Art Exhibit at Alumnae House Evokes Summer Nostalgia
Molly Hamer
Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: Arts
Although I'm a junior at Smith, I had yet to visit the Alumnae House when I stopped by to check out the current exhibition of paintings by Phyllis Rosser, a successful artist and Smith alumna. The exhibition space alone is worth a visit; the paintings are displayed in a long, sunlit room with tall windows and boxes of blooming flowers. The space has the feel of a greenhouse, making it the perfect setting for Rosser's lush flower studies.
Depictions of individual flowers cover huge canvases in paintings reminiscent of the works of Georgia O'Keeffe. Rosser gives us an intimate view of a flower's inner workings; we not only appreciate the beautiful petals but are also surprised by the delicate pistils at the center. The flowers are painted with broad strokes in rich, vivid colors. Something about Rosser's technique makes her subjects strikingly three-dimensional, as if the flowers were growing naturally out of the canvas. One of the great pleasures of the exhibition is the persuasive sense of texture; I felt that I could reach out and touch the silky surface of the petals.
Favorites of mine were the lovely "Phalaenopsis-white" and the dramatic "Red Poppy," in which the red petals cascade across the canvas like layers of crushed velvet. Also intriguing were the works in which the flowers are painted against a pure-black background. These have the quality of portraits, reminding me of the black and white studio stills of movie stars from the thirties and forties in which the light plays lovingly over every detail of an actress's face.
The 10 paintings form a truly romantic collection. Rosser writes in her artist's statement, flowers "allowed me to express and experience feelings that were otherwise repressed in the conservative Protestant environment of my family home. Over the years they've continued to attract me and become personal symbols of many things - love, joy, abundance, sensuality, exoticism and the rapture of nature."
Stop by the Alumnae House while the warm weather lasts, or wait until later in the fall to get a dose of hot, glamorous colors that will make you nostalgic for summer.
The exhibition runs until November 13; the Alumnae House is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Depictions of individual flowers cover huge canvases in paintings reminiscent of the works of Georgia O'Keeffe. Rosser gives us an intimate view of a flower's inner workings; we not only appreciate the beautiful petals but are also surprised by the delicate pistils at the center. The flowers are painted with broad strokes in rich, vivid colors. Something about Rosser's technique makes her subjects strikingly three-dimensional, as if the flowers were growing naturally out of the canvas. One of the great pleasures of the exhibition is the persuasive sense of texture; I felt that I could reach out and touch the silky surface of the petals.
Favorites of mine were the lovely "Phalaenopsis-white" and the dramatic "Red Poppy," in which the red petals cascade across the canvas like layers of crushed velvet. Also intriguing were the works in which the flowers are painted against a pure-black background. These have the quality of portraits, reminding me of the black and white studio stills of movie stars from the thirties and forties in which the light plays lovingly over every detail of an actress's face.
The 10 paintings form a truly romantic collection. Rosser writes in her artist's statement, flowers "allowed me to express and experience feelings that were otherwise repressed in the conservative Protestant environment of my family home. Over the years they've continued to attract me and become personal symbols of many things - love, joy, abundance, sensuality, exoticism and the rapture of nature."
Stop by the Alumnae House while the warm weather lasts, or wait until later in the fall to get a dose of hot, glamorous colors that will make you nostalgic for summer.
The exhibition runs until November 13; the Alumnae House is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Henya Rachmiel
posted 11/20/08 @ 4:08 PM EST
Hi,
Is it possible to get a copy of the catalog for Phyllis Rosser's flower paintings?
Thank you!
Henya
Henya Rachmiel
posted 11/20/08 @ 4:11 PM EST
Henya: hrachmiel@gmail.com... if you can help. thanks!
Ian
posted 11/21/08 @ 1:40 AM EST
On the article about Katy Perry's song I Kissed a Girl, I commented that it was a paean to Summer, a nostalgia for summer. This article, describing erotic expressions by the artist referring to female genitalia is a supplement. (Continued…)
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