Chestertown, MD - Marcy Dunn Ramsey’s annual exhibition Inside/Outside represents the work created over the late fall and winter months and will be featured in the High Street gallery from May 19 – June 18.
Also featuring work by Deborah Weiss
Opening Reception – Friday, May 19, 5:30-7:30 pm
Marcy Dunn Ramsey/Artist Talk – Saturday, May 19th, 12 noon
Collector’s Preview – May 16-17 or by appointment.
June First Friday Reception – June 2rd, 5-7 pm
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. Henry David Thoreau
“I love that Marcy chose to quote Thoreau for this year’s exhibition, there are so many similarities in viewpoint,” said gallerist Carla Massoni. “She is both a naturalist and an environmental justice activist. Her work is inspired by a close observation of nature, personal experience, and an awareness of her place in time.”
Thoreau wanted people to not only “look” at nature, but to truly “see” it. What does nature say to your mind, your soul, your body that goes beyond just the sensory input?
“I look for compositions in the natural world that strike a chord of recognition in me,” Ramsey explained. “Something on the outside that resonates with something on the inside. Then I play with the image, exaggerating some aspects, minimizing others, reflecting my current mood with color and line. I “try” to achieve the perfect bliss of a child lost in the creative act, mindful of nothing but the pleasure of play.”
The title she chose – Inside/Outside - alludes to the struggle encountered by the desire to achieve this “childlike” creative state while contending with the personal roadblocks one confronts in daily life and a glaring awareness of the damage being done to the Earth. The rivers of the Chesapeake have been her muse and her cause for over thirty years. She remains a fierce advocate.
Strongly motivated and determined, artists are uniquely aware that there may be more than a single response or solution to a problem. Their innate curiosity and flexibility enable them to meet roadblocks with surprising success.
Even a seasoned artist like Ramsey recognizes that outside influences can disrupt the sanctuary of the studio and the work exhibited in this year’s show reflects this challenge. Crisscrossing lines slash defiantly across multiple canvases, voids of space with no anchoring point reside next to vibrant leaf patterns playfully arranged across a neon yellow background. The bliss she seeks is conveyed most completely in the inner light and counterbalanced lines of one of her largest canvases – Jacob’s Ladder. But it is Babel – a stunning cacophony of lines and energy moving upwards that gives voice to the conflicting energies Ramsey captures - inside/outside.
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.
Inside/Outside will be on exhibit in the 203 High Street gallery. Hours during the show are Thursday – Friday, 11am – 4pm, Saturday, 10am – 5 pm. Additionally, the Cross Street gallery is open on Sunday 12-3 and private appointments may be scheduled at any time by contacting Carla Massoni. 410-708-4512
For additional information please visit www.massoniart.com.
