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| Royalty oil on linen 42 X 54 in. |
Several years ago, portrait and landscape painter Alexandra Tyng spent a week in Charleston working alongside fellow members of the Women Painting Women organization, and naturally, over the course of those seven days, discussions among the group turned to topics of creativity and inspiration. As the dialogue between the women progressed, Tyng became increasingly aware that she had developed her painting skills telling the stories of others, while spending little time revealing her own. Challenged by the ideas cultivated during that time in South Carolina, Tyng returned to her studio, determined to create a personal symbology to express in her paintings.
The result is Tyng's new show, "The Unseen Aspect," now on view at the Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, Maine. In the exhibit, hung beside Tyng's views of Maine – the artist often spends her summers in Maine painting – are these new, personal works which use multi-figural compositions to subtly tell the tale of Tyng's life. Of course, the interpretation of these works is open-ended, and viewers may often find a reflection of their own lives in these works as well.
Figurative painting for me has been a process of self-exploration. I am peeling off the layers one by one and revealing myself. It's the scariest thing I've ever done because it's so personal. I realize that, the more I reveal myself in my art, the higher the stakes. For quite a while I've wanted to do some paintings about my own life experiences, using my family members as characters, while at the same time exploring themes that are universally recognizable. So this show is autobiographical, but it's also about people in general, the things that motivate us and hold us back and lead to meaning and purpose in life.¹
The Dowling Walsh Gallery is located at 357 Main Street in Rockland, Maine. Unseen Aspect is on view from September 6th through September 30th. To see the remaining paintings in Tyng's exhibit, please visit the gallery's website. Dowling Walsh is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and on Sundays and Mondays by appointment.
Allison Malafronte, editor at Fine Art Today, has conducted an excellent interview with Alexandra Tyng which discusses the messages in several of the artist's paintings. To read the full article, click here.
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| Art and Legacy oil on linen 40 X 52 in. |
Art and Legacy depicts an artist in the lantern of a lighthouse with three young people observing him from outside. Although it is the story of her father and his children, it parallels (Tyng's) feelings about her own children and her own periodic isolation in her studio in pursuit of her art.²
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| Peaked Shadow (Indian Island) oil on linen 26 X 22 in. |
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| Docksidersoil on linen 34 X 36 in. |
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| Green oil on linen 38 X 30 in. |
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| Knight oil on linen 26 X 80 in. |
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| New World oil on linen 36 X 60 in. |
"I would describe these paintings as open-ended narratives. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to interpret a painting or what to get out of it. Each theme has an inner kernel of meaning, around which images are arranged. These images can be appreciated on many levels, from the visual arrangement of abstract shapes and figures, to images of personal significance, to universally recognizable symbolism. I see the theme of each painting as an archetype of human relationships and individuality. My intent is to suggest many possible viewpoints and interpretations so that the viewer becomes involved with what is happening in the painting and can generate a narrative that may possibly connect with mine."³
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| North Through Camdenoil on linen 30 X 60 in. |
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| Jet Streamsoil on linen 34 X 72 in. |
I hope that viewers will enjoy looking at the paintings and continue thinking about them after they leave the show. And it would be wonderful if I have communicated something that goes beyond the limits of vision, because I think that "unseen aspect" is what gives visual art its mystery and its impact. ~ Alexandra Tyng.⁴
¹ Malafronte, Allison, Alexandra Tyng's Upcoming "Unseen Aspect" Exhibition in Maine, retrieved September 6, 2013 from {http://www.fineartconnoisseur.com/Alexandra-Tyng-s-Upcoming-Unseen-Aspect-Exhibition/16953140}.
² "Alexandra Tyng: Personal Symbolism," American Art Collector, Issue 95, September 2013 (Vincent W. Miller, Publisher, Scottsdale), pp. 106-107.
³ Malafronte.
⁴ Malafronte.