The Grenning Gallery is pleased to invite the public to an opening reception on Saturday, January 30th, 2016 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm.
More delicate works for this quiet time of year..."Works on Paper" features amazing prints by Alejandro Sainz Alfonso (b. 1965) that we found in a recent trip to Cuba. We are also showing amazing charcoal and conte crayon drawings by Ben Fenske (b. 1978), as well as new watercolors by the highly respected Long Island artist Christian White.
We proudly welcome Alejandro Sainz Alfonso, (b.1965), to the Grenning Gallery fold. Alfonsos hugely colorful and at times, comedic take on his life in Cuba is expressed in this series of silkscreen prints. From "Free Potatoes" to "Review of History" we see a world from the perspective of a population living under the sea inside of the 100 year old divers' suits. When I asked him if this is what it is like to live in Cuba under the current political regime - he said "no - that this is what its like to be a human on planet earth". We were intrigued to see Cuba, from an artistic perspective. Like Darwin's Galapagos Islands, we were able to see a vibrant artistic community that has had very few outside influences since 1959. The visual and literary diet seems to have been limited to 1950s movie stars, Albrecht Durer's prints, propaganda posters of the leaders, and interestingly - Andy Warhol.
Alfonsos prints were discovered in the government-sponsored print shop that we saw with our government assigned tour guide -(the government sponsors EVERYTHING). We met some serious professional artists that were working in the print shop, which also had several large tables with prints for sale. Alfonsos work stood out. I wasnt the first to notice Alfonso's work, as you will see that most of the prints are towards the end of the edition.
We are also thrilled to be showing new watercolors by the renowned Long Island painter Christian White (b. 1953), as well as rich masterful conte and charcoal drawings by the highly respected Grenning Gallery painter Ben Fenske (b. 1978). We are also pleased to be showing some new drawings by Michael Kotasek (b. 1962).