Press release from London District Studios:
London District Studios will host “Conceal and Reveal, The Hidden Deity of Form,” an art exhibition for contemporary fine artist Dusty Benedict.
The opening reception will take place in Asheville, NC-10 March 2017, 5:00pm-10:00pm at the London District Studios located at 8 London Road in the London Entertainment District in Asheville, adjacent to Biltmore Village.
“Conceal and Reveal” will run through April 11, 2017.The Exhibition:
Both mysterious and telling, Benedict’s work takes us on a journey into ourselves and deep into each work of art. The obscured visions draw us in, peak our curiosity and give us a glimpse of something otherworldly yet comfortingly familiar.
The opening reception will take place in Asheville, NC-10 March 2017, 5:00pm-10:00pm at the London District Studios located at 8 London Road in the London Entertainment District in Asheville, adjacent to Biltmore Village.
“Conceal and Reveal” will run through April 11, 2017.
Facebook events page: facebook.com
Artist statement:
“In a good work of art, there lies a hidden divine presence within the form the work takes. It is not tangible but it is nevertheless felt. For me, the striving for that presence generally starts with an experience, thought, idea, or feeling about the world within or around me. The initial response is the beginning point for the process of painting. As the process of painting progresses, new relationships emerge between, color, shape, value and line to reveal a new form that has never been seen in exactly that way. In a sense, works of art are new objects in the world. They contain the characteristics of other objects in the world of scale, texture, color, shape, space and existence.
So the process of painting becomes the process of revealing new forms that have been concealed from us in the tangible world.
To get at these concealed forms, I don’t have a preconceived image of what the work will look like in the end but I know what I don’t want as the painting develops. Through the process of trial and error an organizing principle will emerge around which the painting will take direction and believability as a whole.
I hope you enjoy my attempts at these “new forms” and they remind you of things you may have encountered in your life.”
Dusty Benedict
15 February 2017The Artist:
Dusty Benedict has pursued a lifelong passion for art – engaging his creative spirit in whatever was in front of him and eagerly transforming into his art. From early years in the ocean, an artist mother, Navy experience aboard a submarine, and life long travel, Dusty has observed the world around him and created new forms. It was just something he did — the need to engage, explore and create. With a passion to learn more he was accepted to Art Center College of Design and studied painting and drawing where he received both his BFA and his MFA in 1976.
A study of Arthur Dove has led Dusty to a form of abstraction that starts in the natural world. Through the process of drawing and painting he discovers new relationships in shape, color and space. This leads to an image that is grounded in nature but altered beyond the representation of recognizable objects.
Dusty has exhibited nationally from Hawaii to North Carolina.In 2011, Dusty was honored with a 50-year retrospective show in the Elizabeth Holden Gallery at Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC.
He lives and works in Swannanoa with his wife, Nancy. They have two grown children.
The Venue:
London District Studios (The London) harkens back to the style, energy, edginess, romance and vibe of the early days of SoHo.
The London is a lifestyle driven home store, interior design firm and gallery, offering things that move us and make living a creative process. The London features original furnishings, highly curated artifacts, and fine contemporary art in a creative venue that is a model for integrating life, art, furnishings and culture into everyday life.
Seating and accent furniture by lifestyle décor legend Wade Oppliger and the 24e Design Collection furniture by nationally acclaimed 24e Design of Savannah, set the stage for intriguing, highly curated artifacts such as pin-up festooned vintage car doors and reimagined industrial work tables, and fine contemporary paintings by Rowland, boasting subjects such as binary code messages, soundwaves, and things found in nature.
Art exhibitions by renowned Asheville artists are rotated monthly. The London also houses the working studios of Leslie Rowland and Wade Oppliger. This dynamic 4,000 square feet of retail and creative space is braided together in a cool, hip and vibrant venue where art and living collide. The London is committed to representing the crème de la crème of Asheville’s artists and presenting high quality and stylish homewares and furnishings in a hip, relaxed and community-oriented venue.
Interested in images of London District Studios and its resident artists and designers please see The London’s Facebook page at facebook.com/londondistrictstudios/ or The London’s Website londondistrictstudios.com
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