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October Issue 2006
Mary Martin Gallery in Charleston, SC, Features Works by Michael J. Downs and Nancy Langston
The Mary Martin Gallery located in Charleston,
SC's French Quarter District is pleased to present Cornerstones:
Architectural Themes in Contemporary Art featuring new works
by Canadian artist Michael J. Downs and Charlestonian sculptor
Nancy Langston. The exhibit will be on view from Oct. 6 through
Nov. 1, 2006.
Michael J. Downs
On his last visit to Charleston, Michael J. Downs spent an extensive portion of his trip studying what makes Charleston unique. He sketched our darling cityscapes, captured Charlestonians at work and at play, and studied a favorite local restaurant, the Oak Steakhouse. These studies were transformed into rich original oil paintings in Down's Alberta studio. Although Downs' primary focus in his works are the human figure, these persons are often engulfed in a very specific environment. Downs creates a narrative by capturing the light, mood, and subject through the rendering of a space.
Downs studied commercial art at Capilano College in North Vancouver and has been published by Artist's Magazine, Southwest Art, International Artist, and Focus Santa Fe.
While Downs describes specific architectural settings in his work, fellow artist Nancy Langston uses architecture as an inspiration for choosing media. "Concept and choice of media are inextricably linked in my work. I use familiar everyday architectural materials: glass, concrete, stone and metal and combine them in non-traditional ways to create a visual vocabulary with which to produce sub-text within my sculptures," explains Langston. Light, shadow, form, and layer are all addressed by the artist. Cornerstones will feature new sculptures from both her abstract freestanding forms and mythological hanging sculptures collections.
Nancy Langston
Langston was introduced to the medium of glass at the Virginia Commonwealth University where she received her BFA in sculpture. She also earned an MFA in glass sculpture from Massachusetts Colleges. Langston currently lives and works in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
For more information check our SC Commercial
Gallery listings, call the gallery at 843/723-0303 or at (www.marymartinart.com).
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