un· can· ny
adjective 1. having or seeming to have a supernatural or inexplicable basis; beyond the ordinary or normal; extraordinary. 2. mysterious; arousing superstitious fear or dread; uncomfortably strange. Teresa Oaxaca, David Gluck, and Katherine Stone will weave their visions together in a collaborative project that will take viewers on a journey to the mysterious side of the creative mind. Together exploring the strange and the beautiful; the veiled and the obscure; the haunting and the enigmatic; these three artists will present thirty works that revel in a shared artistic lineage rooted in the soulful and enigmatic tenebroso tradition of Florence. The title for the show was inspired by the concept of "the uncanny valley," a hypothesis in the field of aesthetics that states that as something that is not human, approaches perfect imitation of what is human, it causes a sense of disquietude in the viewer. In a broader sense, the optical illusion of reality in the artists’ paintings can also inspire the same unsettling sensation of witnessing something that is almost the thing it tries to be, but falls short, in the same eerie manner that a mannequin might deceive you for an instant into believing it is a person. The subject matter of the paintings themselves is uncanny in its own right, from Oaxaca's exuberant tableaux of hyper realistic dolls, to Gluck's enigmatic paintings of painted faces, to Stone's narrative still life paintings of decaying knick-knacks and forgotten treasures. Not merely an exhibit, “The Uncanny” will be an interactive experience centering around the show’s opening on Friday, October 3rd, 2014. This sensational event will have the double purpose of presenting exquisite work and creating a novel experience for patrons of the gallery. Artists will be in attendance and dressed to match the costumes in their paintings. Attendees will be encouraged to participate by dressing up or donning a mask at the door. Meanwhile, Anna Maria Cardinalli will provide her stunning vocals to add another dimension to the sensory tableau. Gluck, Oaxaca and Stone are part of a younger wave of realist artists to emerge from the French-Italian atelier tradition. All three have garnered awards from the Art Renewal Center and the Portrait Society of America, and between the three of them have been recognized by the Greenshields Foundation, the Stacey Foundation, and appeared on Bravo! program Star Portraits. This is their first show with S. R. Brennen Gallery.
October 3 – October 31, 2014
An Exploration of the Strange and the Beautiful
David Gluck, Teresa Oaxaca and Katherine Stone S.R. Brennen Galleries 124 West Palace Avenue Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87501
Champagne Reception for the Friday, October 3, 2014 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm RSVP (505) 467–8295
Artists
David Gluck
Biography and Artist’s Statement
Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, David Gluck immigrated to Canada after meeting his wife, Katherine Stone. They currently reside on Vancouver Island where they paint together. Gluck’s education has been eclectic and varied, comprised of brief stints of study the world over, from New Mexico to Italy, from France to Canada. It has been through his self-directed and independent course of study that Gluck developed his distinct imagery; whereas other artists his age are exploring the female form in conventional terms, Gluck has gravitated towards a weird and beautiful aesthetic incorporating antique garments and macabre props. Meanwhile his still life paintings are gritty and earthy where other artists try to be polished and beautiful. He is attracted to the rugged and worn in both his models and his props. In his work you will find characters and objects made beautiful by the indelible imprint of time, use, and exposure to the elements. In “The Uncanny,” viewers will see three examples of his alternative aesthetic of female beauty: “Dia de los Muertos,” “Specter,” and one more painting to be unveiled at the show. Working with the talented artist and model Tara Juneau, Dave has created an alternative aesthetic that presents the female as a powerful and otherworldly agent, whose beauty terrifies as it beguiles. Also included are his trademark gritty still life paintings, featuring weathered objects that he and his wife together have carefully and discriminately collected over the years of their marriage. In “Beggar King” and “Red Sky” can be seen examples of Gluck’s veneration of the people in this world, who, like the weathered counterparts in his still life paintings, have endured time and the elements and bear the marks on their faces.
