Review by Rebecca M. Alvin

Capturing that amazing Provincetown light is a traditional goal for artists who spend time here, including Joan Cobb Marsh. But more than that, Marsh captures the shadow with equal attention, especially in the interiors painted in oil that grace a wall of the Charles W Hawthorne Gallery in the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM)’s solo show of her work currently on view. Intimate, dark interiors emphasize elements of the rooms depicted with great attention to the light and dark extremes, whether it’s the gloss of a wood table or the sunlight streaming in through sliding deck doors in two separate canvases both named Interior, or a barely visible figure in the shadowy B&B View, Jenner California II that shows itself only after a few moments of staring into the darkness at the left of the canvas, up close.

And yet, as any artist with a long career such as this one, Marsh demonstrates a range of approaches, subjects, and mediums. The exhibition also features various abstract collages, untitled so as not to force any temptation for concrete, representational interpretations. And the walls surrounding the interiors and the collages are filled with gorgeous landscapes and images of cottages and dune shacks, the most striking of which is her  stunning Shack View from her Dune Shack series, which depicts a vivid motion with the stillness of the scene. She also uses a thicker painting technique in paintings such asCarl and David’s Garden, with the chunks of paint nearly leaping out the lush canvas. And then there is My Family Home, featuring an beach entrance subtitled 1869 Boathouse, which is a quintessential Provincetown image, authentic in the rustic, weather-worn beauty it depicts.

Few people populate these images, reflecting the show’s title “The Quite Power of Place,” as an absence of humanity often means a quietness that does not simply reflect a reduction of audible sound, but also a reduction in the chaos humanity brings to our lives. At the same time, of course, nature is full of chaos and sound and drama. But Marsh seems more interested in capturing calm moments, whether filled with darkness or documenting the light. It’s a pleasure to walk through this gallery at PAAM and reflect on these rare moments where the world we live in is hushed into each of these singular quiet moments.

Joan Cobb Marsh: The Quiet Power of Place, curated by Christine McCarthy, is on view through November 30 at PAAM, 460 Commercial St., Provincetown. For more information call 508.487.1750 or visit paam.org.