December 27, 2001–January 3, 2002

arts picks|art

In the House

Landscapes, still life and sculpture bring a somber, drawn-out ambience to the Artists’ House this January. On First Friday and throughout the month, the gallery will show the work of Michael Bartmann, Beatrice McLaughlin, Barbara Lewis and Louise Strawbridge. During the cold days ahead, get lost in the moods of these artists.

Michael Bartmann emphasizes space, atmosphere and form in his landscapes and still life. He depicts the functional nature of spaces rather than their decorative elements in his Half Box paintings. His removed and washed-out landscapes present a contrast to Beatrice McLaughlin’s warm rustic scenes in oil. In her artist’s statement, McLaughlin borrows Archibald MacLeish’s familiar Ars Poetica—a poem that describes the purpose of poetry though simple images and rounded rhythm—to subtly explain her work. Ending with "A poem should not mean, but be," Archibald’s lingering words can be a voiceover to McLaughlin’s The Abandoned Bicycle and Preserve—two works that capture an unspoken moment with their quiet simplicity.

Also included in the show are Louise Strawbridge’s box construction, Based on Hope, and Barbara Lewis’ still life, Radishes, in oil.

—Karen Williams

Artists’ House January Exhibitions, Jan. 2-27, reception Sun., Jan. 6, 1-4 p.m., with classical guitarist Marisol Rampolla, Artists’ House, 57 N. Second St., 215-923-8440.