Open Studios exhibit continues through Aug. 3
Presenting a substantial cross-section of Beacon’s breadth as an artistic hub, Hudson Beach Glass through Aug. 3 is displaying small-scale works from 63 artists curated by Beacon Open Studios guru Darya Golubina. Beyond installing the show, which was no mean feat, she provided a case of wine for the opening on July 12.
The packed exhibition features glass, pottery, collages, paintings, textile art, wall sculptures, photographs, altered photographs and a woodblock print.
The display is laid out to the left of the entrance and starts with two paintings. “Cockatoo and Lion,” by John Cote, conveys an unusual gloss and sheen. Lourdes Lebron’s “Hot Planet,” signified by a shiny golden splotch, suggests an explosion of molten lava.
On another wall, “Cosmic Gathering #1,” by Paul Pisoni, presents a pebbly texture achieved in part by using an alcohol-based ink sprayed with a perfume dispenser that interacts in alchemical ways with the color behind it.
The sylvan scene captured by Pamela Garfield in “Summer Greens” renders tree trunks in pastel purple. The shimmer of gently dabbed leaves suggests the golden hour’s sunlight. Maya Bao’s “The Bond” captures a reassured toddler burrowing into a male caregiver’s chest pulling on a sippy cup.
Kat Spontak is a portraitist who dabbles in the mystical and the macabre. Her untitled mixed-media collage in the show includes digital enhancements, a large eye in the cartoonish sky, and blurry church structures and grave markers.
Standing in a cemetery with stars strewn at her feet and wearing a broad-brimmed hat rimmed with 11 visible eyes, she stares into the distance with a deadpan expression and holds a radiant pomegranate that looks like a ceremonial gourd.
The oil painting, “Abundant” by Alyssa Follansbee, is another heady, heavy allegorical work. Two nude women stand atop a pile of giant oranges, lifting a piece of fruit above their heads with each one’s left hand as if they’re presenting an offering. Three seagulls flap away above a built structure in the near background.
Among the photos, “Firefox Reflections” by Lauren Henfey juxtaposes a pond strewn with lily pads against a gentle sky mirrored in the water. “SeaWall” by Stephen Lewis appears to be an optical illusion. A row of bricks and mortar crowns a deep blue sea wall, breaking up the image. It’s unclear which one is darker: the ocean in the background above the brick pattern or the painted wall below.
William Loeb’s enhanced and manipulated photo “Wake Up,” printed on aluminum, presents a satisfying symmetry. The circular white coffee mug on a black background suggests an outer space scene.
With openings on three sides, Zhixuan Zhang’s ceramic work “Sunshower” resembles a heart, with shiny yellow glaze speckled with blue. Texture and patterns on one of Dani Rzepnicki’s stoneware vessels evoke ancient cave art.
Some works take a stand. The red, white and blue subject of “One Size Fits All” by Chris Sanders could be a bulletproof vest or a life jacket. The most strident piece is a painting by Marilyn Mitchell. “Anticipatory Obedience” depicts a screenshot of Google search results for the term. One panel landed on the preamble to the Constitution; another reads “Do not obey in advance.”
The metal print “Artists Reality” by Ann Lebron also features some phrases, one of which is apolitical and applicable to any era: “No artist tolerates reality.”
Hudson Beach Glass, at 162 Main St. in Beacon, is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
