PROVIDENCE, RI – Gallery Z of Providence, RI, is concluding a sparkling month-long exhibit of paintings by two Armenian artists, bringing together the works of internationally recognized artist Simon Samsonian and fast-rising painter Lara B. The opening night of “Recent Paintings” and “Later Works” on Thursday, October 19, 2006, attracted a large audience to Gallery Z. Entering the exhibition room, one is awestruck by the energy radiating from the works in the current show. The paintings are filled with color and life; each piece is so enchanting that it is difficult to leave the scene. The works of these two artists are worlds apart in style, but equal in splendor.
Lara B.’s collection is powerful. The potency of the pieces in “Recent Paintings” lies in the vibrant pomegranate reds present in most of her works on exhibit, their warmth making it impossible to pull away. Many of her works involve mixed media – some blended with metallic powders, others with bits of paper, and many with paint dripping down like trails of water. Each piece has its own personality, ensnaring the senses and sparking the emotions of the viewer. Lara explained that her paintings are meant to involve the viewer in this way: “It is not about what I see, it is about what you see, and how the work makes you feel.” Lara included a series of nudes in her “Recent Paintings” show, most of them painted from a dorsal view. Her figures are stunning, and those showing their faces make the viewer search for personal meaning in their mysterious expressions.
By Elysia Michaels
2006
Iconic images, textures, light and lines typify Lara B.’s exhibition. New to America from her native Lebanon, artistic process and vision are her roots and sustenance.
Introspection and spirituality bring her portraits to life, whether they are sitting beneath a surreal light bulb or the dark Cross. Their eyes are closed. Lara draws us into their silence but the canvass is not quiet. Layered brush strokes, sharp pencil and ink lines etch oil and acrylic disclosing their psychic world revealing deep meditation and the universal human experience with its many emotions.
Still life pervades Lara’s work. Detailed everyday implements balance the icons in silent reflection merging into old and new. Paintings within paintings are still life next to form suspended in timeless light and luxury. Her aesthetic awareness is conscious and palpable. “Everything is beautiful” she said to me, “but go deeper, feel everything, the details, not in just the flower, but also the grains of sand.”
For the artist, the process is a need, something intensely personal that is discovered as they create. In this way, all artists come to the same gathering. This evening, Lara generously shares this discovery with us, to feed our own creative need.
By Kristin Bernardelli, Poet
2002