GEORGE FRARY: A BORROWED LANDSCAPE

Reception: February 22nd, 5–7pm

Gallery Hours
M,T,W,F, 10am–5pm
Th, 10am–8pm
Sat., 12–5pm

We are pleased to present, A Borrowed Landscape, a solo exhibition by Montserrat alumnus George Frary III ‘00. Curated by Leonie Bradbury, this exhibition showcases twenty variations of oil, acrylic, and graphite works on paper and canvas. Frary’s uniquely expressive depictions of the natural environment are not literal renditions of an actual location, but rather serve as a glimpse of both imagined and remembered topographies. As Frary explains, “This body of work explores the concept of a nostalgic landscape. Rather than depicting representational, nameable space, I am looking to construct a new space that feels both transcendent and meditative. In most cases, I start with a specific landscape and set of related memories and emotions. Then I work to disrupt that specificity, to build the ambiguity that develops through the separation of time and space.”

For many years, Frary has been painting the rolling hills and rocky cliffs that form the dramatic vistas of our region, the artist carefully and patiently adding layers upon layers of oil paint onto the stretched canvas. His efforts resulted in luminescent and dreamy paintings that capture both the region and the viewer’s imagination. Several of these paintings are on view in the gallery, by contrast, the newly created works on paper installed along side them in this exhibition are different. In response to the current political climate and social unrest, Frary felt a desperate need to disconnect from the day-to-day stresses and depression he experienced since the recent presidential election. Frary decided to focus on what he knows best: to paint, but rather than spend more time in the studio, he decided he needed to leave it behind.

As part of his new process, Frary listened to music for several hours each day and began to create acrylic works on paper in several other spaces in his life including his work bench and on the counter top at Mingo Gallery, the framing business he owns with Katherine Romansky ‘07, a fellow Montserrat alumna. The vivid abstract works – in part due to the fast drying quality of the paint and the affordability of the paper substrate– were faster, less precious and as a result felt more free. What was intended as a distraction from political realities ended up as a series of thoughtful visual meditations as Frary frequently entered a “flow” state while painting and was able to disconnect, albeit for only a few hours at a time.

The resulting works ended up not as secondary pieces, or studies, but as a significant revelation both in form and content. According to curator Leonie Bradbury, “these new works are very exciting as they show both Frary’s facility with the use of paint, but also his incredible compositional insights and acute formal decision making. Once he was able to let go of the gravitas of the oil paintings, a lively new vocabulary emerged. I feel that the newfound spontaneity and fluid energy are a tremendous gift to his practice.” Frary hopes to apply the freedom of spirit of his acrylic works to his oil paintings when he returns to the studio.
For more information about Frary’s work, please visit:
https://www.georgefrary.com/