Featured artists will be making “Modern Waves” throughout the month of May! Curb your abstract cravings with jaunty brushstrokes accompanied by bright and warm colors. The “Modern Waves” exhibit debuts at the Macon Arts Alliance on First Friday, May 6, with a reception from 5-8 p.m. Paintings by Lauren Betty, Jeff Surace, and Laura Surace will be on display through May 28. Admission is always free and open to the public.
Atlanta based artist, Lauren Betty originally hails from the rolling hills of North Carolina, where she began building her creative identity. Betty artfully entwines earth tones, multiple layers, and vibrancy when painting.
“At a young age I developed an affinity for nature as well as an intuitive understanding of the seasons and cycles of life. Later in my formative years, my family moved to a large urban city and this transition to the city compelled me to search for diverse forms of creative expression in an attempt to reconnect with the natural environment of my youth,” states Betty. “Each painting holds a strong, massive textural quality.”
Savannah College of Art and Design graduate, Jeff Surace, has been creating since childhood. The majority of his work is derived from the simplicity of a pallete knife, oils, and nature.
“There is a deep mystery to the mountains that keeps me connected. After creating art about the Appalachians for over seven years, I always saw something new through the familiar. This comes from seeing the ground as a narrative. I believe from this view is how to experience and interpret this terrain,” states Surace.
Laura Surace is always changing as an artist, influenced by what some may call the most minute of details. Color and color composition is reflected in all of her work, and has [lately] been going back to basics, looking at sketches by Degas and Cassatt focusing on the raw unfinished aspects of the work.
“Born and raised from a long line of Southerners, I find inspiration in history, folklore, and stories past down from family members. I create my own interpretations of these stories in my art. Often, the term ‘Southern Gothic’ is in the back of my head as I create my art. If there is irony in my work, hopefully I portray strength and resolution through bold marks using simple, if not elegant, subject matter,” states Surace.