AS220 Galleries is excited to announce that Carolyn Kent and Robert Easton will be hosting a Closing Reception and an Artist Talk on Saturday August 27th from 3-5pm at the Main Gallery located at 115 Empire St. Masks are not required but are encouraged. Contact our Gallery Director Neal Walsh at Neal@as220.org for inquiries, to schedule an appointment and/or tour. AS220 Gallery events are free and open to all ages.

Artist Statement by Carolyn Kent: The world is clearly a challenging place now, given the political and economic climate, our pandemic, and issues of racial adversity. And I began to observe that some of the resulting negativity was finding its way into my canvasses. After much thought, it occurred to me that I both needed and wanted to change my perspective. Not to ignore these issues, by any means, but to create a place of solace. A pause of sorts. And with that realization, I began creating a new body of work entitled “Pause for a Moment.” I observed, both internally and externally, the beauty and positivity that, despite all of the present challenges, were also present. It was only mine for the taking, and wasn’t that difficult to find, once I looked for it. I merely looked around and through the chaos, and painted “the other side”. This work thus reflects the other side of these heavy times, and creates a sense of renewal for me, and I hope for others who might seek relief.

Robert describes his new exhibition as follows: This collection of photographs comes from a variety of military museums. Some are local, housed in armories or storefronts, others are from Havana and Trinidad, Cuba, and El Salvador. Some of the images contain fragments of artifacts that carry significant emotional weight. The intent is not to glorify the combatants, but to juxtapose the imagery of a conflict with other elements so as to add energy and interest.

A Q+A with AS220 Galleries and Robert Easton:

Q: Can you talk a little about the moments leading up your photograph “Havana Color” that you currently
have showcased in the AS220 Flat-File Project and Online Shop? and why you chose to name that
photograph “Havana Color”?

A: Every trip or project seems to have one image that characterizes the whole group. When I was in Havana, I would often get up early and wander the streets of El Centro before there was too much traffic. I’d get coffee, sometimes have a chat, but mostly, admire the resourceful Havaneros who would do their best to make their home look as good as possible. Often they seemed to use paint, and some buildings seemed to have several layers. Initially, it seemed that they just used whatever paint was available that day, regardless of color, but I grew to realize that the colors were a feature not a bug! “Havana Color” is a good representation of that idea.

Q: You have a reoccurring theme of exterior textures, materials, colors and shadows.. Can you talk a little
about this and why this theme reoccurs throughout your series and trips?

A: Exterior textures, materials, colors and shadows are very patient subjects, They can be viewed from a
distance, and examined close up. People have remarked that I don’t seem to like photographing people,
but I would invite them to the Artist Portrait exhibit and show them otherwise.