in the downstairs G.b. Stuart Gallery

In a different light

Our current exhibit In A Different Light combines abstract paintings by Jill Peckelun and photographs by Louise Thomas in a deliberate balance of color and black and white. Both artists, however, harness light and stillness to recreate moments in time.

Jill Peckelun creates scenic and domestic vignettes with shifting, textured brush strokes and bursting colors. Her palette is bright even when she depicts the dark. She captures light the same as a photo, letting it emanate and glow. Though her style is abstract, you can see every detail of these vast landscapes through her studied shaping and coloring. Peckelun’s dexterity with brushes/painter’s knives and manipulation of her medium (oil paint with cold wax) provides a never-ending collection of shapes and textures that amplify her playfulness with light and shadows.

Louise Thomas uses different methods to evoke the same results. Her black and white photography is focused and calm. It’s evident how much time was spent anticipating the perfect moment to be captured. She allows the nature she documents to remain in its element, wild yet still. Fog, long exposures, and intentional camera movement meld to create a nostalgic filter that encapsulates the light in Thomas’ photos. Her perspective and composition are expansive, allowing you to imagine where the photo continues past the frame.

In both Peckelun and Thomas’ works, you can often find small areas of delight that add to the depth of field like foxes, rabbits, birds, and people. Both artists are intent on creating in their chosen settings, existing within the scenery and subject matter rather than working in a studio. That is part of the allure and authenticity to these collections. Like magic, both Peckelun and Thomas freeze time and suspend us in their memories.

Written by Rachel Haas-Gutin