Victoria Arendt's Vision 47 Gallery Grand Opening

A new gallery has had its grand opening in the Crislip Arcade at 645 Central. Victoria Arendt, painter and recent transplant from Los Angeles, exhibited her new paintings of St. Petersburg and the Caribbean. Hers is a highly individuated, unusual romantic vision with a restricted range of tones and colors.

Victoria Arendt and her work.

On the left is a closer look at the work above. The style is Impressionist, but note the content. Victoria tells me she was influenced by the work of Richard Estes [Link]. One can see this in the content of this picture, and subtly in the compositions/angles of other of her works, though Arendt has synthesized this into her own style and colors. I like how the drinkers are isolated from each other by one empty (hopeful?) seat. There's room for the viewer. Note how the triad is echoed in the bright cooler behind the bar, the paintings at the top, and TV screens.

Victoria Arendt,"Central Ave. #3"

 
"Central Ave. #3", an enhanced giclee of the original, is a distinctly individuated vision of St. Petersburg's main drag. Not a photo-realist version, but a fusion of that and Impressionism. This is more like the way we feel about and remember things than the way we see them.

Victoria Arendt, "Built on stilts"

That palette is extended to paintings of other places. Here is a tropical dwelling or two. Note how here we have the muted colors in the water, foreground and houses, but look at the sky...there's pinks, blues, greens, magentas and more. Ms. Arendt has suprises up her sleeve.


Congratulations to Victoria Arendt/Vision 47 on her very good & well-attended grand opening.

--- Luis