Fountain Street Gallery is pleased to present “Everywhen,” featuring the work of Tatiana Flis and Joseph Fontinha. The exhibition runs through October 1, 2023. Flis, in ceramic sculptures and acrylic monoprints, and Fontinha, in oil paintings, offer glimpses of existence that evoke not just one but countless moments of being. The artists tap into feelings of passion, frustration, elation, and belonging—all fundamental to our human experience. Flis’ new sculptures pull from her upbringing as a third-generation Ukrainian American. As with her recent monotypes, these works are designed to create connections across boundaries of time and space. Fontinha’s paintings, in what he refers to as a “brief truce” between art and life, use images that are readily recognizable but, because of the palpable immediacy of each brush stroke, stand outside a traditional temporal structure. “Everywhen” invites the viewer to look beyond space, time, and individual identity, and investigate the stories and possibilities beyond a linear timeline.
Tatiana Flis grew up steeped in the rich culture of the Ukrainian diaspora. She explores the fragmentation of memory by examining her connection to objects providing a sense of belonging, using clay as a narrative. These objects are remnants of thought, time, and existence. In her monoprints, Flis layers print upon print in an overlapping sequence. The layers push and pull the perspective of the abstracted, creating a collaged appearance: a reaction to the chaos in our environment. Flis is fascinated by the almost imperceptible stillness before, during, and after the moment of discovery, and aims to capture these moments in her work. Joseph Fontinha works to have each mark in a painting carry its thematic content. This quality draws the viewer into the moment being portrayed with all of its energy and physicality. This sense of “nowness” points to the many possibilities inherent in every moment.
Fontinha is intentional about conveying truths that he feels can only be communicated through oil paint. Unlike the highly negotiated spaces captured in his videos and interactive installations, his paintings focus on the standardization of perception. This opportunity to detangle images through durational viewing allows for a deep and resonant experience.
