New Exhibitions at George Marshall Store Gallery

The summer light is beginning to soften along the York River as Autumn begins to take hold. With Labor Day weekend over and the hustle and bustle beginning to ease, now is the perfect time to stop by the George Marshall Store Gallery to see the newly installed exhibitions. 

Included are works by three artists who use materials that are reclaimed. Each appreciates the beauty in these salvaged objects and transform them into something new. Daniel Anselmi, from Belfast Maine, integrates, among other things, blueprints, old ledgers and used drop cloths, into his painted abstractions. Though sourced materials are not intended to be recognizable in these abstractions, sometimes surface traces remain that become a moment of discovery for the discriminating viewer.

Paul Bowen incorporates wood that has a history, creating three dimensional sculptures. The artist merges his current environment in southern Vermont with Provincetown by creating sculptures that combine salvaged wood from the beaches with beaver chewed wood from a nearby dam. His pieces are rustic and raw and simultaneously elegant. A native of Wales, he has spent the majority of his adult life in the United States and has been a key figure in the Provincetown arts community.

Duncan Johnson’s wall mounted assemblages are created out of that which has been salvaged. Working with reclaimed wood from landfills and construction sites in Vermont, he creates wall sculptures by reassembling the found wood. The pieces that he uses tell a story with their fading paint, nail holes and weathered surfaces. His work contains aspects of sculpture, drawing and painting, and reflect his many interests which range from quilting to architecture.

 Showing alongside these three artists is Sachiko Akiyama, a faculty member at the University of New Hampshire. Akiyama masterfully carves exquisite figures that draw the viewer in, allowing one to bring their own personal interpretation to her work. She is inspired by a wide range of influences ranging from medieval Christian wood carvings to contemporary sculpture. Her figures are based on herself and her family including relatives who have passed away. Although her work is very personal and is a combination of memories, family history, dreams and cultural symbols, the sculptures allow for multiple interpretations.

Scott Schnepf showcases both paintings in gouache and oil as well as several woodcut prints. Schnepf’s mastery of these mediums is apparent in his beautifully rendered still lifes of everyday objects and landscapes from personal travels. Schnepf recently retired from teaching at the University of New Hampshire and is enjoying working almost full time in his studio in the Salmon Falls Mill in Rollinsford. His work has been exhibited throughout the country and is in the permanent collection at the Library of Congress, the Currier Art Museum and the Portland Museum of Art.

With a pop of vibrant color, Philip Frey’s work is featured in the dock level gallery. Frey lives and maintains a studio in Sullivan Maine and his local environment is reflected in his work. With an interest in the working harbors of Maine, he paints from direct observation, focusing on color and light. “Experimentation with unexpected color, assertive shape and multifarious and fearless brushstroke has always been the aspiration of my work” explains Frey. His work straddles the line between representational and abstract. Frey will give a gallery talk and book signing on Friday, September 20 th at 6 pm.

The exhibitions run through September 29 th . Gallery hours are Tuesdays – Saturdays 10-5 and Sundays 1-5. 140 Lindsay Road, York Maine. www.georgemarshallstoregallery.com