Adventures in Color, Edwina Brennan at 3rd Street Gallery, 45 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 215 625 0993, through September 28th. Video by John Thornton Films.
“I start with a mark, simple and straightforward, but then there is another and another, a splotch of color and some scraping. The tools are uncomplicated, but, as in any interaction, it is the relationship, that is where the intricacy begins. The drawing itself is the experience. Although my artwork is relatively large in scale, some of my drawings are quite subtle and minimal, while others are bold and expansive. The artwork unfolds, inviting the viewer to share in the conversation, looking at and responding to marks and layers as they move over the surface.” – Edwina Brennan
Edwina Brennan lives in West Chester, has her art studio in Norristown and shows her art in Philadelphia at 3rd Street Gallery.
Edwina says she has to go where the art is, “There’s not much art in West Chester, at least people that like abstract art, they want sailboats and flowers and things like that. But in order to find people who appreciate abstract, colorful oil on mylar, I come to Philadelphia. I used to paint bicycles.”
Who are you artistic influencers?
“I like Cy Twombly, Joan Mitchell, and Giacametti. I went to the Academy, I studied with Jimmy Lueders, Lou Sloan and I worked with Bruce Samuelson, gestural drawings, I really enjoy that. And I painted bicycles for a while and the motion of the wheels of the bicycle, you can see some of that in my drawings. I always start with a circle of some sort and then make it move. Sometimes to control it a little I put lines in but I don’t go too far afield.”
Where would be too far?
“Well. You don’t know until you start. I like joy. I like the feeling of joyous, happiness and joyousness.”
What’s it like at the studios in Norristown?
“There are about twenty-five of us, and it’s the competition. You can’t be alone because you become stale. So when you are in a community with people they say, ‘What did you do today?’ And you have to produce something.”
Thank You to John Thornton for permitting use of this video.
Subscribe to John Thornton Films on YouTube
Read my interview with Constance Culpepper, the 3rd Street Gallery member artist exhibiting paintings simultaneously with Edwina Brennan on DoNArTNeWs.
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