January Staff Recommendations
This etching has a lovely perspective, a snapshot of everyday life in a simpler time. The artist pairs beautiful technique with a charming scene. It can seem mundane, but the simplicity is familiar and comforting. A child stands at the gate, a dog barks at a pedestrian, and a man leans against his bike while he talks with a neighbor. Though it comes from a different time, many of the activities pictured are pleasant parts of our routines today.
View work: Stanley Roy Badmin, Wareham, Dorset. Etching.
Mikio Watanabe, Fossile
Recommended by Sunny:
(Collections Assistant)
Mikio Watanabe's work is extremely delicate and intriguing. The themes are simple, but his execution of form and technique are quite complex. Fossile catches my eye and reminds me of an Italian marble sculpture. The lighting is beautifully balanced between cool and warm tones and the figure's pose is expressive. Both filled with emotion and purpose.
View work: Mikio Watanabe, Fossile. Color mezzotint.
Jenny Schmid, Into the Deep Dark Woods
Recommended by Nikki:
(Art Photographer / Marketing and Exhibitions Specialist)
We humans consume, use, and abuse the power we feel entitled to with nature. ‘In the Deep Dark Woods’ we are reminded that there is more to this world than our ease and comfort. Trees, plants, the land, and creatures all bear witness to what we are doing. The woods are wild, but so are we. Sometimes it takes a healthy dose of fear and discomfort to reconnect to the larger web of life we often ignore behind our screens.
View work: Jenny Schmid, Into the Deep Dark Woods. Color etching.
Chris Papa, Tokyo Tokyo
Recommended by Paige:
(Collections Manager / Marketing Coordinator)
Chris Papa's work is explosive and emotive. It's full of symbols and references that we can almost decipher, but they're stuck on the tip of our tongues. Maybe a tree? Maybe a cloud? Every color looks so unique, but we can't say why. I connect so much to 'Tokyo Tokyo' because this is also how I feel about describing a new place. We describe something new by referencing something we know, but all of our references don't relate, don't capture it right. How do we explain something that comes from somewhere that we don't know?
View work: Chris Papa, Tokyo Tokyo. Woodcut.
View all staff recommendations here.