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People are sure to be blown away by Robyn W. Fairclough’s gift of creating beautiful colors in her “Beyond the Rolling Fire: Paintings by Robyn W. Fairclough” exhibit.
The exhibit has 45 paintings and drawings, mainly of people enjoying a day at the beach, relaxing, or deep in thought.
The paintings that hang in the gallery were motivated by an event that erased her work. A fire in her Vermont studio had destroyed 35 years of her work as an artist.
Fairclough then reconstructed her paintings in order to salvage her vision. Her paintings have been featured in art galleries in New York City, Florida., Europe and can be seen locally at the Southport Galleries.
Two things are apparent to this gallery’s attendees: the perfected technique of using striking primary colors and an evoked feeling of disconnect with little interaction between figures.
One painting entitled “Hearts with One Purpose Alone” depicts a woman in crimson red who is looking off to the side. Her torso faces the viewer, and in the distance is a young boy sitting on the floor with his back to the viewer. The description of the painting gives an idea of how the artist portrays a sense of loneliness and disconnect.
Fairclough said that many people view the scenario that way, but she was not focused so much on the storytelling of the painting as with creating the image.
Another painting is entitled “Season of Calm.” Fairclough uses lively hues of aqua, fiery orange, yellow, dark blue and purple. Her paintings have a sense of vitality and beautifying the surroundings rather than creating complex stories about the subjects.
Kevin Costello, a supporter of the arts, and one attendee of the exhibit, said, “The overall feeling of Robyn’s paintings is that of which everyone is in an environment that is pleasant but the figures have a sense of aloofness about them.”
Sydney Kessling ’15 said, “In each painting, the people are facing toward each other knowing that the end is coming but don’t want to confront it.”
If you are interested in seeing Fairclough’s exhibit in person, head down to the Quick Center before Dec. 4.
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