Bridgehampton, NY UNINTERRUPTED Four gallery artists
In the upcoming exhibition Uninterrupted at RJD Gallery, four artists will present the figure using diverse techniques and styles. Gallery owner Richard Demato elaborates, “Each artist has their own voice, methodology and vision of how to share what they paint. Jackee Sandelands-Strom’s masterful portrayal of one’s soul through their hands is as uniquely remarkable as Katie O’Hagan’s ability to capture the eyes and faces of those she loves and paints. Lesley Thiel delves deeply into each of her subjects where she finds and
releases their soul, and Will Teather takes us on a deep, unique and creative surrealistic journey.”
In the majority of her paintings, Sandelands-Strom tells the story through a cropped view of the figure focusing primarily on their hands. In her panting Lager, tattooed hands wrap gently around a glass. “The painting called Lager is representative of a beautiful sunny Scottish day in Grassmarket, Edinburgh,” she says. “It’s showing appreciation for an old culture that has carried through time and persists to be a celebrated
part of daily life throughout Scotland.”
Time Capsule, by Teather, is a painting devoid of figures but still hinting at everyday moments of life. The painting evolved over eight years as he “explored blurring the foundations of reality: perspective, movement and light are intertwined, as if time and space themselves are gently unravelling.”
Teather continues, “I love overloading images with symbolism. Time Capsule is a painting that manifests this, presenting a visual banquet for the senses. Sometimes more is more. A long-standing reference for me is Aldous Huxley’s 1954 essay The Doors of Perception, which explored a variety of concepts, including the idea that the brain eliminates unessential informa
tion from the totality of the ‘mind at large.’”
In Lulu 14, O’Hagan depicts her youngest daughter in a relatable time of adolescence. “She’s at that age where she’s just emerging from braces and awkwardness and finally willing to pose for me,” O’Hagan says. “Fourteen is such a pivotal age. I wanted to capture that mix of insecurity and burgeoning confidence. Painting it brought back a lot of memories of myself at her age. When I was 14 I spent all of my time dreaming about leaving home and going to America. It seemed like an impossible dream at the time, so it was good to spend time as I painted reflecting on that journey and how lucky I am.”
Thiel’s painting The Truth of Thorns depicts a young model named Addie in a more surrealistic image, as she is wearing a feathered Elizabethan collar that represents “the natural world and gears for the world of man and technology.” Theil says, “She can rule both. She stands in a thicket of blackberries, whose fruit is sweet and readily available. But you must get past the hooked thorns to pick it. This painting speaks to the fact that women and girls have all too often been forced to hide their abilities and intelligence for fear of appearing spiky and unfeminine. We all lose when women are not encouraged to realize their abilities. This young lady will achieve on her terms and lead.”
Uninterrupted will be on view at the Bridgehampton, New York, gallery July 27 through August 19.
RJD Gallery 2385 Main Street • Bridgehampton, NY 11932 • (631) 725-1161 • www.rjdgallery.com