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Thomas Wood: Venezia
Lisa Harris Gallery
Seattle WA – Sep 6-29, 2007
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Thomas Wood, The Pollinators (2007), two-plate etching with engraving and aquatint [Lisa Harris Gallery, Seattle WA, Sep 6-29]
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Washington artist Thomas Wood's work is in many prominent collections, including the New York Public Library, the Portland and Tacoma Art Museums, and the Il Bisonte School of Graphic Arts in Florence, Italy. Wood spent last fall and winter working in Venice, Italy to create pieces for his latest exhibition. Venezia includes paintings, prints, and a small group of glass vessels done in collaboration with Venetian glass master Alberto Striulli.
Wood's representations of the Italian city were painted plein air at dusk with a deep moody palette, giving the pieces a heightened sense of romanticism. Architectural features give way to interesting characters and unsuspected situations create a sense of wonder and intrigue.
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Thomas Wood, Moonlight on Fondamenta Rimpetto (2007), oil on canvas [Lisa Harris Gallery, Seattle WA, Sep 6-29]
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The paintings seem like imaginary landscapes that reinvent his experiences through a surreal eye that is more often found in Wood's detailed print work. This is especially true in pieces like Bouquet with Pigeon, where curious creatures emerge from the exaggerated floral arrangement, or Venezia Bouquet, where the fantastic flowers are larger than life against a backdrop of buildings and waterways. Some of Wood's recent prints, like Blue Putto and Tadpole Over Venice, also refer to the lore of Venice.
One of the most impressive pieces in the show is The Pollinators. This delicate etching and engraving with aquatint took the artist three years to complete. It reveals intricate portrayals of butterflies, birds and other insects fluttering around and intertwined with an allegorical tree-like bundle of various botanical varieties.
www.lisaharrisgallery.com
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Thomas Wood, Bouquet with Pigeon (2006), oil on canvas [Lisa Harris Gallery, Seattle WA, Sep 6-29]
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