December 3, 2021 – January 2, 2022

“Parallels” by Elaine Florimonte

 Opening Reception: Sunday, December 5, 3 – 5 pm 

In the Fall of 2019, Elaine Florimonte was stopped in her tracks at the sound of the wind. With a million things to do, she stood still and watched and listened as the trees moved in unison under the force of the wind. Like one big organism breathing. By the middle of the next season, we would be in a global pandemic effecting our connections with each other and our collective ability to breathe.

In a forest, there is not one isolated tree, but a network of trees, often of many different species. When one tree is weak, the neighboring trees support it through the connection of its root system and protect it from the elements through their proximity. The parallels between the life of a tree and its dependency on the forest and the issues of connection and isolation in our society is undeniable. The pandemic created an incredible sense of global community at the same time it divided us into our own isolated spaces.

Florimonte paints intuitively. She makes a mark and responds to that mark or color with another and another. Recently in her studio, trees kept showing up in her compositions. The repetition of verticals along the constant of the horizon and the light that she imagined pouring through the negative space brought Florimonte hope. Light has always played a role in her work and as she isolated in her home during the pandemic, she couldn’t help incorporating that interior light in this body of work. With the combination of interior spaces with her landscapes, a sense of knowing came over her as an artist.

 Just like standing still observing the trees swaying in the wind on that busy day two years ago, she has felt like she was suspended during the pandemic. At the same time inside-out, isolated and connected.

 Florimonte has exhibited her pieces in national shows and in solo, juried, and group shows in Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland and in New York.  Her work has been published in magazines and is in private collections in the US and internationally.

Image: We Were Born Before the Wind. 28”x 34” Acrylic Collage on Canvas.

Masks are required inside the gallery. Open hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12-5.

 More information about Elaine Florimonte can be found on her website www.elaineflorimonte.com  

* Please note the gallery will be closed between December 24, 2021 and January 1, 2022. Please plan your visit accordingly!