Thursday, October 31, through Sunday, January 5
Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery, 2200 69th Avenue, Moline IL
A trio of Iowa-based artists working in a trio of artistic mediums will have pieces showcased at the Quad City Arts International Airport from October 31 through January 5, with the gallery, in Brown Swanson, Hassig, & Shahrivar, hosting arresting examples of fused glass by Des Moines' Tilda Brown Swanson, collages by Cedar Rapids' Michael Hassig, and oil landscape paintings by Iowa Falls' Naser D. Shahrivar.
In her artist statement, Tilda Brown Swanson states: "The French phrase 'En Plein Air' means when painters go outside with their easels to paint and interpret the scenery around them. Like the Impressionists, I try to capture the light and the changing seasons by being close to nature. In bringing light through my glass and enabling viewers to slow down and examine the beauty of the natural world in more detail, I hope to open conversations. Fish in a constrained environment have nowhere else to go. Trees in the changing seasons may move slowly to more hospitable places over time but are subject to human decisions and display their colors in the seasons.
"For this new series of trees and fish in nature," Brown Swanson continues. "I have been painting first in watercolor to understand the colors and compositions I want. For some pieces, I will make smaller, 'trial' pieces first. I then fire thick pieces of glass at an angle to melt colors together and create a watercolor-like effect in the glass itself. Once I have unique elements, I cut and compose those elements into a full piece. I complete the artwork by adding some outlines in glass paint and more layers of powdered and cut glass and textures to create a more painterly, luminous look in each artwork."
Michael Hassig, in his own artist statement, says he works in "a collage technique, using pieces of paper adhered to a flat two-dimensional surface. In this process, I use pictures from discarded color plate books. These pictures are cut/torn into various shapes, deconstructing the original image. These pieces are the foundation of the compositional elements of shape, color, patterns of light/dark, and transitional lines.
"My collages are abstract in imagery," Hassig adds. "The design itself is the subject. I do not start with a preconceived image in mind but let the cut/torn pieces begin to take shape. Piece by piece, layer by layer, the collage emerges in a series of relationships. To see the collages from a distance, they look like one piece. As you come closer, the meticulous scissor cuts become evident, creating a tapestry of dynamic abstract composition. I get lost in my work while listening to music that is a constant in my studio. Blues, Dylan, and even jazz fuel my adventure on paper."
Meanwhile, as stated at E-ArtPro.com, "Naser D. Shahrivar is a full-time professional visual artist and has been since childhood. Naser owned and operated a gallery for forty years and now sits on the backside of that as he creates his own works. He is a very diverse artist and specializes in realism and abstraction. Naser is a unique and prolific artist besides being his own worst critic; he works on more than one painting at a time. He is a detail artist whether it is abstract or realism he puts great stride in perfecting every detail emphasizing on composition and color.
"In his retirement years, he has added the profession of published author and screenwriter to his achievements. Naser’s latest achievements were to have had two of his abstract pieces of his works accepted into the 4th Annual New York Nil Galleries International Art Exhibition. His painting 'Conversion' was selected and awarded as Best Painting among nearly 600 entries. His painting 'Morning Calm,' a landscape, was featured in the International Artists Magazine."
The Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery is located opposite the airport's gift shop and restaurant, there is a $1 fee for parking, and more information on the Brown Swanson, Hassig, & Shahrivar exhibit on display from October 31 through January 5 is available by calling (309)793-1213 and visiting QuadCityArts.com.