A cold gray windy flurried afternoon in the Crossroads. Life becomes lively with juxtaposition, contrast. Night, day, gray, green, empty, full, windy, calm, cold, warmth. Just a short walk, but the chill chilled. Into the Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art gallery space with immediate warmth.
A greeting from Sherry, warm light, cozy temperature, and colors.
My friend, Pam Taylor, told me about these paintings by Julia Fernandez-Pol. The colors and texture drew me in right away and I had a hard time maintaining eye contact with Sherry as we chatted, with the “Cascading Chrysanthemum” behind her. Thirteen more paintings to explore. Fourteen creations with topography, texture, thick scoops of color, scales like a dragon, curls of candy color coral-like crust. Depth that propelled me across the room and then pulled me close in the same way I press my nose close to the bakery case at Cosentino’s…confections, sugary sweet mounds of dough and icing swirls.
My chill faded quickly there in the gallery. Fernandez-Pol’s work deserves time to absorb, to view at various angels, and restraint to keep from touching and tasting. Sensual stuff that awakens the senses. I could even smell these works, but I didn’t taste or touch. A few people came in and someone said, “Wow, I just want to lick these”.
Julia gives her paintings names suggesting botany, the outdoors, gardens (jardin for instance). Some could have names suggesting cartography, for I saw a few maps before me. Dreamy places. It’s hard to dream sometimes, difficult to allow ourselves to drift, especially in the bleak mid-winter when we’re encased in physical and psychological cabin fever. But art can split those walls a bit and a beautiful gallery like Sherry’s makes art that much more artful when the art of curation pays homage to the artists made dream.
Life is rich with art and artists in the mix…speaking of which, I’m amazed how Julia Fernandez-Pol achieves such a palette. Catch the color before February 26th.
Photos by me.
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