen by a keyboard. Sometimes the artist in us doesn't survive beyond childhood. Sometimes the artist in us persists, and no matter what distraction or hardship comes along we keep creating. The artists featured in this exhibition have stopped at nothing to keep their creative journey alive through their "strong lines."

Paula Cahill and Brian Conaty use lines to create depth in a seemingly flat plane. From a distance their imagery seems abstract, though on closer inspection, it has clear content. Cahill's colorful loops travel around the canvas as she mixes hundreds of gradients in a seamless progression of color. Conaty's delicate paintings define metal structures that are simultaneously familiar yet foreign.

Thick black lines cut across vibrant circles of color in Phyllis Gorsen's constructions. She uses energetic patterns to move the eye around her complex, geometric shapes. Her strong lines offer contrast against the softness of watercolor, conveying human experiences of spirituality, language, and culture. Suzy Kopf's approach to watercolor utilizes cut paper to create a shadow outlining pastel shapes that float just off their frame. These shapes move out of the two dimensional surface and interact with light as shadow lines crisscross the surface.

Gregg Morris started as a quilt designer and found that an entire body of work can be created from 90 and 45 degree angles. His blocks of color interact with and intersect each other at curious junctions. One tries to see a familiar image; however, the lack of gravity and horizon makes it impossible.

Beckler Family Members' Gallery