Kim DiDonato: “Edges and Echoes”; Kathy Knaus: “Symbiosis: The Art of Living Together”; Tom Riedel: “Color Studies” will be on exhibit in our main gallery.
Kim DiDonato – “Edges and Echoes”
Edges and Echoes explores a captivating collection of abstract paintings where hard-edge shapes
intersect with ghostly, abstracted figures – a contemporary homage to the haunting intensity of Giacometti. Dominated by a monochrome palette, DiDonato’s works are punctuated with bold splashes of color, creating moments of striking contrast and emotional resonance. This exhibition invites viewers to navigate the tension between form and void, solidity and shadow.
Kim DiDonato is a visual artist newly arrived in Denver from Washington DC where her work was widely exhibited and collected. Edges and Echoes is her first solo show since moving to Colorado. Her dynamic art features landscape-inspired abstract imagery and expressive figurative work based on studio drawing sessions. She uses a variety of material approaches and techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture.
Kathy Knaus – “Symbiosis: The Art of Living Together”
Kathy Knaus’ exhibition has emerged from a close examination of the word “symbiosis.” Symbiosis describes a relationship or interaction between two dissimilar organisms. In nature, there are many examples where organisms depend on each other to survive. Symbiotic relationships can serve as important indicators of the health of ecosystems. For instance, increasing ocean temperatures caused by climate change have severely damaged coral reefs, disrupting their delicate balances. Lichen offers a perfect example of symbiosis. It represents a mutual relationship between a fungus and a photosynthetic partner, typically an alga. This partnership allows lichens to thrive in diverse and often harsh environments, as the fungus provides structure and protection while the alga produces food through photosynthesis.
Knaus believes that observing how nature functions is a valuable exercise in understanding how society might be better conducted. These natural parallels are explored through her paintings. In today’s political climate, there is deep concern about the relationship between political parties. What occurs appears to be a highly destructive interaction. In nature, parasitism occurs when one organism benefits at the expense of another. This dynamic can be seen when political elites exploit their positions for personal gain. Parasitism is defined as a relationship where one species, the parasite, lives with, on, or in a host species, causing harm to the host. Society is currently experiencing a form of parasitism. While it may not immediately destroy institutions, it can weaken them over time. Both in nature and in politics, there is a need to return to a mutual symbiosis to heal and preserve the environment and society.
Tom Riedel – “Color Studies”
Riedel uses geometric shapes and hard-edged areas of color to create a meditative visual experience. Works are composed of hand-cut and layered pieces of illustration board and cardboard that are painted with acrylic and reassembled like puzzles into tiles arranged in grids. Each work is a color study that starts with a basic palette that evolves until the overall play of geometric design and color feels vibrant, interesting, and engaging. Color Studies explores the process of resolving color interactions and issues from initial palette selection through completion of individual works. While color studies help artists figure out in a preliminary way specific colors to use in larger works, Riedel sees initial palette selection as only the first step in an iterative process that might end up producing a palette altogether different from the initial one.
Exhibition Events:
Artist Reception: Friday, October 24, 6-9 pm
Halloween on Santa Fe: Friday, October 31, 6-9 pm
First Friday on Santa Fe: Friday, November 7, 6-9 pm
Last Look: Sunday, November 16, 11-4 pm
Banner Image: Kathy Knaus, “Bees and Flowers.”