“Movie Time” by Don Greeson
Opening Reception:
June 10, 5 -7 pm
The Gallery at Flat Rock is excited to present a lighthearted group exhibit focused on objects and materials that are iconic to childhood and playtime. “Child’s Play” will feature the work of four local artists: Don Greeson, Jean Greeson, Janet Hickey, and Janet Orselli.
“Each of these artists does a great job of capturing a sense of the creative joys and play-filled days of childhood,” says Suzanne Camarata, owner of The Gallery at Flat Rock. “The timing of this fun show couldn’t be better after such a difficult year.”
Painter Don Greeson—whose first public art exhibit is “Child’s Play”— sought out original packaging of a variety of everyday items from bygone eras to use as subjects for his paintings. “My subject matter tends to be somewhat nostalgic, featuring vintage toys or familiar antiques,” says Don. “Most of my paintings tell a story, designed to inspire memories of youthful imagination and innocent fun.”
Don’s wife Jean has a similar take on things in her clay sculptures. “I try not to take my sculpting too seriously, and have fun playing with clay as I did when I was a child,” says Jean of her complex and colorful pieces. “Whimsical and humorous, it reflects my passion for animals, flowers and color…which hopefully takes viewers back to the days when their minds were more open, creative and free.”
The quietly enigmatic assemblage sculptures by Janet Orselli, which feature carefully structured objects, also evoke lost days of carefree play. The discarded objects she finds to create her artwork often have the visible wear and tear from the hands of the children that once treasured them. Creating a new life for the objects, mostly of wood and other organic materials, is a point of fascination for Janet.
Janet Hickey, who creates diminutive mixed-media sculptures, takes playful irreverence to the next level. “Ready for Spring” (at only 9 inches tall), encapsulates the child-like enthusiasm of swimming for the first time in warm weather, even if it’s just in a plastic kiddie pool. The flat-out weirdness of her figures—which are created to look more like an insect than a human body, adds to the fun of Janet’s pieces.
