In Context

by Andrew Parks

art

She looks so sad propped against the wall, eyes closed, body bathed in the blue gaslights of cobblestone alleys. "Where did she get that "Princess' necklace and what significance does it hold?" you wonder while stealing a closer look. Don't think too hard. There's no clear answer, really. She's just a painting on a wall, after all.

Wendy Letven's Princess oil painting is one of many resonant pieces on display at "Figure and Context," the first in a series of second Friday openings at the Afif Gallery. Director Liz Afif says the show explores "man's relationship to environment. The interpretation of the theme varies greatly, but what holds all of the work together is a search for meaning in existence, explored through representation of the figure."

In less theoretical terms, it's art addressing the human condition. There's Tomoko Suzuki's Muddy Pond, a charcoal drawing of rotund figures sucked into a gray, decaying abyss; Amy Holmes George's Void, which manipulates negatives to expand our notions of reality; Linda Harris' Hangover Eyes, a small, surrealistic oil painting that drops us between two women in conflict (pictured); Anne Canfield's Christine, an abstract, intriguing portrait of a close friend; and Matthias Duwel's Green Day, an egg tempera panel overwhelmed by swirling strokes of green, white and earth tones. The juried exhibition spotlights artists from across the country, drawn from submissions as far away as Hawaii.

"People constantly adapt to different themes," curator Rick Zane says of the concept. "The never-ending adjustment that revolves in our everyday life can be really amazing."

"Figure and Context," opening reception Fri., Aug. 13, 5-8 p.m., exhibition through Sept. 3, Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Afif Gallery, 1904 South St., 215-520-4062, www.afifgallery.com.