Please join us for the Opening Reception for Ramiro and Melissa Franklin Sanchez Show on Saturday August 27th, from 6:00 to 7:30pm at the Grenning Gallery, 17 Washington Street, Sag Harbor. The exhibition hangs until September 25th.
Ramiro (b. 1974), originally a classically trained musician, brings us a lyrical series of spiritual figurative paintings this year. Hymn is an homage to the way one expresses their spiritual elations through song. The young womans face belies ecstasy as she levitates above the Earth into the abstract realm of spirituality. Red and yellow hues streak the atmosphere below, depicting her passion and complete envelopment in the musical manifestation of a higher power. This breakthrough work by Ramiro merges his highly refined classical figurative narrative with an abstract background, creating a 21st century religious painting. It also recalls the sculpture Ecstasy of Saint Theresa by Bernini in Rome, which describes the intense joy of spiritual elation, attainable only when one relinquishes the worldly plane. Also technically, Hymn is a virtuosic work with the foreshortened legs and face.
In Allegory of Painting Ramiro has painted a girl who is in the middle of making a painting- in keep with tradition of similarly titled historical works, the subject is symbolic of the art of painting. It is as if she has materialized out of the painting that she is making, which is on the easel behind her. Its a fitting nod to ones idea of themselves as they approach middle age, the picture of ones life emerges from the abstract plans we make.
Allegory of Chopin (Nocturne) is as simple and pure as it sounds. Ramiro has used the subject of a rapturous beautiful young women to convey the emotions he feels when listening to the Chopin nocturnes, which are classically inspired but very experimental and unresolved. Again, he finds a way to paint his souls reaction to beauty. To round out the show, Ramiro has produced a series of glorious beach umbrella landscapes from the coast of Tuscany in addition to several Hamptons scenic paintings.
Ramiro has also had an amazing year working on a commission to decorate the Saint Bede Catholic Church in Williamsburg, Virginia. He is also working on a private chapel commission, as he finds himself drawn towards more spiritual subjects.
Melissa Franklin Sanchez (b. 1984) exhibits her latest work, created in her new hometown, Fiesole. Her sought after gem-like interiors are inspired by the likes of Hammershoi, with their dramatic lighting and deep sense of intimacy. Summer Light our favorite, sold before it even got a label put on it! Also, Franklin Sanchez made an important shift to painting on aluminum panels for technical reasons. While the copper is a warm toned base, it is also heavy and difficult to find large panels. There are also the final two candle paintings on copper, which literally glow. Franklin Sanchezs Collecting Memories harkens back to the finest Dutch still lives. We see a bolder more confident landscape painter, with two especially strong works Forget-me-not and Fiesole Sunset. This group of paintings clearly shows an artist inspired by her new environment and we look forward to more paintings.
