Up In The Air. On display there're five mid-sized and large colorful, textured canvases by each of the two artists. The artists' styles vary, but the common vocabulary here of shape, color and texture guides their respective compositional developments.
Tria Gallery is pleased to announce Up In The Air, an exhibition of new paintings by Carole d'Inverno and Chris Gwaltney. On display will be five mid-sized and large colorful, textured canvases by each of the two artists. The artists' styles vary, but the common vocabulary here of shape, color and texture, essential to the overall process of each painter, guides their respective compositional developments. This pairing creates an explosion of color and mood. Both artists' palettes are earthy, but d'Inverno's are soft and subtle while Gwaltney's are bold and energy-filled. Both saturate their canvases with expansive swatches of cinnabar red, turquoise, orange, green, and blue. The colors stretch and swirl energetically within the confines of the canvases, and at the same time seem to spill off and fill the surrounding space. Layering, scraping, and changing direction are all part of the process. The final result is always unexpected.
According to d'Inverno, "Up in the Air" speaks of possibilities of expression and of surprise. The work is primarily about story telling and how words appear on a page to tell the story. "I love how poetry looks on paper and I'm interested in Cuneiform and Etruscan letters/words. When I paint, words are like colors in my mind, so I try to translate that on the painting." Ms. d'Inverno's primary technique is "wet on wet" - not waiting for the layers of oil paint to dry until the work is completed. As she also notes, "chance plays a vital part in the development of the work."
For Gwaltney there is also an element of surprise in the creation, and he finds "pleasure in the arguments created from color combinations." In discussing the painters who have influenced his work, he names Twombly, Mitchell, Serra, de Kooning, Deibenkorn and Still. "The splatterers, doodlers and sloppy scribblers interest me and I distrust too high a degree of finish". As it relates to his own work, he likes to "let the paint do what it will" although he "still gets in the way". Ultimately, he claims to be a better editor then inventor. He uses horizontal bands of paint in his work to "contain or constrain the chaos beneath." The final product is thus one of both process and chance.
Carole d'Inverno
D'Inverno grew up in Italy and Belgium and moved to the United States in 1979 while in her twenties. A self-taught artist, she has exhibited extensively in solo and group shows in the United States. Her work is in the public collections of Seattle Group Health, SeattleUniversity and in private collections across the country and in Europe, including that of the Rockefeller family. D'Inverno is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. In both 2009 and 2010 she was in residency at the VermontStudioCenter and at the WassardEliaCenter in Ascea, Italy. While in Italy she participated in the 2009 Biennale di Firenze. This year she will be in residency at Starry Night in New Mexico and again at the VermontStudioCenter. She is represented by the Fetherston Gallery in Seattle and by Tria Gallery in New York. This will be her first New York City exhibit.
D'Inverno is married to musician and composer Bill Frisell and they have one daughter. They currently reside in Seattle.
Chris Gwaltney
Born in Van Nuys, California, Gwaltney began sketching and painting at an early age. After winning first prize at the Costa Mesa Art League and later being juried into the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts, he decided to pursue a professional career in art. He enrolled at the University of California where he received his B.A. and subsequently his M.F.A. He also became received accreditation as an instructor at California Community Colleges. Within a year of receiving his M.F.A., Gwaltney was given a solo show at the DianeNelsonGallery. He and has now been exhibiting regularly in solo and group shows throughout California and the Southwest. Gwaltney's works appear in numerous public and private collections throughout the country. Tennis great, artist enthusiast and style icon Maria Sharapova was recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying that her favorite possession (of any kind) is her "painting by Chris Gwaltney". Gwaltney has shown frequently at the Peter Blake and the Robert Green Galleries (both in California), and at the Julie Nester Gallery in Park City, Utah. Tria is proud to host his first New York City exhibit.
Gwaltney currently resides in southern California with his wife Jill and their two children.
It is the mission of Tria Gallery to exhibit a balance of established artists with impressive resumes and exciting young talent, showing representational and abstract work, painting, sculpture, mixed media and installations. The common denominator is that the Tria artist has a unique, authentic voice and a compelling body of work which the directors feel should be given an audience. Tria is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm, or by appointment. Up In The Airopens on October 20 and remains on exhibition through November 26, 2011. For more information, please visit www.triagallerynyc.com.
Opening 20 october 6-8pm
Tria Gallery
531 West 25th Street, Ground (Floor 5) NYC 10001
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 11 to 6 pm and by appointment
Admission free