‘Selected Works’ by Tim Tait at the Jessie Edwards Gallery Aug 22 – Sept 3rd
Come delight in the vibrant beauty and joy of Tim Tait’s ‘Selected Works’ of Block Island. These 17 acrylic on linen works remind us of the essence of Block Island and spark our memories and imagination as we travel along the roads and fields as the artist offers a refreshing new perspective on this place we love. It’s not often we are able to see through fresh eyes a place which is so familiar to us but we are treated to Tait’s visual memories of his recent times here. We have a vague sense, looking at many of these works, that we know where it is but it takes a bit of going through our own memory banks to place it exactly. Each piece is connected to a memory; ours or the artist’s, and that makes looking at these pieces, studying them, an immersive journey down our own memory lane.
What we may not notice at first is that many of these paintings are more abstract than representational. Tait provides the structure but the viewer provides the details. He has simplified the complex and doesn’t over work any of his scenes. While he only works from representational photographs these pieces have the feeling of being painted en plein air. They are breezy and bold and after a while looking at each piece, we no longer sense that there are representational aspects missing, like windows, because his memory of the place is helping us to access our own memories. These works are sweet reminders of a simpler time we are often nostalgic for.
‘House View’ beckons us to amble down the small hill towards the house and beyond. The ocean makes a perfect backdrop to this painting and we can remember the many summer days where the shade of a tree provides the perfect place to linger and breathe in the view.
The color composition in “Town Beach” draws us in. This place is a familiar landmark for all who spend time on the island. This painting will spark memories for anyone who has been coming here long enough and remembers the color of the old pavilion. This simplicity of the limited palette in this painting makes it all the more evocative. We are witnessing one moment in time, as the sun is high in the sky, casting a much needed shadow to cool our feet as we make our way to the beach and water beyond.
There’s a feeling of spring, and hope for summer, in ‘Sharing, BI”. This painting is a snapshot of what it means to travel the roads on Block Island as the season gets underway. Tait has broken down the scene into basic elements and structured them in such a way that we feel we are walking along the road witnessing the movement up ahead.
The composition of ‘Coral House’ highlights and enhances the bold color choices of this recognizable building on the island. Seeing it rendered here, through Tait’s non-judgmental eyes, shows us how perfectly it fits into the island landscape and becomes another part of the scenery and our memories. This painting will forever change the way we look at the house painted coral.
The only acrylic on canvas piece, ‘Landscape, BI” is an inviting interpretation of many island scenes. We aren’t given enough tangible landmarks to place it exactly; it could be many places. What stands out, though, is the strength of the contrast and how the color and shadow blend together to offer the viewer a calm summers’ day somewhere on Block Island.
Please join us in person at the Jessie Edwards Gallery, upstairs in the iconic Post Office Building in Old Harbor, or on line at JessieEdwardsGallery.com. We are open every day except Tuesdays, from 10am – 5pm (4pm on Sundays) and by appointment at other times.