Please join us at the Athenaeum on June 15 th for a lecture on new directions in art in the 21 st century. The lecture will be presented by Guy McLain, Executive Director of the Westfield Athenaeum.

There are a number of interesting trends in 21 st century art, and several artists in Western Massachusetts are on the forefront of these new directions. The Athenaeum is currently featuring two artists, Marie Crane-Yvon and Ruth Kjaer, who illustrate probably the two most popular currents in recent art, one usually referred to as a minimalist approach to abstract art, and another that tends to go in the opposite direction,building paintings with many layers of exuberant color and texture.

Marie Crane-Yvon has developed a unique minimalist style that employs vast fields of color with subtle brushstrokes, which in turn create a canvas that often evokes landscapes, seascapes, and forests. These paintings are stripped of all superfluous ornamentation in order to locate the essence of various atmospheres we encounter in nature. Her paintings often stimulate a contemplative mood, which in turn encourages a close examination of the subtle effects that unfold gradually in her work.

Ruth Kjaer creates a very different effect. Her paintings are loaded with drips and splatters, and energetic brushstrokes. She also employs stories from Greek myths in order to address modern social issues. The paintings shown in this exhibit are from her series of works referencing the Greek myth of Danae and the Golden Rain. For Kjaer this story asks fundamental questions about women’s experiences in a male dominated society .In very different ways both of these artists illustrate exciting new ideas in recent art. They ask questions about how we see the world, how art can evoke feelings and emotions that are often buried in our subconscious, and how art inspires new ways of understanding the social and cultural issues we face in modern society.

Come join us for a discussion of these two artists  and many others representing the forefront of art in our time.