William Tucker And Kamini Avril
Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College • Providence, RI • ric.edu/bannister • April 2–24, 2020
Kamini Avril, Journey, 2019, oil on canvas, 66 x 78″. Courtesy of Kamini Avril and William Tucker.
In April, the Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College will host an exhibition of works by painter Kamini Avril and sculptor William Tucker. Facilitated by faculty emeritus Donald Smith, the exhibit marks the first time this husband and wife team will share a space exclusively dedicated to their work in conversation. The two share a remarkably similar creative process, yet their work is profoundly different in medium, execution, and form.
Avril describes her art as emerging from the unconscious mind, yet she relies on the physical work of painting to “activate that process.” The energetic brushwork and figures emerging from layers of vibrant color in paintings such as Flying Apart and Messenger include images evocative of dissolution, journeys, and transitions, and are influenced by recent personal losses. These large paintings contain mysterious human and animal figures and range from abstract to representational.
Tucker is known for large-scale abstract works in bronze, yet the Bannister will feature smaller pieces, including works from a series of abstracted heads, many inspired by myth, history, and the work of other artists. Little Jeanne, for instance, is inspired by Matisse’s Jeannette series, while A Poet for Our Time evokes Philip Guston’s portrait of T.S. Eliot. The sculptures first appear as organic rock formations; a closer look reveals details suggesting a face. The pieces are playful and compelling, and their nods to mythological and historical figures, as well as artists Tucker admires, invite the viewer’s own associations, deepening the experience.
Both artists describe working intuitively, with shapes and ideas emerging through the physicality of production and material. It takes time to absorb their work, and the artists embrace this. “You can enjoy the pure quality of the paint and the color, or the handling of the plaster, at the same time allowing the images to emerge as you spend time with it,” says Tucker. “Today, this isn’t easy, since we are inundated with visual information we process and discard immediately. But art needs duration,” adds Avril. The work on view at the Bannister invites the public to take their time and be rewarded for their efforts.