Recently I stopped by Portland’s Attic Gallery–one of my favorites thanks to its eclectic and accessible variety of artists and artwork on hand. And, I got a great surprise: painter Lea Keohane is showing there! If you’ve never seen her work, it’s worth stopping by.
She strikes a careful balance in her work between whimsy and haunting, rough and outrageously delicate, formal and informal, abstract and figural. The control she exercises over her media aren’t obvious on this image without enlarging it: much of the work allows the wood surface to show through–which means: no room for error! Like working without a net which, in her case, adds a subtle air of bravura to seemingly delicate pieces. And, the extreme care–obsessiveness, even–of the trademark dot patterns she frequently uses, contrasting with the sweet, idyllic subject matter, adds another subtle tension.
A real balancing act, carefully and subtly presented!
