PRESS RELEASE: ENERGY AND COLOR at WEST BRANCH GALLERY, Stowe

STOWE, VERMONT- Lois Eby’s swirling red and black brushstrokes pair with Judith Wrend’s boldly hued yet meditative kinetic sculptures in “Energy in Space,” an exhibition opening July 10 at the West Branch Gallery. Both artists created new bodies of work for this exhibition, which is the largest showing of both artists’ works in their combined seventy years of artmaking. The exhibition, which was recently reviewed by Art New England, will open with a gala reception July 10, and close August 15.

In the airy quarters of the West Branch Gallery’s “Curve Space,” Eby’s bold calligraphic brushstrokes spark with life. Since the early 1990s, Eby’s works have explored African American improvisational music. In her painting “Song for This Moment” red enamel lines become the blare of a trumpet crescendo; red circles are the staccato snap of a snare drum, yellow splashes of saxophone seem to lift from the page. The instantaneous experience of hearing music, feeling music, playing music, and remembering music seem simultaneously present. Eby’s focus and dexterity with her medium bring us right into the moment. We join her in what she calls “the quiet depths and ecstatic heights of improvisation.”

Judith Wrend’s kinetic sculptures of welded aluminum painted with bright enamel turn easily on the breezy lawn of the West Branch Sculpture Park. Wrend created ten new sculptures for this exhibition, ranging from pendulum-like wall pieces to monumental-scale outdoor pieces. Wrend writes, “This collection of sculptures is the result of a challenging and exhilarating time of intense energy.” Standing among Wrend’s sculptures may bring viewers greater awareness of the environment that surrounds them, as they invite the interplay of wind and sun, passing clouds and bright blue sky.

“Energy in Space” is on view at the West Branch Gallery & Sculpture Park July 10 – August 15, 2010. The show opens with a reception Saturday, July 10 from 6 pm – 9 pm. The West Branch Gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 – 6 and by appointment. For information or inquiries, please contact Amy Rahn by email (amy@stowevt.net) or by phone (802.253.8943). Or, visit the gallery website: www.westbranchgallery.com.

image 1. Lois Eby "Out Beyond the Galaxy"

image 2. Judith Wrend "Let's Misbehave"