Abstracts and Jewelry at Bandon Library Art Gallery

Abstract painter Geralyn Inokuchi is back at Bandon Library Art Gallery, bringing with her the colors of Autumn leaf and sky, the verdant greens and rusty umbers below, the deep blues and misty whites above. We need these colors during the grey months of Winter here on the South Coast. They remind us that there is a richer pallette to come when the wheel of the year turns.

The joy of discovery is the experience of these paintings. Geri’s gift is the depth and complexity of her work. There is musicality to these paintings are hung; the violets and blues carry you from one painting to the next. Move in close to be pulled deeper into the many small moments happening within the larger canvas. Interplays of contrasting color create small eddies in the wide stream of each image, and mysterious darkness contains surprising saturations of pure color. And there is texture, created by layers of fibrous papers and sinuations of pure paint. Some of these are made of paper alone, torn sheets overlapping to build up pieces that float within the rectangle of the frame, making a nice change from a rectilinear discipline of the others. In all of these, a spirit of exploration is evoked, and the viewer is asked to take the time required to really see what is there, and to return again and again with fresh eyes. These paintings hold rich rewards for such efforts.

In the cases, Jane Újházi’s jewels reflect the inspiration she also gets from the natural world. Graceful butterfly wing and Autumn leaf porcelain mix with glass beads to make unique earrings. Some necklaces are chunky, some delicate, but all are made with semi-precious stones, pearls, and gold or silver. These exquisite elements she uses are handmade and were made by artisans from around the world. Her work has elements of both the familiar and the exotic, and all of it delights.

There will be a reception for the artists on Sunday, January 15th, from 2 – 4 pm, in the Sprague Room at Bandon Public Library. Refreshments will be served.

The gallery is open during regular library hours, 1204 11th St. SW, in Bandon City Park. For more information about the gallery, visit the Bandon Library Friends and Foundation website, bandonlff.org.

Article courtesy of Tracy Hodson. Art images, “Bright Idea” by Geralyn Inokuchi, Butterfly earrings by Jane Újházi