Saturday, April 21, 2007

Sondra N. Arkin Opens to Rave Reviews

Wednesday's preview and Thursday's opening of Sondra Arkin's new solo exhibition at the Nevin Kelly Gallery were well attended with admiring guests. The show, Color: Field Tests, which is part of the ColorField remix events throughout the Washington, DC area over the next several months, includes encaustic and box construction works in the Color Field tradition. Many of the works are set against background wall colors that the artist personally selected (and installed, with the help of fellow artists Mary Beth Ramsey, Joan Belmar, and yours truly) to show the impact of art on its environment and of the environment on each work of art. Visitors have been mesmerized by the exquisite texture and translucency of Arkin's encaustic pieces and by her imaginitive constructions using wooden boxes, copper leaf, copper wire, hemp string and encaustic-dipped tabs of paper (a nod to her contributions to the Poetic License show at the gallery with Ramsey last summer). See local artist and blogger Anne Marchand's review (thanks, Anne). For lovers of encaustic, Color Field work and/or Arkin (or, like me, of all of the above), this show is a must-see. Plan to come for the artist's talk on May 6 from 2-4.

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