Current Exhibit: Inner Spaces

Our next exhibit, Inner Spaces, is here!

The exhibit will be on display until November 6, featuring the work of regional artists Arlene Baker, Ya Li, Rita Papandrea, Yeachin Tsai, and Simeon Youngmann. Please note, at this time we will not be hosting an Opening Reception due to CDC guidelines. Gallery hours are Tuesday - Saturday, Noon - 5 p.m. Exhibit is free and open to the public.

Inner Spaces is an investigation of our introspective relationship to the spiritual and natural forces around us, reflected in the various mediums utilized by these five local artists. Many find a personal connection with what they consider to be divine, the energetic force in nature or a higher power in the form of a God or gods. Spirituality plays a key role in most of these works, with most reflecting an innate sense of gesture and openness that might convey an idea of a free-flowing soul connected to both the physical and metaphysical worlds that surround us.

Click here to view a virtual 360° tour of the exhibit!

About the Artists:

Arlene Baker - For many years now, Baker has experimented with new variations on what she calls her “Silk Spaces” series, which combines translucent fabrics and pins on fields of colors. Relinquishing agency onto her viewers, Baker allows for numerous readings of her body of work, permitting the projection of personal experience onto intimate voids of muted tones. Previous interpretations of Baker’s work have remarked upon harmonious compositions that evoke a sense of meditative tranquility. With a life of their own, the Silk Spaces series elicit an array of responses, sometimes creating connections with real-world experiences, art history, or spirituality.

Ya Li - Integrating the Eastern philosophy of Taoism, which expresses harmony in the functions of the universe, into abstract paintings, Li finds herself investigating the synchronicity between humans and nature. Blended colors, superimposed patterns, and organically created textures are utilized to illustrate the natural world, completely beyond the scope of control of humans. Deeply symbolic, the form of the canvas serves as a kind of shelter or window for Li’s work, which is carefully considered in all aspects to epitomize natural forces within and without the human form: the shape and surface of the human body itself, cells and organs, and microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria that impact bodily functions.

Rita Papandrea - Albany-based artist Papandrea explores through her abstracted sculptural forms natural phenomena, such as the processes of growth and decay. Inspired by naturally-occurring fractals, Papandrea creates delicate, fragile forms, usually out of steel, creating a powerful juxtaposition of form and material. Smaller-scale sculptures reflect a kind of kinetic dynamism, and large sculptures consisting of smaller parts to be arranged in a myriad of different ways create an architectural sensibility that mirrors the power and raw beauty of nature that influences Papandrea in her practice. See more of Papandrea's work at www.ritapapandrea.com. 

Yeachin Tsai - Informed by the tradition of Chinese calligraphy and natural forms, patterns and colors, Tsai balances both the seen world of objects and the unseen world of energies through her works, which range from an intimate scale that contain frenetic environments and large pieces that are simultaneously immersive and dynamically spirited. Mindful of the negative spaces between careful yet enlivened marks, Tsai transforms ephemeral and constantly fluctuating feelings and perceptions into artworks that find a fine equilibrium between the chaotic and harmonious, balancing a sensibility that exists on both contemporary and timeless, classical planes. See more of Tsai's work at www.yeachintsaifineart.com.

Simeon Youngmann - Inspired by his own personal faith, artist Youngmann combines traditional religious iconography with scenes and images found in the contemporary world, creating a synthesis that at once recalls icons from the Byzantine and beyond and is instantly recognizable to modern viewers. Working primarily with drawing, a medium that is essentially dragging dust across surfaces, Youngmann’s process evokes the classical theme of memento mori, imbuing the process of drawing with a certain sanctity that connects Youngmann’s art with his devotional practice. See more of Youngmann's work at www.simeonyoungmann.com.
 

The exhibit is sponsored by ACG Premier Sponsors Howard Hanna & David Phaff, as well as Ellen Brickman, ParkAlbany, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the Albany Wine & Dine for the Arts Festival.