About this blog


This is my blog on the arts scene of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and surrounding Triangle communities. I'll focus on visual arts and the 2ndFriday Artwalk and other visual art events but that doesn't mean I won't chat about music, literary events, film or anything else in the local creative world. Please email with ideas, links, comments or brickbats. [I have comment moderation on so if you don't see your comment right away that means that I haven't had a chance to approve it yet. Sorry, but the spammers.....]

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Steven Silverleaf at the Fleet Feet Gallery -- Wow!


I took a walk over to the Fleet Feet Gallery at 406 E Main St, Carrboro before my show at Weaver Street Realty last night during the 2nd Friday ArtWalk. I wanted to stop by and check out Steve's new collages.

You may have seen Steve's wonderful figurative pieces (drawings, acrylics and oils) of bightly colored bold and other times quiet and cool depictions of people in chairs and other settings and reposes. These often deceptively simple works are moving and thrilling, for example Conversation 1 to the right.

As good as these paintings are I've always been even more excited by his collages.  Still I was unprepared for this latest batch.  Most fairly small (say 12" wide by 36" tall) but a handful of a larger scale, they are playful, dramatic and compositionally strong and complex.  Some have colors that draw you in like an embrace.  Others grab ahold of your eyes like a magnet.  Most play with the image of a bird.  Really thrilling work of the highest quality.  The small photo to the right does not do them justice (but you can find the bird!)

Steve is one of the treasures of the Triangle artist community, much underexposed and often under appreciated.  This is a must see exhibit.  To see some of Steve's older paintings and collages go to his site but definitely make a point to stop by Fleet Feet!

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