In tribute to his 80th birthday, The Guild of Boston Artists will exhibit paintings by master artist Robert Douglas Hunter along side of work by several of his former students, including Boston artist Melody Phaneuf.
“ I am delighted to be acknowledged as part of Hunter's linage,” says Ms. Phaneuf, one of the 5 former students taking part in the tribute. Phaneuf studied with Hunter at Vesper George School of Art. “I was attracted to Hunter's aesthetic vision and skill. My fascination with Hunter's command of abstract language and my own desire to impart meaning were the motivation to cultivate the demanding picture making skills taught in the Boston lineage.” Melody Phaneuf has been a Member of absolutearts.com since 2002.
Phaneuf's two paintings on exhibit, J'ai la Pêche, and Relics of the Sea are both decorative and allegorical. “These paintings were chosen because compositionally they emulate Hunter's decorative arrangements, which appeal to a refined aesthetic awareness. On a more personal level, objects, lighting, color and abstract patterns were selected to symbolize ideas and evoke emotion. Hunter's Art Appreciation course taught us how to analyze the motive behind a work of art. These decorative, allegorical compositions are an ideal homage to a beloved teacher.”
J'ai la Pêche is a humorous twist on the French idiomatic phrase for feeling lively. “The energy created by complementary colors of the peaches and the insistent spiraling of the tureen's motif defies the idea of still life,” muses Phaneuf.
Relics of the Sea is an allegory of our inner self, of treasures yet discovered. “I wanted the painting to communicate on a mystical as well as a familiar level. I chose subtle lighting and harmonious color, which would give the painting a misty, mysterious essence. This sets the stage for a meditative, interior quality in which revelation can unfold.”
Robert Douglas Hunter is one of the most distinguished living painters of the Boston lineage, known primarily for his still life compositions. He studied under RH Ives Gammell, well known for his allegorical paintings, especially the Hound of Heaven series installed at the Maryhill Museum of Art. Gammell trained with William Paxton, absorbing the training Paxton learned at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Several of Paxton's paintings are in the permanent collection of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.
Melody Phaneuf has exhibited at the National Arts Club in New York, Galerie Herouet in Paris and with Art du Monde in Japan. She paints at Boston's historic Fenway Studios.
A Tribute to Robert Douglas Hunter will be on view at The Guild of Boston Artists, 162 Newbury St, Boston, MA from June 5 through June 29, 2008. The Guild is opened Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 -5:30.
View more of Melody Phaneuf's work at http://www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/m/melodytheartist/
IMAGE
Artist: Melody Phaneuf
Title: Relics of the Sea
Year Created: 2007
Medium: Painting Oil
Width: 32 inches
Height: 24 inches
Price: US$ 7500
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