The Gallery at 48 Natoma will feature unique art focusing on abstract imagery to kick off the new year.
Abstract art uses shape, form, color and line from visual references in the world. Often the art is non-figurative, non-objective and non-representational. Color and shape are defined by the artist and typically has personal meaning to the artist that created it.
Two artists’ works in this contemporary style are highlighted in the exhibit, Abstract Ideas. Linda Nunes will display a variety of paintings in mixed media, including cold wax and oils. Matt Rhoades also uses mixed media, including oils and collage. The exhibit will be open Feb. 16 through April 18.
Someone once said, “Doing a swan dive off a low board is not very interesting.” Artist Linda Nunes tries to keep that in mind when working.
The artwork on display for Abstract Ideas is from a series called Ordered Chaos and was completed on cradled wood panels over the past two years. Most of the paintings are large, 24-inch by 24-inch. Though the work is generally intuitive she is only sure and mindful of the elements, checked throughout the process, that are principles of value and composition.
“In my mind, each painting has a sense of structure — maybe not in a literal sense, but in the placement of shapes and line. Somewhere between architectural plans and a kind of game board the piece begins to develop and take shape, all with a good dose of whimsy, “ said Nunes. “Throughout the process I so enjoy the journey of creating — of knowing when I finally arrive, but never fully certain of the route it took to get there.”
Nunes is an award-winning, mixed media artist from California’s Bay Area. She’s also a workshop/demo leader, curator and art show juror who now lives in the Sacramento area. She has exhibited paintings, sculpture, permanent and temporary installations locally and in the Bay Area along with several large, commissioned pieces for restaurants and other commercial spaces. Her work is part of numerous private collections throughout California and the U.S. Additionally, Nunes is one of the original co-founders of Rancho Cordova Arts.
Rhoades views his artwork in evolutionary terms. He follows the progression of his creativity to fulfill his artistic vision. This process begins with establishing a connection, or dialogue, with the painting.
“I don’t do preliminary drawings or studies to determine the imagery; instead, I let the colors, patterns, and shapes in the painting come through organically,” he explained.
The concepts that emerge are sometimes linked to something he has observed in music, various cultures or through a connection with nature. Rhoades creates patterns and colors that help fill space with variations or surface tensions. Then, he works at balancing tensions in colors, composition, shapes and patterns while making headway toward completion. His most recent work chronicles his reflection on human emotions, music, life and the confronting nature of art.
Rhoades was the co-founder of Southside Art Center, a well-respected program for artists with developmental disabilities in Sacramento. During this time, he also designed and supervised production for more than 20 site-specific art installation projects for private companies, corporations and state agencies in the greater Sacramento area.