hidell brooks is thrilled to be opening two solo exhibitions tonight for johan hagaman and jenny nelson. as you walk into the gallery jenny nelson's abstract paintings enfold around the viewer on all sides. the work has a strong but subtle presence. we sat down with jenny in person yesterday and accosted her with questions about abstract painting in general since she has taught advanced abstract painting for years. clearly an expert in the subject we spoke of the phenomenon widely believed that anyone can paint an abstract painting. if we had the ability to count how many times we have heard someone state when viewing an abstract painting "i could do that" the number would be huge. the fact of the matter which jenny quickly reiterated is to paint a successful abstract painting one must have the ability to draw. not only draw but draw like a draftsman basically an artists that draws well. without that key piece of the puzzle the abstract painting will fail. you cannot teach someone to paint without first learning to draw. looking at jenny nelson's abstract paintings it is obvious she draws well.
the new sculpture by johan hagaman that comprises shaping my intangibles is enthralling. johan's work is very personal. it is equivalent to having someone's thoughts and dreams come alive in front of you. her visual language is powerful and used in a way to comfort the viewer. her overall theme being how our lives past and present shape who we are through our memories. growth that ultimately leads to how the world is shaped around us. as individuals we are always moving through time and the world is shaping us and we are shaping the world. johan hagaman's sculpture epitomizes this theme profoundly.
along side the solo exhibition is a group show of new works by select gallery artists including sarah helser, brigid watson, john folsom, mary rountree moore, susan mcalister, sally king benedict, geraldine neuwirth, page davis and ruth ava lyons. new paintings by jacob cooley and sally king benedict are also on view in the viewing room. all new paintings including the solo exhibitions by johan hagaman and jenny nelson are up on our site under the individual artist's tabs. both artists will be at the opening tonight from 6-8 pm. please call the gallery if you have any further questions.