‘Tis the season for D.C.’s galleries to hold their annual group shows, hoping to entice holiday shoppers with a variety of artwork at affordable prices. Until December 30, U Street’s Nevin Kelly Gallery is hosting its third annual Attainable Art exhibit, with all work priced under $1500, and many pieces in the $200-600 range. Even if you don’t have many art lovers in your shopping queue this year, group exhibits like this one give visitors the opportunity to become familiar with the varied works of the gallery’s represented artists and discover some of their newest finds. In addition to the over thirty hung and framed works, Nevin Kelly also displays matted work in sleeves in the back room. Sold without frames, these pieces provide an even more affordable option for shoppers.
Although frequent gallery visitors may be largely familiar with the work on display, the vast quantity of work is sure to hold a few surprises for all. One such surprise is in the standout work of Laurel Hausler. If you missed this self-taught artist’s work in the gallery’s March 2007 Women’s Work, head to Nevin Kelly this month to check out the approximately ten pieces she has on display. Hausler’s mixed media paintings and drawings depict intriguingly complex scenes — however the complexity is not based on intricateness of form but on subtlety and introspection. Her use of media is a breath of fresh air, with the combination of collage, paint and line reflecting a certain naiveté in its application.
In the 15×14’ Apothecary (Leeches), pictured above, the artist fills the background with old newspaper clippings of pharmaceutical ads and photographs of apothecary bottles. The middle ground features an outlined drawing of a woman with the face drawn heavily in ink, as if the artist kept trying to create the character’s perfect features without having the ability to erase her mistakes. The foreground of the piece adds a beautiful layer of color, painted on top of the plexiglass to form the white and black of the woman’s clothing as well as a red curtain containing the scene.
