Stephen Ongpin Fine Art is pleased to present a selection of recent paintings by Anne Connell. An exhibition of her work, the first to be held in Europe, was recently mounted by the gallery, and was accompanied by a catalogue, with texts by Allan Gurganus, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Andrew Solomon.
Anne Connell’s small, exquisitely detailed paintings are characterized by a painstaking technique of oil and gold leaf on prepared panels, and display a rich vocabulary of motifs and influences that reflect her close study of medieval and Renaissance imagery. ‘Borrowing patterns and fragmentary images from Italian Renaissance painting for her small, lovingly made panel paintings, Connell creates a quietly luminous symbolist poetry that seems as once antique and post-modern.’ (Ken Johnson, The New York Times, 18 May 2001.)
Connell has worked for several years in Italy, and her paintings may be seen to conduct a conversation with the art of the Renaissance. ‘Meticulously and densely composed, Connell's paintings invite us—like a medieval manuscript illumination—to explore and enjoy the details: a glistening pearl here, a gilded quatrefoil there, a glimpse of Tuscan architecture on the left, a geometrical drawing on the right—and so on. Connell's deft handling of appropriated imagery beckons the viewer to negotiate a complex and elusive journey into the realms of the sacred and secular as well as the past and present.’ (Marianne Lorenz, The Masters ReMastered, Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art, 2009.)
Sampling images and patterns from Quattrocento sources, Connell presents them in unfamiliar ways to create an expressive vocabulary with its own meanings and purposes. Her paintings demand, and ultimately reward, the quiet contemplation of the viewer. ‘Anne Connell’s exquisitely rendered fragments of Italian Renaissance paintings reveal both a knowledge of and a fascination with that period’s values, symbols and—most importantly—its conventions of illusion. Only rarely does the modern world seem to intrude into these vivid, jewel-like compositions, rich with gold leaf and Latin inscription. Still, on closer examination, Connell’s work reveals itself to be as firmly based in much more recent developments in art as it is in the time-honored tradition of easel painting as a window into another world…Like puzzles or poems, the exegesis of her tiny, exquisite panels requires time and attention.’ (Maria Porges, The New Traditionalists, University of Oregon Museum of Art, 1996.)
A selection of paintings by Anne Connell is illustrated below. For further information about the artist or to obtain a copy of the catalogue (price £12/$20, inclusive of postage), please contact the gallery.
