Inside Art with Michael Rose - Two Impressive Contemporary Artists Exhibit in Newport

Inside Art with Michael Rose - Two Impressive Contemporary Artists Exhibit in Newport

 

 

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Some of the most exciting contemporary art results from blurring the bounds of media and local artists Taleen Batalian and Françoise McAree are passionately exploring interdisciplinary creation. In an exhibition of their work on view at Newport’s Overlap Gallery through April 13, the duo shares works of painting, printmaking, drawing, sculpture, fiber, and more. A show full of fascinating surfaces and treatments of materials, the exhibition serves as a springboard to explore points of connection and departure in the work of two talented makers.

 

Titled Counterpoint, Batalian and McAree’s exhibition explores formal qualities like form and texture, while also providing avenues to dive deeper into ideas about the body, place, and meaning. Batalian and McAree are well-matched and their works are often complimentary. Looking at their artworks alongside one another, connections are easily found and enjoyable to plumb. With much to see and experience, the show rewards a long visit.

 

A graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Batalian is an active educator, teaching in RISD’s Pre-College and Continuing Education Departments. She has also previously been a visiting artist at Providence College, University of Rhode Island, and Wheaton College. McAree earned a BA in studio art and English from Middlebury College before pursuing her MFA at the University of Pennsylvania. She has also studied at Haystack School of Crafts in Maine and Anderson Ranch in Colorado. Formerly an administrator in RISD’s Department of Continuing Education, McAree now focuses on her art practice.

 

 

Speaking of how the exhibition came together, Batalian says, “Developing Counterpoint involved a very different process than my last two projects. Previously I worked with multiple collaborators – dancers, sound designers and set designers – all of whose work, in the end, responded to my work. This project involved just two of us, separately making (our own) work, then pairing works together, finding affinities as well as differences. The energy – whether harmony or dissonance – emerged to become what we’ve been referring to as ‘the third thing.’”

 

Bodily forms are one of the harmonies Batalian describes, appearing in the work of both exhibitors. For McAree, disembodied sculptural arms and legs reference art historical works by the French painter Gericault. In Batalian’s oeuvre, the figurative shows up in images of limbs, noses, and ears executed in two dimensions.

 

Of her contributions, McAree points to her interest in art history and her background as a figurative painter, saying, “I do research-based work— and historical references are important for me to connect the work to art history. I want this to be evident to viewers, but also confusing. I was trained figuratively and painted from life for many years, so skin and the body have always been central to my work and the work from art history that I reference.”

 

 

McAree remembers her time living opposite a butcher shop in Paris as inspiration for her to take on meaty, visceral, and challenging subject matter. Her resulting works build on art history but also enjoy a distinct freshness and contemporaneity. Batalian’s references to personal histories, which also employ corporeal elements, feel right at home alongside her co-exhibitor’s work.

 

Speaking of her use of the bodily motif in one of her artworks, McAree explains, “Subcutaneous is made of gauze--a material typically used for casts and bandaging wounds. Gauze is closely aligned with skin and functions as a kind of skin surrogate. Additionally, the presentation of this piece—suspended from the wall using specimen pins—adds to the ethereality and perceived depth even though it is wafer thin.”

 

Both artists’ works leverage this sense of layering and depth to build interest. So comparisons come naturally, with pieces by the respective exhibitors interwoven throughout the gallery. Describing the installation, Batalian states, “The intimacy of Overlap’s Upper Gallery, newly created exhibit space, allowed us to showcase our smaller works, while the openness of the Lower Gallery became the natural choice space for pairing and exhibiting our larger-scale works, allowing for a more immersive experience for the viewer.”

 

The bright and smooth backdrop of the gallery is the ideal jumping-off point for the course surfaces and irregular edges often found in the work of McAree and Batalian. Overlap continues to be one of the best venues to see contemporary art in the state, and this strong two-person show underscores the strengths of the venue and the considerable talents of the exhibitors alike.

 

Counterpoint, featuring the work of Taleen Batalian and Françoise McAree is on view at Overlap through April 13, 2024. The gallery is open Wednesday - Friday from 11 am - 6pm and Saturday from 12-4 pm. The gallery will host an artists’ talk on Thursday, March 28 at 6 pm and a workshop with the artists on Saturday, April 6 from 2-3:30 pm. Learn more and plan your visit at www.overlapnewport.com.