14/11/2006
Margaret W. Gallegos
FIG, Santa Monica
Life, Death, Love, War: the Works. Gallegos says of these paintings, "The abstract style in these works is based on improvisation. I don’t plan the content but begin spontaneously with pretty much nothing in mind".
Life, Death, Love, War: the Works
As the title of her upcoming exhibition suggests, Margaret W. Gallegos has a lot on her mind. Gallegos is an artist willing to shift back and forth between abstract and figurative work and in this exhibition she will be showing recent abstractions. Yet there are always consistent threads in her work, whether the imagery is abstract, landscape or figures: dramatic psychological impact, passionate paint handling and an exuberant, unique color palette. Her imagery is influenced by life’s issues including relationships, friends, family and personal environment, as well as the universal issues, such as love and death, that touch all of us. As she says, “…day-to-day life and current events creep into my work in spite of any intent on my part."
In her current abstractions the artist works spontaneously, allowing the imagery to develop into something she begins to recognize within herself and then brings into focus. Gallegos says of these paintings, “The abstract style in these works is based on improvisation. I don’t plan the content but begin spontaneously with pretty much nothing in mind. At some point, with any luck, a compositional constellation begins to emerge and a connection takes place between me and the painting. Memories are jogged; meaning is suggested; and feelings surface, however nebulously. Tuning in to those feelings, I attempt to more fully and forcefully embody them in the painting using all the formal means at my disposal."
Margaret W. Gallegos is a graduate of U.C.L.A., and has been exhibiting her work locally and nationally since 1983.
For further information contact: Jeff Gambill, Director (310) 829-0345.
Opening reception: Saturday, November 18, 4 - 6 PM
FIG
2525 Michigan Ave, Bergamot Station G6 - Santa Monica
Gallery Hours: Wed - Sat, 11am - 5pm, and by appointment
Thanksgiving holiday hours: Wednesday, November 22, 11am-2pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day, November 23 and Friday, November 24. Open Saturday November 25.