Conroy, Admasian, Hitzig and Tarbell
AVA Gallery and Art Center – Lebanon, NH – avagallery.org – September 6–October 2, 2019
This fall, the AVA Gallery and Art Center showcases exhibitions by four regional artists whose work is as diverse as the New England landscape: Marked, featuring the raw, abstract forms of multi-media artist Mary Admasian; colorful wildlife paintings by Rosemary Conroy in Love At First Sight; Rob Hitzig’s multilayered wood paintings and sculpture in Rough/Polished and What Is On Your Balcony, paintings inspired by Spanish architecture and flora by Pamela Tarbell. Admasian and Hitzig, longtime friends from Montpelier, VT, are hosting “Contrast and Connections,” a gallery talk on September 26th about the contrast between, as well as building connections through, their art.
“We want a discussion about how people look at abstract or conceptual art,” says Admasian, who often uses barbed wire in her work as a metaphor for boundaries which, she believes, inspire connections through personal stories. “As viewers, we may feel a need to connect with art that relates to the real world,” she says. ‘But it doesn’t have to. It can simply appeal to your internal spirit or voice.”
Long inspired by each other’s work, Admasian and Hitzig have exhibited together before. Admasian used pieces of Hitzig’s discarded fire wood as the foundation for many of her works in Marked; they each have works featured in Sculpturefest 2019, an outdoor art event in Woodstock, VT.
Mary Admasian, Marked Together, 2017, beachwood, barbed wire, acrylic paint, 6 x 6 ½ x 1″. Courtesy of AVA Gallery and Art Center.
Hitzig’s multidimensional works on wood examine contrast through color, shape and texture. The emotional connections forged through his art help drive his process. “I want to go beyond words and create work that’s more about evoking emotions and feelings you can’t easily describe,” he says. Hitzig sometimes won’t name his art, or gives it nonsensical titles, inviting viewers to draw their own conclusions. “Mary and I use a lot of contrast in our work,” he says. “There are also contrasts between what we’re doing and what the viewer is seeing. The connections may be almost invisible but they’re there.”
The duo wants their gallery talk to generate vigorous discussion; questions are the point of their work. “I love the art to be open-ended, with no clear answer,” says Hitzig. “It’s better for discussion.”