Eastern Influences in Western Art opening June 30 in Sandwich

Published Date

SANDWICH — Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery will present the second exhibit of the season with a global theme. Eastern Influences in Western art will open on Saturday, June 30, with a reception to meet the artists from 5 to 7 p.m. Artists Mary Lou Lipkin, Blair Folts, Lise Lemeland and Andrew Tavarelli share a fascination with the Far East that has greatly influenced their work. All New England residents, the artists travel with sketchbooks and watercolors far and wide. This exhibit joins Dunia Moja — One World in an effort to bring new perspectives in art to the the Lakes Region. The gallery is located at 69 Maple Street, Center Sandwich. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information visit our website at www.patricialaddcarega.com or call 284-7728.

Artist Mary Lou Lipkin is multi-talented. She is a print maker who often branches out into other media to create three dimensional work. Her interest in Eastern art began in a museum in Canada where she was studying oriental embroidery and textiles. She came across a pair of tiny "lotus slippers." The exquisite slippers led her to research on the Chinese custom of binding the foot ... a very painful tradition for women in China. What followed was a "multi dimensional series entitled, Exquisite Torture. which focuses on woman's culture and tradition during the great Tang Dynasty of China (610 – 907)". The images in this exhibit endeavor to show the great strength of women as they suffered at the hands of society. The reward for their pain was to be able to slip on an exquisite shoe.

Andrew Tavarelli is a modern day itinerant painter whose travels have taken him to the Far East, the Philippines and Mexico. The series on view at the gallery is inspired by Japanese Kabuki players and Geisha. The exquisite costumes and immaculate hair of the Geishas are expertly rendered. The color of each piece is vibrant. The Eastern figure is contrasted with a Western counterpart. Female vs. male, East vs. West, the paintings are about contrasting cultures. Bold and energetic this series of work invites us into the exotic worlds traveled by Tavarelli. Oils on canvas, water colors and prints will all be a part of the exhibit. Tavarelli's work is found in private and public collections. He is currently an adjunct professor at Boston College.

Blair Folts is inspired by landscape. Originally a White Mountain painter, Folts has traveled to distant and remote lands in search of the" ancient power of landscapeness and how people move and live in that space." The work on view at the gallery is done in Mongolia and influenced by the nomadic culture of the people there. A sketchbook ever present on her travels jog her memories when she returns to the studio in New Hampshire. Influenced by the natural layers of landscape, Folts layers her work. Whether oil on canvas, monotype or mixed media, Folts uses her print making ability to add depth and strength to the message she is trying to convey.

Lise Lemeland is "captivated by the worlds of color and pattern revealed in the decorative arts from other cultures." Her work is intricate and a marvel of precision. She turns to India, Turkey and Japan to source her imagery. Japanese Kimonos are, European lace and repetitive motifs provide subject matter for her paintings. In the series on view at the gallery exquisite dragons are painted onto a fabric background. The dragon is very powerful as a symbol. "Dragons of the West are with few exceptions evil, hideous creatures symbolic of spiritual desolation and the dark side. Eastern Dragons are ... benevolent, elegant, revered demi-gods symbolic of the spiritual ... and often the immortal. In China, the Dragon originates from a matriarchal society ... In both eastern and western cultures it (the dragon) is tied to knowledge and wisdom. It is this duality that Lemeland's paintings address."

This Exhibit will continue through July 23.