Denver, CO 80206
Elsa Sroka and Stephanie Hartshorn
Two Person Exhibition
November 6 – 28, 2015
Opening Reception Friday, November 6, 6-9 p.m.
Abend Gallery is proud to present a two person exhibition featuring the works of gallery artists Elsa Sroka and Stephanie Hartshorn. The work of Elsa Sroka and Stephanie Hartshorn are vastly different but with a closer look it becomes clear they share some similarities. While Sroka’s paintings inhabit a more dream-like world, Hartshorn’s are more pragmatic in style. In terms of subject matter animals and imaginative landscapes are represented in Sroka’s work while Hartshorn’s adapt the forgotten spaces and places of our urban and rural environments. The two artists realms merge in a wider scope. They both have elements associated with modern, Western style painting. In addition to this, on a visceral level, both artists have the ability to produce earnest representations of their chosen subject matter. By placing these two artists side by side it becomes clear how different yet how similar they are. The end result for both Sroka and Hartshorn is quantified by the genuinely positive response of their viewers, always eager to see and share in more of their work.
The work of Elsa Sroka evokes a true sense of the animals she paints. When talking about her work she says, “I fell in love with the cows by accident. They are my muses. They teach me how to paint and I learn from them”. Each painting has a true sense of agency elsewhere unseen. The paintings are aptly titled with names or feelings otherwise considered human. thus giving the viewer a sense of the animal’s personalities to go along with their physical characteristics. Sroka has an incredible ability to generate an emotive response from her viewers with these paintings given her atypical albeit refreshing approach to portraiture. Stephanie Hartshorn has a knack for feeling out the more obscure parts of our environments. Given her architectural background, she has an eye for the angles, lines, shapes, and settings that stand out when given a second look. By focusing her viewers’ attention on the areas less explored and appreciated she is able to articulate just how beautiful they are.
There are complex formal qualities within Sroka’s work as well. She begins each piece with a sketch made with loose charcoal and from there she applies the paint. Interestingly, Sroka primarily paints these pieces with her hands, scraping and moving it when wet, creating complex, layered works that blend realistic and abstract elements. It’s important to emphasize that Sroka only paints the animals she feels a connection with. Painting them by hand paired with that feeling is as necessary as it is visceral. Hartshorn focuses in on particular aspects of the buildings and landscapes she paints. Specific angles of buildings, signs, roads… it always comes back to her perspective. She applies paint in a clear and structured manner, carefully outlining each subject and using all the elements within the scene to highlight them further. Hartshorn’s ability to not only capture but reproduce the textures, light, and essence of her subjects in a very real, tangible way further speaks to her abilities as an artist.
Sroka is drawn to art that has strong narratives and that comes through in her work. Stemming from childhood and the stories and fairytales that populated those years, she continues to create those fictional worlds she imagined on canvas. Much like her landscapes pieces, the scenes in which she places the cows don’t exist anywhere in reality. The dream-like settings exude warmth and a sense of Sroka’s fondness for the places she’s created and the creatures that inhabit them. There is a real sense of nostalgia when looking at Hartshorn’s paintings. The sign pieces invoke a sense of a time past, of places that still remain but hold more institutional status today. In pieces like ‘Take Flight’ she replicates her subjects not only in a realistic manner but in such a way as to make their very essence tangible. Each piece encapsulates a sense of the history of its subject. Through her technique and attention to the details that are so often overlooked we are reminded of the importance of stepping back and taking a moment to appreciate the beauty found in the familiar.
Making the animals more human, or rather giving her viewers the chance to engage and relate to them, is a singular talent of Sroka’s. Given her unique approach to painting and how she lets the cows dictate elements to her, it is no surprise that her work is so well-received. As she continues to paint the animals she adds new elements, new layers of complexity that continue to fascinate and engage. There is nothing clinical or calculated about Sroka’s work, it’s as free and open as the pastures she finds her muses in. With a fondness for the architecture and aesthetic of decades past, Hartshorn calls attention to these places and spaces in both our urban and natural environments in an interesting and insightful way. Her keen eye and attention to detail highlight the places that populate our realities. Her perspective is one to be savored and explored.
Through exploring the styles and methods of both these artists it becomes apparent how different they are and how much they relate. Both Sroka and Hartshorn’s ideas and painterly abilities translate to the viewer as engaging and thoughtful meditations on their chosen subject matter. Given both artists continued success it remains apparent how important both they and their work are.
Abend Gallery Fine Art was established in 1990 and offers an extensive collection of fine art from fresh, contemporary works to traditional, representational paintings and sculpture by national and internationally recognized professional artists.
Additional Photos can be found at: Sroka Hartshorn Two Person Exhibition
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tspp4kgnrf8qpxa/AADgTcobb5wo1SefsD-fDzBTa?dl=0
