BLOOM - by Vanessa Lemen
Ryan Joseph Gallery June 10, 2023 – July 12, 2023
We are thrilled to announce the highly anticipated exhibition, "Bloom", presented by Ryan Joseph Gallery. Join us in extending a warm welcome to Vanessa Lemen as she unveils her first solo exhibition in Colorado. The gallery doors will open on Saturday, June 10th, from 5pm to 11pm, for the opening reception.
With meticulous attention to detail and a remarkable mastery of color, Vanessa's evocative artworks immerse viewers in a world teeming with life and emotion. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to witness the awe-inspiring collection firsthand, and meet Vanessa herself as she will be in attendance during the opening reception. Prepare to be captivated by the essence of "Bloom”.
Exhibition Statement:
“The process of these new works has been a fulfilling voyage, explorative, with the subject matter ranging from metaphorical interpretations of a conglomeration of emotional states to humanity as it applies to my observations and the working through of experiences and thoughts. The show is called “Bloom” with the intention that these paintings would be materializing to do just that – to encourage and support the blooming of something new and different, serving as an internal conversation manifesting itself both onto the surfaces I paint as well as into the deeper depths and farther-out reaches of my own journey as I continue on my quest to grow and evolve as a human being. This is not about perfection or prettiness but more about grace in humility, acceptance, and letting go in order to allow room for more of the raw and sometimes messy act of growth from the birth of new, which is at once beautiful, humbling, strange and mystifying.”
About Vanessa:
Vanessa Lemen is an award-winning painter based in Carlsbad, CA, with works exhibited and in private collections internationally. Her paintings are layered in subtle allegory, with an explorative process that intertwines realism and abstract to depict humanity, metaphor and story. Her work is featured in the illustrated limited edition of The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin (Easton Press/MBI Inc) and in the illustrated limited editions of A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick (Suntup Editions). Her work has also been published in such art books as Spectrum, Infected by Art, The Journal, and Women of Wonder, and has been featured in articles in magazines such as American Art Collector, Imagine FX, and Poets And Artists. In addition to writing monthly columns for the Muddy Colors blog, Vanessa is an educator who mentors privately, teaches classes online both privately and for the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art (LAAFA), and instructs at workshops across the US. Her recent work has earned her the Chesley Award and other awards in publications such as Infected By Art, a Spectrum Award nomination, as well as multiple awards in the Art Renewal Center's ARC Salon and participation in the International ARC Salon Exhibition.
Artist's Statement about her process:
"I'd definitely say that I have a responsive and permeable sort of painting process, and I'm fascinated with finding similarities between the familiar and the unknown. There's so much life and grit in both aspects, in the possibility of chance, and in what many might call the mistakes or imperfections. It's what I love about using different tools and materials, and making abstract marks. It affords me the opportunity to explore and discover while becoming familiar with things, to journey into unknown territory. Experimenting with new tools provokes new ways of processing something, and guides me to the possibility of connecting with something on the fringes or beyond. Exploration is absolutely essential to the process for me, and exploring and discovering can happen in all areas of painting, be it in the abstract areas or in the rendering or representational areas. It's different sometimes depending on the area or the stage of the painting I'm working on, but overall, it's a digging deeper and truly getting lost in the best way. Lost in a place of reflection, curiosity, and wonder.
What's quite amazing to think about is how the exploration pertains to the finished painting too. How the dialogue between artist and surface gets passed along in the form of the painting itself. There's a story there now in the marks, like subtle runes that are left to be deciphered, and it's open to different interpretations. It might even be something that we all can't quite put into words – and that may be one of the biggest motivations for us to keep scratching at the surface. The paintings we create and share can invite someone in to connect, to experience that intangible place, and to communicate with one another in ways that are more universally understood."
Please join us Saturday, June 10th from 5pm to 11pm for the opening of "Bloom". Vanessa will be in attendance for the opening reception.
The exhibition will be on view from Saturday, June 10th to Wednesday, July 12th. For more information on this exhibition or to request an advanced collector’s preview, please contact gallery Director Ryan Connell at info@ryanjosephgallery.com
Ryan Joseph Gallery
2647 W 38th Ave.
Denver, CO 80211
(720) 595-3876
