Riverside Arts Center Presents…

Paintings by Barbara Sistak Baur

At Riverside Township Hall

27 Riverside Rd., Riverside, IL

May 1, 2013 through July 28, 2013

During regular open hours

Generally, M-F 9am-5pm

Also Open during The Riverside Arts Weekend, Sat-Sun, May 18-19 -- Come see!

This exhibition includes textural works on canvas and works on paper where the re-occurring theme is cupcakes and other pastry items found in a bakery. It is part of my ongoing investigation of textures and surfaces. Experimentation with multi-dimensional techniques has resulted in paintings of cupcakes that seem to undulate in rows, ignore the edge the canvas or raise above the surface of the painting. Some paintings are a combination of many canvases pulled together for one painting. Others represent experimentation with images on the softer paper surface with more fluidness.

There are three different phases of paintings presented, each with its own goal. In one set of paintings, the goal was to focus on the lushness of the topic. I used 3-dimensional techniques with rich and glossy acrylic media to bring out and match the textures and feelings of items being portrayed. Examples are Grand Fruit Tart and Cupcakes on a Checkered Cloth (shown here).

Another set of paintings become more imaginative and intuitive. Dreaming of Pie has slices of strawberry cream pie on plates that seem to travel through space. The works on paper, such as "Bliss,” (shown here)  allow for a softer, more fluid point of view which is surprising, light and refreshing.

The third set are the “arrays”, which further the investigation into both the surface and intuition. The red (shown here)  and yellow paintings build their surfaces using multiple canvases of the varying depths. They cast their own shadows. A green array reflects the isolation and contemplation of a single cupcake with just shadows of others appearing here and there. It is quiet, introspective. In contrast, an orange array is bold and daring, with its background not staying the background at all but crashing through the cakes toward us, the viewers. 

Overall, this exhibition opens a window on my journey of investigating textures and surfaces while furthering my exploration of expression and intuition. 

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