Beverly Barber and Mary Hughes: Painted from Memory November 7, 2001 - January 15, 2002 Curated by Michelle Fiorenza Beverly Barber I am fascinated by the relationship between an image and its historicity, the concept of painting as a conscious act of "memory," the definition or description of an event in time. Along with my travels, I look to Italian Renaissance, 17th century Dutch and 18th century English works as a means of "revisiting" the historical moment. I work with a small section of a painting, often a small piece of background landscape or architecture, chosen for the expressiveness of color or composition. I am struck by the complex interaction of the representational choices made by the artists, and in turn, the experience of the viewer, near or removed in time and place, to again translate this event or experience into yet another context. Mary Hughes This body of work represents a continuation of the themes I have been exploring over the past few years in my painting. Landscape imagery has remained constant in my work, acting as both a point of reference and departure point. The formal aspects of landscape painting, such as light and space fascinate me and I utilize these elements in the creation of places and moments that are meant to be metaphorical rather than actual. Many of these works are based on real places that I have been but are intended to be a representation of my memory and experience rather than a document of a location. The spaces I create are intended to be mythical and otherworldly. They represent, perhaps, more a state of mind than a place of being. At times I feel that there is a journey involved, both the journey of making the painting and an emotional journey through things experienced. Go to the Dean's Gallery home page