Project 4 Gallery is a rather new gallery in Washington D.C, just one block away from the U-Street Cardozo stop on the Green line. The gallery focuses on contemporary art and design, with one-person shows and thematic exhibitions by emerging or mid-career artists. The gallery likes to be "open" by inviting guest curators to host exhibitions and also emphasizes recurring and emerging trends within contemporary art and design. The gallery hopes to remain a flexible space for art and ideas in all forms--whether it be installation, video, sculpture, site specific works, etc.-- spanning a range of cultural issues.
http://www.project4gallery.com/index.html
Beau Chamberlain on his art work:
"The titles give my paintings a loose narrative structure that allows the viewer to piece together their interpretation of the scenes upon entering these environments unaware of whether they have just missed something or whether they are in the middle of some future action about to take place. At first, plant and animal life seem to be in a state of suspended animation, unable to break free of the vibrant, reverberating color of their atmosphere, but, at closer examination, the seemingly static landscapes reveal themselves: they are teeming with life. Undulating organic forms float through space, creating tension with one another and their environment. Hollow cocoons, empty trees and headless serpents are some of the recurring symbols of life and death, strength and instability, predator and prey. Nothing in these environments can be taken at face value. "
"all signs point to maybe." (2007)
"only a glimpse." (2007)
"breathing was the easy part."(2007)
"this is forever." (2007)
Thoughts:
So all of these are done with acrylic on panel, and I know paintings are generally more expensive to purchase...but the collection *definitely* needs them-- especially ones that will immediately catch the eye, and draw people in.
What I love about Beau Chamberlain's paintings is that he literally creates a dreamlike world of flora and fauna seemingly suspended in mid-air. When you look carefully, it is not a mere collage of images of botanical and entomological subjects tacked onto a bright background; it is a breathing, vibrant world that seems to be teeming with metaphorical representations of birth, life and death in a "place" that has no definitive time, location or scale. As stated in the artist's statement, nothing in nature can or should be taken at face value.
Also, I like how Beau Chamberlain does not allow viewers to be passive; the enigmatic titles provide a framework for viewers to guess or create a narrative.
I highly suggest you go to his website to view the images in larger format.
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