Mitchell • Giddings Fine Arts is pleased to announce the artist opening and reception for “Lyell Castonguay: Tributes,” an exhibition of woodblock prints Saturday, June 15, 5-7 pm. The show continues through July 28, and an Artist Talk is scheduled for July 14, 5 pm.
Castonguay is co-founder, along with Carand Burnet, of BIG INK, a unique, travelling, nationally recognized woodblock printmaking partnership providing audiences an opportunity to create large – up to 8 feet – hand pulled woodcuts.
Castonguay’s woodblock prints invoke disparate influences including Japanese ukiyo-e, the naturalist works of Audubon and the expressionism of Baskin. He fills his paracosm with familiar animals made beholden with human emotions. Being a birder himself, most of his images are avian or strangely bird-like, bold personalities seemingly at odds with each subject’s intrinsic wildness. The artist’s distorted narratives often incorporate covert references to environmental decline, natural resource commodification, and displacement.
Mitchell • Giddings Fine Arts is committed to presenting innovative, contemporary works that stimulate and challenge both the seasoned collector and aesthetic explorer. Regular gallery hours: Wed. – Mon., 11-5.
