Twelve small iconic images on shaped canvases of a slightly narrative quality by Richard Britell
Dec 10, 2011 – Jan 9, 2012
Reception for the Artist, Saturday, December 10, 4-7pm
Some notes for paintings in this exhibit: Painting 1. “Measuring the Universe”: This painting shows a girl of about eight standing on a hat box with arms outstretched. At about ten A.M. on a Saturday morning students were departing from a ballet class; a mother and daughter were crossing the street and the daughter was practicing her dance steps as she crossed. I thought, “She is in her own universe”. Later in the studio I did this painting of the remembered image. You may wonder why the top is a half circle. It is a half circle because I imagine that the universe is round at the top, but I don’t know for sure. Painting 2. “The Times I Tried”: In this painting are about seven somewhat ruined classical pillars going back into the distance in perspective. This is my autobiography. Each pillar represents a separate, distinct attempt to reconstruct my life on logical and firm foundations; each ending in some unexpected disaster. In between these attempts are various bizarre and inexplicable occurrences that I would rather not go into. Painting 3. “The Best coffee I ever drank”: This painting shows the corner store in Housatonic, and it refers to that morning when the local rednecks said to me, apropos of nothing, “This is the best country”. I couldn’t but agree and said to them, “This is the best country, and this is the best state in this country. This is the best town in this state, and this is the best and only store in this town. And this is the best coffee I ever drank.”
