Ambiguous Particulars – Teale Hatheway
August 8 – November 10, 2012
Opening August 8, 7-10 pm
Please join Teale on August 8th in celebration of three years of rotating exhibitions at Barbara’s at the Brewery!
Barbara West at the Brewery is pleased to present “Ambiguous Particulars,” a selection of new paintings of old places by Teale Hatheway. The show will be on view at Barbara’s at the Brewery from August 8 through November 10, 2012. Please join us for the opening reception on August 8 from 7-10 pm.
Utilizing disparate media such as ink, acrylic, bleach, charcoal, metal and gold leafs, as well as burning tools and techniques, on coarse linen, Teale Hatheway’s compositions are carefully constructed to stimulate the eye of the beholder through balance and imbalance of form, color, texture, surface and chiaroscuro. Her paintings dance when viewed from varied angles and in dramatic light. Strokes of white acrylic leap off of their inky black backgrounds, revealing a sculptural dimensionality. Judicious use of color makes its presence meaningful while bleached highlights carry impact without demanding attention. Fields of gold leaf flash and glisten as if lit from inside and burnt lines of toasted browns retreat into the neutrality of the linen. The layers of materials push and pull, floating independently of their surrounding elements.
The combined processes and materials are only half of the pleasure of painting for Hatheway who is inspired by the metaphysical philosophy (set forth by Gaston Bachelard in his 1958 Poetics of Space), that “Inhabited space transcends geometrical space.” In essence, private shelter provides security that allows us to develop our individualism through comfortable access to our expansive daydreams and in turn, our inner thoughts and experiences transform the spirit of built spaces. Alternatively, Hatheway asserts that exterior spaces must provide, through their limitlessness and exposure, a forum for expansive connection and community. Hatheway began her paintings as a personal exploration of the city around her and quickly discovered that her passion for architecture and history could be a catalyst for social connection with and between people in her city.
The key to the success of Hatheway’s paintings is that instead of creating a straight forward picture of a building, she recombines disembodied architectural elements into representations which are familiar but not apparent. These architectonic dream-scapes are composed of “snap-shots” of memories and are intended to capture the soul of the building and incite curiosity in the viewer. The paintings become puzzles of buildings with the pieces rearranged, removed and turned upside down – identification of location has become the game. “If I paint a literal picture of a place, you have no reason to check it out for yourself, but if I give you some clues and stir your curiosity, then you might actually seek it.” And those are the results Hatheway cherishes. A steady stream of commentary flows into her life through her art – stories of childhood under the bridges, a morning commute made more insightful, heart-break on the sidewalk in front of an iconic blue building, spelunking through the depths of an old movie palace. “It’s pretty poetic, really, that I could spend all this time alone in the studio, just trying to make deeper connections with strangers,” says Hatheway. “We associate our life experiences with our environment so it makes perfect sense to me that our architecture could act as a medium for interpersonal connections.” Teale Hatheway’s architectural portraits have managed to engage viewers into action and awareness by making comprehension accessible and meaningful.
Barbara West at the Brewery is a series of rotating exhibitions taking place at Barbara’s, the restaurant/bar hidden in the heart of the Brewery Arts Complex. The Brewery is considered the world’s largest live-work arts complex with an estimated 500 resident and day-use artists representing every field of creation. Barbara’s provides a welcoming environment for artists, art lovers, musicians, writers and business people to meet, exchange ideas and cut a little loose. As a curatorial project, Barbara West at the Brewery provides a forum for resident and non-resident artists who are actively pursuing creative development. Additional information about Barbara West at the Brewery can be found by visiting us on ArtSlant.com
Directions: From North Main Street, turn South onto Moulton Avenue. Turn left into the second driveway on the left, onto the Brewery property. Barbara’s is the yellow building directly ahead of you with the neon “open” sign. Parking is free.