Exhibition Catalogue of Work
David Gluck
“Dia de los Muertos”, oil, 28” x 20”
“Specter”, oil, 26” x 17”
“The Bell Jar”, oil, 18” x 11”
“The Thief”, oil 20” x 24”
“Bottles and Books”, oil, 14” x 11”
“The Crown”, oil, 14” x 16”
“The Signal”, oil, 16” x 12”
“The Proposal”, oil, 26” x 20”
“The Beggar King”, oil, 19” x15”
“Red Sky”, oil, 30” x 26”
Katherine Stone
Biography and Artist’s Statement
An American by birth, Katherine Stone has spent most of her life in Canada where she paints alongside her husband, David Gluck, on Vancouver Island. Together they immerse themselves in their inspiration and consequently in their house every window sill and cabinet is filled with a hectic display of still life objects. Stone has received top honours for her meticulously detailed narrative still life paintings. Having always believed that still life painting does not get its full due, Stone has dedicated herself to creating stunning, large-scale still life paintings that are no less detailed for their size. A recurring theme in her still life painting is music, portrayed either in the form of a musical instrument or birds, and sometimes in the form of poem fragments incorporated into the paintings themselves. Stone draws tremendous inspiration from poetry, following in the tradition of the Victorian painters who did the same. Many of her paintings’ titles are derived from the lines of poetry that inspired them, and admirers of a given painting will often be rewarded if they perform a quick google search of that phrase. In “The Uncanny,” one will see four examples of Stone’s still life work: “Bottle Fly,” “Icarus Ascending,” “The Glacier Knocks in the Cupboard,” and one more to be presented on opening night. In all four one can find ornithological references, from birds’ nests, wings, and feathers, to birds themselves. Stone’s narrative work, “Shadow of my Hand II,” “A Poison Tree,” “Huntsman and Herdsman,” “O Sorrow,” “Sisters,” and “Huntsman’s Bride,” are all directly inspired by poetry. In most instances the title of the painting is directly drawn from the affiliated poem. The first three paintings are representative of Stone’s atypical presentation of childhood: not as an adorable phase in life, but as a time of burgeoning awareness of the mysteries of life and death. The last three paintings represent three of the many phases of womanhood: widowhood, sisterhood, and bridehood.
Exhibition Catalogue of Work
Katherine Stone
“Icarus Ascending”, oil on panel, 27.5” x 17”
“Bottle Fly”, oil on linen on panel, 24” x 16”
“Shadow of my Hand II”, oil on panel, 19” x 11”
“A Poison Tree”, oil on panel, 40” x 32”
“Huntsman and Herdsman”, oil on panel, 17” x 11”
“O Sorrow”, oil on panel, 27” x 17”
“Sisters”, oil on panel, 14” x 22”
“The Huntsman’s Bride”, oil on panel, 24” x 18”
Teresa Oaxaca
‘Aut inveniam viam aut faciam,’
"I shall either find a way or make one.“
I have been painting portraits and the figure for over 10 years now. My abilities really took off in 2005 when I enrolled in a traditional oil painting school in Florence, Italy. There I studied at the Florence Academy of Art and the Angel Academy. I also spent a summer apprenticing with the renowned painter and new "Old Master" Odd Nerdrum in Stavern, Norway, in 2008. From 2010-2012 I studied with Robert Liberace at the Art League in Old Town Alexandria. Some of my awards include placing second in the Portrait Society Of America's Competition in Atlanta, Georgia. I have also been a Finalist several years in a row for still life and portrait painting in the Art Renewal Center's (ARC) Annual Salon Competition. I have also been a two-time recipient of the ARC's Scholarship Competition, a double recipient of the Stacey Scholarship (Museum of the Cowboy) and awarded the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant twice. Since 2010 I have resided in the Washington D.C. area where I paint full time. Travel and an appreciation of art from the past ages fuels my art and I try to get out and see the world. Most recently I went on a four month long tour of Europe to see art museums. Since returning to the Washington D.C. area I have been focusing on creating a new and large body of work. My new series have taken me away from academic studies to more elaborate compositions which combine human and still life elements. In addition to this I now take on portrait commissions, and continue my studies in art by observing and copying the painting of the Old Masters in art galleries throughout the world. My work is about pleasing the eye. I paint light and the way it falls. Simple observation reveals beauty; often it is found in the unconventional. Because of this I have learned to take particular delight in unusual pairings of subject matter. Frequently my compositions are spontaneous. When a person comes to me, they occupy a space my mind. Arrangements form from there until with excitement I see and have the idea. The design is both planned and subconscious. For this reason I surround myself with Victorian and Baroque costume, bones, and other things which I find fascinating- I want subject matter to always be at hand. My paintings are created with oil paint on canvas. I am conscious of the traditional craftsmanship I have attained in Florence. While my interest in new pigments and tools may cause minor alterations in my materials, these really remain fundamentally the same. All my evolution is taking place on the canvas and in my head; in what I see in nature and interpret in two dimensions on the picture plan. I have the fundamentals of design to work with when planning a painting. I make preparatory studies. I use multiple layers to build an illusion of light and form. When this illusion is convincing and to my taste, the painting is done.
Exhibition Catalogue of Work
Teresa Oaxaca
“Marie Antoinette,” oil on canvas, 66” x 44”
“The Party”, oil on canvas, 38” x 56”
“Still Life with Cattle Skull”, oil on canvas, 33” x 58”
“Tea,” oil on canvas, 38” x26”
“The Lamentation,” oil on canvas, 36” x 54”
Additional work will debut opening night, October 3.
October 3 – October 31, 2014
An Exploration of the Strange and the Beautiful
David Gluck, Teresa Oaxaca and Katherine Stone S.R. Brennen Galleries 124 West Palace Avenue Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87501
Champagne Reception for the Artists Friday, October 3, 2014 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm RSVP (505) 467–8295