The Art Scene 08.25.16

Denise Gale at Ille

New work by Denise Gale, a painter who lives in Springs, will open today at Ille Arts in Amagansett with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. and will remain on view through Sept. 7.

The exhibition will include diptychs, several large-scale paintings, and a selection of drawings. While the work continues the bold, gestural quality of her earlier paintings, with broad brushstrokes and drips, two spinal surgeries during the past two years at first affected her working method.

Being unable to paint on the floor led to the diptychs, which enabled her to complete large works on the wall. Metaphorically, the central seam reflected her consciousness of the way the spine divides the back. As strength returned she was able to work on larger canvases, the exuberance of which reflected her freedom from pain. 

Jennifer Cross Solo

The mysterious and inventive paintings of Jennifer Cross, another Springs artist, will be on view at Peter Marcelle Project in Southampton from Saturday through Sept. 4, with a reception set for Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m.

In her recent work, Ms. Cross applies thinned fields of color onto wood, after which she mutes the surface with washes and glazes. Haunting interiors and landscapes, inhabited not by people but by dreamlike objects and images — a dark staircase, a birdcage, a smudged vase of flowers, fragments of architecture — suggest narratives and pique the imagination.

Her imagery reflects her memories of childhood, current events, dreams, daily encounters, and a fleeting sense of time.

New at Art Space 98

“Transformations,” recent paintings by Thomas Buhler, will be on view at Art Space 98 in East Hampton from tomorrow through Sept. 26. A reception will take place Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m.

Mr. Buhler’s art is influenced by his love of nature, especially the landscapes of the Western United States and Mexico, as well as his fascination with the evolution of life. The latter is not surprising, as he holds a master’s degree in medical science from the University of Zurich.

The recent paintings seek to express the essence of creative force with a color palette of bright yellow, blue, turquoise, purple, and red. The forms are both organic and geometric, some with ray-like spines that suggest primitive organisms pulsing with life.

Realism at Grenning

An exhibition of paintings by Ramiro and Melissa Franklin Sanchez will open Saturday at Grenning Gallery in Sag Harbor with a reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The show will continue through Sept. 25.

Ramiro’s new paintings combine his classical figurative mastery with spiritual themes. In both “Hymn” and “Allegory of Chopin (Nocturne),” a naked woman against a dark, abstract background expresses an ecstatic spirituality inspired by music.

Ms. Sanchez’s jewel-like interiors imbue ordinary objects with mystery through their dramatic lighting and strong sense of intimacy, which bring to mind Dutch still-life painting.

Jeff Muhs in Sag

An exhibition of painting and sculpture by Jeff Muhs will open today at Monika Olko Gallery in Sag Harbor and continue through Sept. 13. A reception will be held Saturday evening from 6 to 8.

Mr. Muhs’s expressionistic painting style is informed by a belief in humanity’s spiritual association with nature. He explores the changing perception of landscape painting, which in turn reflects the evolution of the environment.

Abstract Paintings at Markel

Kathryn Markel Fine Arts in Bridgehampton will show recent paintings by Gudrun Mertes-Frady from today through Sept. 18. The artist has said her work is about “clarity and structure, pared down to essential forms.” 

She mixes her own paint from metallic pigments, such as aluminum and graphite, and mica particles. As one’s vantage point changes, light reflects off the mica, creating a quality of illusory motion. Ms. Mertes-Frady explores the physical fact of color and its psychic effect through her working process.

Syd Solomon Exhibition

The Greenville County Museum of Art in Greenville, S.C., will present “Syd Solomon: Concealed and Revealed,” an exhibition of abstract paintings by the late painter, from today through Oct. 30. Solomon, who divided his time between East Hampton and Sarasota, Fla., until his death in 2004, was a central figure in the artistic circles of both communities. 

A catalog published in conjunction with the traveling exhibition includes essays by Michael Auping, chief curator of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; Gail Levin, distinguished scholar, art historian, and author; George S. Bolge, director of DeLand Art Museum, and Mike Solomon, the artist’s son.