The Marion Art Center is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of an exhibition of mixed media paintings, Breaking News, by artist Gayle Wells Mandle. From Friday, May 26 through Saturday, June 24, both of the Art Center’s galleries will be filled with works by the renowned artist. A reception in her honor will be held on Friday, May 26, at the Marion Art Center, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. It is free and open to the public.
Mandle, who earned her MFA at Rhode Island School of Design and quickly launched many solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States, considers herself to be a storyteller. She feels a responsibility as an artist to draw attention to world events that affect our well-being, examining current affairs and global events through her artwork. Having recently returned from living several years in the Middle East, much of Mandle’s recent artwork has focused on human rights, social and economic inequality and environmental challenges. In her creative process, Mandle presents the story in each painting in a semi-abstract format, using mixed media, text and texture to support the narrative. She says, “While the canvas is like a megaphone for me, I choose to present the story in a more poetic format. The Eastern philosophy of balancing opposites appeals to my aesthetic sensibility. I work back and forth on my canvases from construction to deconstruction, adding my writing to partially erased thoughts, all the time planning, yet embracing spontaneity in the process. I use the reality depicted in my own photographs, juxtaposing them with abstractions that develop from torn textures and the energy of my brushstrokes. My process involves continual adding and editing, the story revealed and then partially veiled to engage in a ‘hide and seek dialogue’ with the observer.”
The Marion Art Center is located at 80 Pleasant Street in Marion, MA and is open to the public. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 1:00 to 5:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. For more information, call 508-748-1266 or visit www.marionartcenter.org