“The Process of Discovery” has opened at Heather Gaudio Fine Art in New Canaan.
The gallery is paying tribute to Hartford-born artist Bryan Nash Gill (1961-2013), who died unexpectedly in May.
The exhibition, said to be the first comprehensive solo show since his death, will explore the many facets of Gill’s career, one that included work in pastels, monoprints, woodcuts and sculpture.
Adding a most personal touch is the exhibition of the artist’s journal, a woodblock from his studio, stencils used in his work and his signature publication, “Woodcut” (Princeton Architectural Press, 2012).
Here are a few lines from the gallery about the show:
“The artist collected wood on his 10-acre property, Beckwith Brook Farm, in New Hartford, Connecticut gathering material from fallen or dead indigenous trees including ash, oak, locust, spruce, willow, pine and maple, among others. In his 2,800 square foot, two-story studio that he built by hand, Gill cut cross-sections of trunks or branches, planed and sanded the surfaces, burned and brushed them, sealed the wood and carefully applied ink. He then transferred the image to handmade Japanese rice paper (washi) by rubbing with his hand or using the bowl of a spoon capturing the growth rings and imperfections in vivid detail. ‘In graduate school, I concluded that art is (or should be) an experience that brings you closer to understanding yourself in relation to your surroundings…’ offered Gill. ‘It is a discovery process.’”
A reception will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. March 1, with the exhibition continuing through March 22.
Heather Gaudio Fine Art is at 21 South Ave. in New Canaan. Call (203) 801-9590 or visit heathergaudiofineart.com.
– Mary Shustack
