“…plastic frogs, butterflies and thick splashes of color that seem to emerge from the surface of the canvas.”
Five Artists from Lake Superior
March 25-30th, Galeria de Arte La Madera hosted an exhibit of five established American artists from the Lake Superior region of the United States. The opening night reception was held Saturday March 25th, a good sized crowd turned out to meet and greet the artists and were entertained with refreshments and dancing by a plucky folkloric dance troupe.
Representing a wide range of influences and techniques, the exhibit was a refreshing departure from the traditional. The artists were Martin de Witt, Adu Gindy, Catherine Koemptgen, Dean Lettenstrom and Nancy Cramer Lettenstrom.
Martin de Witt’s paintings were a study in splashes, drips and swirls. His thick use of paint creating dense 3 dimensional images that encouraged the imagination. Appearing as if some landscapes of some far away place that invited you to step in.
Adu Gindy’s paintings of bright fantastical animals were lively and whimsical, with bold colors and patterns. Pure fun and delightful, with precisely constructed geometrics. A perfect match with Mexican tradition, I was reminded of Oaxaca’s famous wood carvings.
Dean Lettenstrom’s mixed media paintings used plastic frogs, butterflies and thick splashes of color that seem to emerge from the surface of the canvas. Opening a doorway to a puzzling mix of childlike symbols and serious slashes.
Nancy Cramer Lettenstrom’s drawings on papyrus of dream-like images were ponderous and disconcerting. A personal symbolism of faces and smooth precise lines in neutral tones on a rough textured surface.
A personal favorite was the photography of Catherine Koemptgen. At once haunting and stunning, her black and white images highlighted with layers of sepias and muted tones reach rich heights in portraiture. Through a multi-step photographic process of layering she creates a beautiful collage of colors over large-scale images of women. Emphasizing a stark clarity of light and shadow, softened by muted dreamlike tones, her images create a purely emotional and intimate portrait, intriguing and contemplative.
A testament to Zihuatanejo’s growing art community, Galeria de Arte La Madera is located in Zihuatanejo at Adelita #4, in La Madera directly over the canal. Galeria de Arte – La Madera has been hosting regional, Mexican and international artists for four years. The gallery is open daily 8am-10pm and is currently showing an exhibit of artists from Oaxaca and Zihuatanejo; Arte y Objectos by artists: Rodolfo Morales, Ariel Mendoza Baños, Adrian Gomez, Alfredo Tapia, Juan Alcázar and Jorge López.
(Editor’s Note: Galeria de Arte La Madera is no longer open.)
-April 2000
