Exhibitions

A copycat is a person or entity that imitates or duplicates the actions or products of another without originality or creativity. Sounds insulting, and it is. The term is often used to describe plagiarism, imitation, or uninspired copying. But in the world of art, copying can be a bit different. In the Renaissance copying was integral to the artistic learning process and in the 20^th century movements like Pop Art openly borrowed from popular culture and existing imagery. This month the artists of Gallery One are creating “Homage” to some inspirational artist’s work. Homage is defined as a respectful imitation or tribute to another artist’s work, acknowledging the original source and honoring its influence. In “Autumn Evening. Trail in the Woods” in oil, Ed Lewandowski pays respect to Isaac Ilyich Levitan, a Russian Impressionist painter from the late-1800s, who advanced the genre of the “mood landscape,” which emphasizes the emotional atmosphere or feeling of a scene rather than its precise geographical or realistic details. “I thought this painting was a great fit for me, since I often aim to evoke a specific mood, such as tranquility, melancholy, awe, or nostalgia in my artwork as well.” In “Monet’s Inspiration,” artist Cindy Beyer was inspired by

Monet’s waterlilies, and “ Street in Italy,” an acrylic painting by Lesley McCaskill, was inspired by John Singer Sargent, with a few updates of her own. Artist Mary Bode Byrd’s mixed media painting, “Say It isn’t So,” was inspired by Louis Wane, a British artist in the 19^th century. He created large eyed cats and anthropomorphic (human like) staging. Michelle Marshall’s acrylic painting, “Pinball Triad,” is an homage to Wayne Thiebaud, an American Pop Art artist known for his colorful works depicting commonplace objects.

Of course the term copycat can be taken quite literally artistically too. As artist Laura Hickman does in her pastel, “Five Charlies.” “My senior year of college we bought Charlie Chaplin masks and dressed alike  in our class blazers and painter’s pants.  The result was  a copycat of sorts, we also each had the sad face of friends not wanting to part.” In “Basic Training,” artist Joyce Condry’s copycats are actually birds!  While artist Laurie Fields copies the techniques of a favorite artist in her piece, “Cross Hatch,” in oil/graphite. W. Scott Broadfoot produced a copy of Dutch master Frans Hals “Tronie”.  A “Tronie” is a genre of painting that was popular in the Dutch Golden Age that focuses on an expressive face or character rather than a specific individual as a commissioned portrait would. Dale Sheldon completes our theme with, “Bella and Her Pillow,” in acrylic. Just a copycat! Bella, a “mackerel tabby,” sits by a pillow “copying” two possible ancestors who are dressed in crowns and jewels”.

We hope you’ll copy all the cool cats and stop by Gallery One this month. Gallery One is open daily from 10am – 5pm.