The Golden Section

New works by Lori-Ann Bellissimo 

These paintings refer back to Bellissimo’s recurring themes of astrology and astronomy.  Using an essay by Phaedrus (247C-251A) and two key Platonic passages about beauty and form; ancient Greek and Roman vessels as well as the mathematical 'golden section' (an elegant term concerning the division of a line into segments that form such shapes as 5 pointed stars), this work is concerned with beauty, virtue, pleasure and the physicality of the goddess. 

Also showing are depictions of Bellissimo’s last studio in Toronto before her decision to move between Canada, Malaysia and Italy. In addition to these are works from the Flags series (where the image of the Swiss Cross has been reduced into flags for an unknown nation) and two astrological charts for Ursula Andress and Albert Einstein from the Galileo’s Assistant series. 

Of a recent solo exhibition in Singapore entitled “Trust Is Earned”, Gina Fairley says “While Bellissimo’s surfaces capture our immediate interest, it is the architecture of her paintings that is most remarkable as collaged fragments and soft pencil lines are caught within crystalline layers of resins.” 

Bellissimo’s works are incontestably New Age, displaying a shift between the physical and otherworldly.  

360

Heather Dunn:  

The progress and movement of the circle have always intrigued me.  The balance of the circular form gives it the power and stability necessary to rotate and change direction in a moment.

And while its unique ideal captures the imagination, perfection is impossible to transfer to the canvas.  Like life, the Art of the circle differs from the form’s Ideal – but it’s these imperfections that create rich experiences that are sometimes beyond our control. Heather Dunn 
 

Unfolding

Andrea Maguire 

Maguire’s signature ethereal figures continue their graceful evolution. “I am interested in ‘process’ in my work. It is in the application of various layers and the subsequent practice of scraping away that I come to the realization of my vision which is one in which I ‘find’ the elemental image. These layers provide the metaphoric archaeological or psychic strata which highlight the human condition at its most essential level, its essence.” She also draws upon the ideas of Carl Jung and other Jungian thinkers such as Marion Woodman, James Hill and Joseph Campbell to provide insight into the artistic process. 

Opening Reception

Thursday December 3rd, 7 – 9 PM