AS220 MAIN GALLERY 115 Empire St.
Soldier’s Scrapbook | Robert Easton
Pause for a Moment | Carolyn Kent

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. – Words by Robert Easton

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. – Words by Carolyn Kent

AS220 PROJECT SPACE 93 Mathewson St.
Beam Down Here | Simon Slowinski

In the Winter of 2014, I found a add Craigslist for some screen printing equipment. The owner of a sign printing shop in Cranston was retiring and selling his 8ftx6ft “Cincinnati one-arm-bandit” screen printing press. This press allowed a single person to make huge prints using a long squeegee arm. Some interested friends and I wrangled the press it into a space in the Atlantic Mills building in Olneyville. 8 years later we call the space WARP Collective and still share it with seven other artists. The new press gave me a large working area and I had to figure out what to do with it. I became inspired by my studio mates around me. They were sewing, weaving, knitting, and embroidering, and I was drawn into to the patterns and textures in the textiles around me. I started creating my own layered patterns on paper using yarn, paper, and tape to create stencils for screenprinting. This monoprinting process allowed me to work fast and cover the entire area of the press without fussing over editioning. I would jump back and forth between painting and printing, working on multiple pieces at the same time. Sometimes a print would work right away, and I would have to hide it from myself before I could ruin it with unnecessary additions. Other times I would struggle with a print, adding layers on layers building up a claustrophobic web that strained my eyeballs. When everything worked I felt like I created a space I could live in. Marbled gradients of transparent ink might imitate the water or sky or open up areas of atmospheric space. Overlapping chaotic grids of color and texture might look like a shredded pieces of textile under a microscope. Beam Down Here is my sci-fi way of saying “come to my art show”. I’m excited to finally unroll these prints and share them with everyone. – Words by Simon Slowinski

READING ROOM
Memory and Landscape | Lauren Scotto

I am constantly taking snapshots of my surroundings and mixing color in my mind. Nature, as well as the buildings and structure of the city inspire my work. My art is inherently moody, using color and texture to translate the feeling of a place. Working with acrylics, oils, ink, gouache, charcoal and mixed media collage has allowed me to explore different ways of conveying an emotional experience. In my imagery, I give the viewer a sense of hopeful
solitude. Everything I make comes from a pensive point of view. It is my desire to share that with the viewer allowing them to reflect on the world from a quiet place. My most current body of work explores the juxtaposition of two unlike or opposite worlds fitted into one landscape. In each painting, the meshing scapes attempt to evoke a dreamlike quality, exploring themes such as barriers, finding hope and beauty in a concrete world, and nature versus man. – Words by Lauren Scotto

RESIDENT GALLERY 131 Washington St.
Untitled Unmastered | Sirap

AUGUST 11 – 27th, 2022 | Opening Thursday August 18th, 6-8pm
ABORN GALLERY 95 Empire St.
Ars Necronomica: The Visual Divine of the Dark Cosmos Here and Beyond
Presented by NecronomiCon Providence and the Lovecraft Arts & Science Council

The newest incarnation of the Ars Necronomica exhibit features a small, select collection of creative talent, combining the works of both invited artists and artists from within the NecronomiCon team and family. This work expands upon the already fantastical works of previous years, and further helps to define the Weird as an artform of remarkably imaginative visual power. We hope you find inspiration as you enter and explore our carefully assembled exhibit, to emerge changed and dazzled, and to see anew the city and the cosmos that wheel above us all. While curtailed in scope from previous years, we expect this show to be as powerful and rewarding as any previous. – Words by exhibition curator