Maine Art Gallery

‘Memories, Dreams, Reflections’ opens July 14

Tue, 07/03/2018 - 12:00pm

Story Location:
15 Warren Street
Wiscasset, ME 04538
United States

A spirited and prolific array of paintings and sculptures — the independent creations of a family of three gifted Maine artists — Joseph, Max and Tony Ascrizzi — will be on view in the group show, “Memories, Dreams, Reflections,” at the Maine Art Gallery.The opening reception is set for 5 p.m., Saturday, July 14. The exhibit runs through Saturday, Aug. 18.

About the artists

Joseph Ascrizzi of Freedom is an artist who embraces diverse mediums, he is primarily known for his richly layered and carved box sculptures made with materials like wood, bone, antler, gold, silver and stone. “Rocks, trees, bones. They speak in ancient tongues,” he said. His art, which includes two-dimensional works, has been exhibited in Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, Connecticut and New York and is in private collections. He was first recognized and commissioned by Julien Levy, who introduced surrealist art to the United States and exhibited work by such artists as Joseph Cornell and Salvador Dali, at Levy Gallery, New York City.

Max Ascrizzi, also of Freedom, is best known for his three-dimensional work, in  this exhibit, he focuses on paintings — images inspired by the rural Maine landscape. Broad and gestural, they are painted with a limited palette, primarily black on a white ground, and capture the sky and land during their transition from dark to light, or vice versa — moments when “we are informed less by sight, than by intuition and imagination,” he said. His art has been exhibited in both group and solo shows, from Belfast, Vinalhaven and Eliot, Maine, to Providence, Rhode Island, his work is in private collections.

Tony Ascrizzi  (1952-2014) - A sculptor recognized for his large installations, he worked in bronze, welded steel, hand-sewn fabric mesh, glass, plastic, wood, sound and moving images. His work has been shown at galleries and in public spaces in New York, Rhode Island and Maine, and he received numerous art grants and commissions. He earned an MFA from Rhode  Island School of Design and taught art at Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design and University of Rhode Island. “It’s about centering . . . but ultimately, you’re always in the center and always looking at yourself,” he said, of his creative process.

The gallery, located at 15 Warren Street, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. For more information or for private showings, call Jorge Pena, 207-882-4155, or Elaine Pew, 207-350-1485, epew3535@roadrunner.comMore information can be found at www.maineartgallerywiscasset.org and on Facebook at Maine Art Gallery Wiscasset.

The Maine Art Gallery is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and preservation of painting, sculpture and graphic arts through exhibitions, lectures, demonstrations, and educational programs for children and adults.