SUN, a Watercolor on Paper (Framed) by New York City Artist Monique Mouton, on Exhibit at DUNES Art Gallery, 251 Congress Street. on Munjoy Hill. It Would Serve as a Remnder of the Sun’s Warmth on a Cold, Snowy Day in Winter.
DUNES, a Multi-Discipline Art Space, Located at 251 Congress Street.
A Group of Four Photographs of Sculptures by Stephen Porter, Submitted by his Son.
“This is my favorite work in the show,” said Lauren Burrell, intern at the DUNES art gallery, on Munjoy HIll. Burrell was referring to a large watercolor, SUN, by New York City artist Monique Mouton that occupies a large portion of a wall. . The Sun also dominates the lives of many across the nation as it faces a heat wave that has subjected millions to record breaking heat.
SUN, a watercolor on paper, reminds Burrell of Georgia O’Keefe’s watercolors and also the work of the late artist Helen Frankenthaler, New York City. The latter was known for the color she featured in her paintings and “shaping a new movement.”
The mostly abstract exhibit at 251 Congress Street on Munjoy HIll features other notable artists.. Marley Freeman has three paintings in the show. She skillfully combines the abstract and represential in her paintings. According to Burrell, her work demonstrates how paint “behaves.” She is also currently exhibiting at Karma, in New York City, where she has exhibited previously.
Meg Hahn, a recent graduate of Maine College of Art, (MECA), with a BFA, has several paintings in the show. Burrell describes Hahn as an “up and coming” artist. “I am interested in creating forms that are not made by precise measuremet. Rather, with an exactness that is formally driven and produced intuitively, in reaction to other marks and materials…” is her mission statement in part on her website. She works out of SPACE Studios, 534 Congress Street, in downtown Portland.
A group of four photographs of the sculptures of Maine native Stephen Porter is the only exhibit in the DUNES show that is not the work of an abstract painter. Porter creates sleek and geometrical shapes for outdoor gardens, interiors, installations and corporate settings. Porter does not burden his sculptures with required interpretations. It is what it is! He’s an artist who has taught at Pennsyvlania State University for many years. Of particular interest to this blogger is the fact that Stephen’s father was famous nature photographer Eliot Porter; another reason to pay careful attention to Stephen’s sculptures. Porter is one of seven artists exhibiting at the current show at DUNES.
Lauren Burrell, an intern at DUNES for the summer, was a knowledgeable and patient tour guide for this blogger. She is a painting student at MECA. Her internship at DUNES earns her credit toward her BFA at MECA..
The current show runs through September 9, 2022.
For more background information on the grand opening of DUNES and its owner/artist Boru O’Brien-O’Connell, please visit post herein dated April 17, 2022.