October’s theme at the Barrhead Art Gallery, which is currently open to submissions, is focused on abstract art.
Located at 5205 49th Street, the gallery will be hosting the abstract show throughout the month, beginning on October 2nd.
Abstract expressionism dates back to the 1940’s and the 1950’s, as a term first used to describe the works of Russian painter and art theorist Wassily Kandinsky, though it has been more often associated with Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, and it is defined as art that has no reference to any figurative reality.
In a broader sense, it is art that depicts realism in a simplified way.
“The works that are on display now, the pastels and landscapes and such, will be taken down on Sept. 25 to make room for the themed pieces, and the gallery’s committee will be working hard to make sure every piece is hung by the start of the show,” Maria Sieben, a local Barrhead resident and art gallery contributor, said.
According to Sieben, the show will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in October, except between the 16th and the 18th, when the gallery will be hosting their fall show instead.
Breaking away from the more traditional forms of representation of the physical world, abstract art is a movement within both painting and sculpture that focuses on the relationship of form and colour over recognizable imagery, using lines and shapes to infer intended meanings.
“Once I have things assembled in a certain way, you know, as far as colour, texture and the balance of light and dark goes, and it’s pleasing to me, that’s when I know a piece is finished,” JoAnn Nanninga, president of the Barrhead Art Club, said in an attempt to describe the process for abstract painting.
Sieben advised people wanting to have their pieces included in the abstract art show, all materials should be brought to the gallery on September 26 between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., and that a committee member will be on hand to receive them.
“We will try to hang them all, but please try to limit the number of submissions to six in total,” she said.
