Ridderhof Martin Gallery
SHADES OF GRAY: Drawings in Graphite
January 21 – February 25
Preview Reception
Thursday, January 20, 5-7 pm

Included artists:

Lea Anderson
Matthew Ballou
Gianluca Bianchino
Elaine Kaufmann
Darice Polo
Lana Stephens
Christine Weir

Show Statement:

Shades of Gray: Drawings in Graphite presents the work of seven artists from Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, and Washington, DC while exploring a variety of ways that graphite is used by contemporary artists.

In the past, graphite was relegated to use as a medium for preparatory studies that would later be reworked into more finished work in other media. However, due to a renewed interested in drawing among contemporary artists, it is no longer only a means to an end. The use of graphite provides a surprisingly common ground for the realization of each artist’s vision despite such diverse inspiration sources as architecture, contradiction, filtered memories, irony, isolation, obsession, phobias, scale, scientific inquiry, and social consciousness.

Above, one of the works I’ll have in the show, Established (Job 38, Strapped), graphite on paper , 2008, 16 inches in diameter.