Rail (oil on panel, 24×36”) by Jeff Bye
Review by Rebecca M. Alvin
Bowersock Gallery opened its season Memorial Day weekend with an eclectic group show featuring new work by their impressive stable of artists as well as work from artists new to the Commercial Street space.
Upon stepping down into the middle gallery space, one is struck by an interesting pairing of artists who work with urban themes. Kevin Kusiolek’s striking, bold Boston cityscapes pair well with Jeff Bye’s New York City subjects, such as East Bowery Doorway and his train yard images, like Rail. Kusiolek hits us with vivid colors in his Electric Rain, but many of his works are quieter, like his nearly black-and-white Theater Reflections and Evening Fog.
Around the other side of the panels featuring those works, Michael Steinbrick’s colorful pieces feature a neon-light-inspired palette and play with the way rain warps reflections, distorting the taxicab traffic jam that is the subject of his The Blues painting. Meanwhile, on an adjacent wall, Sally Fama Cochrane, who is new to Bowersock, offers a portrait that acts more like a still life in Prescription. The circular canvas invites speculation on the meaning of the specific objects chosen to sit in relation to one another, encircling the figure of a young woman at its center. Books, red ribbon, ginger root, and mushrooms watch as the woman uses a paintbrush to draw lines in the sand.
This diverse show includes sculpture, collage, assemblage, and paintings, providing a perfect entree to the season.
Master Builders: New Voices, New Works is on view now through June 3 at Bowersock Gallery, 371 Commercial St., Provincetown. For more information call 508.487.4994 or visit bowersockgallery.com.
