Ro2 Art is proud to present Nocturns, a solo exhibition featuring new works by artist Gillian Bradshaw Smith. The show will run from March 23 through April 20, 2019. There will be an opening reception held Saturday, March 23, from 7-10pm at the Ro2 Art in the Cedars located at 1501 S Ervay St. Dallas, TX 75215.
Artist Gillian Bradshaw Smith creates cavernous dream worlds. Tangled cavities of rocks and water harboring many moons and active volcanoes are rendered in deep hues. Inspired by the opening lines of a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge titled ‘Kubla Khan’ which speaks of measureless caverns and sacred rivers, Gillian uses layered paper cutouts to form and carve out the dark daydream hollows she imagines. Gillian Bradshaw Smith holds a multifarious creative background, with experience in toy making, designing theatrical sets, painting, mixed media, and sculpture. She is known for consistently expanding her creative bounds and expressing her artistic vision in diverse media in an exploration that continues to evolve. Nocturns displays otherworldly landscapes existing in the past and the future, a mystical vision certain to provoke the imagination of the audience.
Artist Statement
My current show ‘Nocturns’ at Ro2 Art is inspired by both working with the rich effects of layered paper and the evocative imagery engendered by the opening lines of the celebrated poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge ‘Kubla Khan’, that I’ve always loved.
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
The works are portholes onto the vistas of the caverns, of rocks and water, with many moons, and steaming volcanos. Dark dream worlds, from the past or future.
Drawn on blackboard with prismacolor and using paper cutouts to layer and arrange the forms.
About the Artist
Gillian was born in India in 1933. Her British parents were part of the twilight of the British Raj.
Her father died young. Four years later Gillian, her mother and brother left India by boat, sailing on D Day for England during the second world war. She was eleven at the time.
Gillian completed her secondary education and entered The University of Reading, England to study Fine art and painting, a five-year study.
The next several years were spent teaching art and painting in England.
At the call of adventure in January of 1963 Gillian moved to Dallas Texas, family members sponsored her entry to the United States. She worked in Dallas making paintings, creating embroidered wall hangings and teaching special classes. Her work was shown at the Contemporary Gallery.
Marriage and a move to New York City took place in 1967 where she lived worked and showed her art in many exhibitions.
Gillian became a US citizen in 1976.
The art gallery that gave her her most important one-man shows was Cordier & Ekstrom on Madison Avenue in New York. Headed by Arne Ekstrom a well known art dealer who showed many noted artists in his gallery including, Isamu Noguchi, Romare Bearden, Richard Lindner, Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray he also fostered the talents of younger artists such as Marvin Israel, Anton Van Dalen and Nancy Grossman and Gillian Bradshaw-Smith among others.
Apart from creating fine art Gillian started to work on a large scale creating painted backdrops for publications and photographers. This work eventually led to a connection with the world of ballet and from recreating a ballet set for ‘Annabelle Lee’ for New York Theatre Ballet she went on to design and create over twenty ballet sets and continues to this day.
In addition, she has been known in the world of stuffed animal toy design, having created many collections over a fifteen year period for several different makers. Possom trot was started with her designs and was well known for selling her famous mother pig that had snap fasteners for teets with suckling piglets that snapped on!
Taplinger published her book ‘Adentures in Toymaking'.
She moved back to Dallas in 1995 and since, working with many noted interior designers, has created some very stunning walls ceilings and interior details for residential and commercial customers using all her talent and experience.
About Ro2 Art
Ro2 Art, a contemporary fine art gallery located in The Cedars Neighborhood near Downtown Dallas, represents a diverse group of emerging, mid-career, and established contemporary artists – many with ties to the North Texas Region. The gallery, founded in 2010 by mother-and-son partners Susan Roth Romans and Jordan Roth, regularly collaborates with organizations such as The MAC and Cedars Union and maintains an exhibition program within the Magnolia Theatre at West Village and other satellite venues. Ro2 Art has been named Dallas Observer's "Best Art Gallery" and was presented with the 25th Annual Obelisk Award for small business by the North Texas Business Council for the Arts. The gallery's art fair program has included the Dallas Art Fair, Texas Contemporary, and Art Aspen.
All works will be view March 8 - April 6, 2019. Please join us for the opening reception on Saturday, March 16, 7-10 PM at Ro2 Art, located at 1508 Commerce St, Dallas TX 75201. For more information, visit www.Ro2art.com, or call Jordan Roth at (214) 803-9575.
Price
- FREE!
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