“Out of Nowhere,” is currently on exhibit at the Fountain Street Gallery The exhibition features the work of Marcia R Wise and Melissa Shaak. The artists have teamed up — Wise working in oils and Shaak in acrylics with elements of sculpture and video — to illuminate the mystery, wonder and vicissitudes of life. Trees dance in the heart of the woods in Wise’s colorrich evocations of nature’s unpredictability. Shaak’s figures step daringly out of their paintings into space and time. The artists push the bounds of their respective mediums, working to make sense of chaos, find light to guide us, and transform what comes to us out of nowhere. Out of Nowhere is ongoing through May 30th, 2021.
Marcia R Wise’s intuition was piqued when caught in a windstorm in the woods. The experience provided the emotional drive behind the development of her newest paintings. Nature’s chaos is recalled and interpreted as a metaphor for the unexpected in our lives which, in Wise’s case, includes the challenges of caring for a loved one with cancer. In this series she finds freedom amidst uncertainty, releasing preconceived notions about life and trusting her artistic process as it unfolds. It is through this reflection of the powerful aspects of nature that the viewer experiences Wise’s inner relationship with the world.
Melissa Shaak’s seven oddly archetypal figures inhabit the exhibition in various forms— portrait-like paintings on the wall, cutouts standing tall in the gallery, and as an ensemble captured on video. In espionage parlance, the term “cutout” refers to a trusted intermediary. These figures serve as trustworthy personas made manifest to help us navigate and mediate the world today. Each raises a torch, or scepter, holding the light, signaling and leading the way. Shaak’s process, one of seeking and finding form, is filled with creative sparks and enigmatic turns. The invitation inherent in the work is to catch and take hold of the creative impulses that come our way.
For more information on the gallery and their program – visit www.fsfaboston.com.
