My brother, Fran, was eating lunch when we stopped by on Friday, lasagna that he had warmed on the stovetop. It looked so good we decided to go out for Italian that night. Nearby Pasta Villa was the obvious first choice. Since they don’t take reservations we made a point to be there at 5. The bar was full and there was a forty minute wait in the dining room. We called Lucano’s on East Avenue and got in there.
The night was still young. We stopped at Studio 402 for Sam Fratto‘s show of Arcadia paintings based on photos he took in the Adirondacks. I use the word “Arcadia” as in an idealized wilderness, a utopian place of unspoiled nature, harmony, and simple life. Like the retreats Kirchner and his fellow Brücke artists would take at the lakes outside Dresden where they bathed and created artworks depicting each other in relaxed harmony with nature. I’m hoping this genre comes back.
Next stop was next door at at Colleen Buzzard’s for Karen Sardisko‘s show, “Paintings and Re-Imagined Monoprints.” I really loved this one on the big wall. Diptych’s are tricky. The two halves have to talk to one another. Getting one painting to work is hard enough. Getting two paintings to work with each other and have whole efficacious is a real trick. ( I almost said “kick ass” in that last sentence but settled on the synonym, “efficacious”)
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1st thing that struck me about the Fratto painting was the sense of lighting. Abstract, due to the painting style, but completely spot on with accuracy. I can’t imagine getting such a realistic feel w/o source material – either photo or the actual location, being right in front of the painter.