Gregory L Smith

Green Cupboard
acrylic on linen
54 x 54"


about4 x 7 x 7"
carved wood and acrylic paint

The work of North Carolina artist Gregory Smith is a smart mix of impressive skill and thoughtful insight. He churns out gorgeous landscapes, iconic still lifes and decidedly contemporary trompe l'oeil tableaux and objects. It's easy to be dazzled so thoroughly by the guy's rendering skills that you miss the quieter, under the surface dialogue, but it's a mistake to let that happen. Gregory's connection to and love for the Appalachia of his childhood lies at the heart of much of his work. While i would hesitate to call the work a commentary on gentrification or globalization, (it's far too complex and personal to be written off as such) it certainly helps bring into focus these issues and how they relate to the ongoing transformation of a once culturally distinct region. Gregory's personal website is at http://trompegregory.com/gallery_site.htm Stop by, look around and drop him a line to let him know how much the addition of updated images and show announcements would be appreciated.

Alisha Gould

Urchin
2007
3.5' x 2.5'
paper, ink, fabric


Sirens
2006
2.5' x 2.5' x 1.75' largest
styrofoam, plaster, canvas, thread, flocking

In her sculptures, Alisha Gould makes use of forms derived from nature to explore universal human concerns. The sculptures are all meticulously fabricated from inventive combinations of materials. Alisha merges seemingly opposite elements within a single form or group of forms -- sharp with soft, alluring with repellent, clean with dirty, to create compelling objects and spaces. The work has a graceful quietness that lends itself to slow contemplation of ideas about the basic framework of human relations, the world around us and how and where we all fit. The artist succeeds in opening a dialogue where we can examine intimate ideas within the context of vaguely familiar, abstract environments. Alisha's website is clean, well organized and easy to navigate. Along with images of 3-d work, she also includes a small section of prints which have a clear connection to the rest of the work. http://www.alishagould.com/index.html