Park Row Gallery News

"World • Views", a two-person exhibition of sculptural work by Laura Cannamela and Lisa Breznak, opens at Park Row Gallery on August 27 and runs through September 26. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, August 29 from 4 to 6 p.m. Paper relief works by Laura Cannamela and miniature ceramic sculptures by Lisa Breznak will be on view.

Cannamela's architectural reliefs are composed entirely of papers from around the world. They are informed by art historical sources that include Persian miniatures and Tibetan paintings, as well as Japanese illustrations of "The Tale of Genji." These works reveal Cannamela's interest in texture, color, space, and pattern, and how these design elements are interwoven to create a balance between representational space and abstract form, between implied space and actual depth.

Breznak's sculptures, made of clay and gold leaf, suggest a variety of imagery from ancestral totems to modern abstraction, from natural sources to geometric forms. These palm-sized objects are intimate portrayals of texture, light, and form, reflecting a wealth of worldly influence, and playing with the power of scale to refute the idea and prejudice of size.

Cannamela and Breznak both participated in the New York Foundation for the Arts MARK Hudson Valley 2008 program. They found a common interest in cross-cultural imagery, textural forms, and diminutive scale.

Park Row Gallery is celebrating 20 years of providing service and support to clients from Manhattan to the Upper Hudson Valley and neighboring Berkshires region, satisfying all of their fine art needs and promoting the exceptional works of regional artists. This exhibit has been supported in part by a Strategic Opportunity Stipend, a grant program of the New York State Foundation for the Arts and The Arts Center of the Capital Region.

To learn more about the artists in this show go online to Laura Cannamela's website at www.lauracannamela.com, and to Lisa Breznak's website at www.lisabreznak.com.