Intricate Sculptures, Abstract Paintings & Mysterious Photos Open at the Red Bluff Art Gallery

Feb. 29, 2008 - PRLog -- (RED BLUFF) – Abstract and impressionist art, as well as sculptures will be featured at an Artists’ Reception at the Red Bluff Art Gallery on Friday, March 7th from 5-9 p.m.

A County Mental Health specialist, a retired antiques dealer, a Staples employee, a biological science technician, a construction project manager, and a retired teacher are just some of the people exhibiting new art works in a three part exhibition at the Gallery, featuring work by about 30 artists. Two Redding artists, Mary Hoy and Tegwin Matenaer have works in the Group Abstract Exhibit.

Reeba Barrows will be featured in the Solo Gallery. She will show large paintings, as well as intricate sculptures of various sizes. Her sculptures and "fetishes" are complex, colorful and elicit a multitude of reactions from viewers.

At the turn of the Century, Ms. Barrows created 2000 of her small sculptures as a tribute to the event. She and her partner, Zak, then embarked on an extended "exhibition" of sorts, leaving individual pieces in public places, such as at a bus stop or in a Park. After leaving the sculpture in a public spot, they would then take up a remote position to view the reactions of people who encountered the sculptures.

"Everyone had a different reaction" Barrows says, " from intense curiosity to apparent stress that the object had been left by accident. It was a very rewarding experiment. After we observed reactions, we would talk to the people who had encountered the pieces."

Eugenie Hirsch, a retired antiques dealer, is one of about 25 artists with work in the Group Gallery’s "Abstract and Impressionist Art". She will be displaying two of her incredibly intricate paintings that feature hundreds of smaller images within the larger images. Tropical birds and exotic painted faces can be found in her drawings, among many other things.

Where does she get her ideas? "Well, the birds live with me and sometimes sit on my shoulder as I work", Eugenie says, "But the faces come from out of my head."

Gregg Harmon, with his photographic "Abstract Pieces" is featured in the Miniature Gallery. Detail and texture in his photos seems to come naturally to Gregg when he can get away from his job with the County and follow his passion in the remote canyons and rivers of Utah and Colorado.

He will have twelve pieces in this exhibit, each with its own mysterious and beautiful textures. A photograph of a rock, taken in Peru, has been mistaken for "a shot of the night sky while standing on a beach". Another viewer thought it was an ariel view of a farm field. Each person seems to have their own interpretations of Gregg’s photos. Friday he will be on hand for the Reception to answer questions and explain where photos came from.

Another local photographer, David Lee Kersey, will be showing an "impressionist" photo entitled "Walking to Class". Again, a bit mysterious, the subject of the photo, a CSUC student, is moving so fast that he – or she – is just a vapor trail. Other people in the photo appear to be frozen in place.

Tegwin Matenaer, a very popular North State pastel artist, will be showing in the Group Abstract exhibit, but chose to challenge the Gallery and the definition of "abstract". As a counterpoint to the other Group work, she presents "minimalist vs. abstract" landscapes. Matenaer also has a solo exhibit, "LifeScapes", scheduled in the Gallery in April.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Artist’s Reception on Friday night, Dress casual and expect to have fun and be surprised at the large array of unique art. Receptions at the Gallery generally attract 150-200 people. And just like the artists, the viewers come from all walks of life – from young students to bank presidents to retired dentists and organic farmers!

The Red Bluff Art Gallery is at 516 Walnut (kitty corner to the Post Office). More information is available by phoning 529-1332, or by visiting the website at www.RedBluffArtGallery.com. The Red Bluff Art Gallery, sponsored by Blue Oaks Arts, is open weekdays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The current exhibitions will run from March 7 to April 11.

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The Red Bluff Art Gallery is at 516 Walnut , Red Bluff, California. More information is available by phoning 530-529-1332, or by visiting the website at www.RedBluffArtGallery.com

Website: www.redbluffartgallery.com