Loading the Canon #11 by Helena-Anne Hittel

Return of Third Thursdays: By Design

Thursday’s offering at the Gallery at Avalon Island is both aesthetically pleasing and architecturally sound.

October 17th was the Downtown Arts District’s monthly gallery hop, Third Thursdays. If you didn’t attend this one, you’ve missed out. The Gallery at Avalon Island’s Patrick Greene curated a knockout show, composed of nine artists with various studios (all over Florida). The concept was one of pure design and composition. These artists focused on the line and structure in their artwork, how the materials interacted with each other, and the use of new and innovative materials and forms of art.

For instance, let’s look at the art of Henning Haupt. Mr. Haupt is a painter and professor of architecture at Florida Atlantic University. A few of his “Blind Drawings” were featured in this show. These might not look like thoughtful studies of line and plane at first. However, get a bit closer, and it’s easy to see. Haupt’s works, done in oil paint and crayon and drawn with his eyes closed, explore the division of space and the different ways in which it can be divided. His titles explain his intentions, too-there’s no room for confusion in “Verticals alternating Density and Width—Green, 2012.” Haupt’s works are both structured and free-form.

Another artist also explored division. Rachel Wronowski’s shadowboxes exhibit an almost stained glass-like quality, from the angular lines and compositions to the rich, bright colors. It’s like a Tiffany lamp in a little black box. Wronowski’s works pack all the color and plenty of backbone into small, visually-pleasing doses.

Art, though, comes in many forms, some even wearable. Case in point, Iris Ledesma’s structural and stylish jewelry. Her works feature leather and metal constructions. One leather piece in specific, a bib necklace, strives to work with the look of the female form. From her website: “This design family ventures to combine modern day stylings with a subtle flair of antiquity. The combination of hand worked, riveted leathers and concentric geometric design lends itself to an elegant accent line sure to accentuate the female lines.”

Art and design are one and the same. It’s nothing without composition. The materials it’s made of and the ways that they’re used are the basic components of the greatest works hanging in every museum. Those in The Gallery at Avalon Island are no different. From paintings done with a palette knife to the use of hibiscus and red wine as artistic mediums, art is rapidly evolving. It all starts with design