Kathryn Markel Fine Arts is pleased to present Groping for the Elephant, an exhibition of thirteen new paintings by artist Fran Shalom. The show will be up through October 23rd.
In a time when the world is in a bit of an ambiguous state, Shalom’s lush colorful paintings offer a point of discovery, exploration, and freedom as we try to make sense of the world. Shalom writes about her paintings that, “the shapes reference the human body but are open to interpretation. Animated by bright, cartoony colors and figure/ground relationships, I think of the paintings as ambiguous characters who inhabit my studio keeping me company and often engaging in silent, humorous conversation.” Shalom is not beholden to a set way of making, she relishes the freedom of the uncertainty in her work and what can be discovered in the process. This discovery is also open to the viewer’s interacting with the work, finding meaning, references in an abstracted space. We, as the viewer, aren’t necessary able to pick out exact references in the work, but we get lost in creating our own, which creates a very free and egalitarian experience.
The title of the exhibition comes from Shalom’s interest in the parable about the blind men and the elephant, specifically, how it is illuminated in Buddhism. This parable originated throughout the Indian subcontinent and the many religions practiced in this area have numerous versions of this story.
For information on the gallery please visit – www.markelfinearts.com
JAZZY, 2021 oil on canvas
