Flanders Contemporary Art is pleased to announce its latest exhibitions. On view will be new work by four exceptional contemporary artists, Bob Nugent, Joseph Raffael, Michael Gregory and Douglas Cumming.

Bob Nugent, a California artist, is a painter whose view of the world has been focused on the life occurring and rapidly disappearing in the eco-systems of the Brazilian rain forests. Visiting these special places, he sketches their lush flora and later creates watercolors, etchings and oil paintings that emit a sense of dense growth, watery sheen and an intricate play of light.

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The luminous, saturated colors of his palette and his nonobjective, abstract expressive style become personally evocative for each viewer.

Joseph Raffael, long valued internationally for his elegant paintings, watercolors and prints, chooses varied subjects to include koi fish, flowers and domestic interiors. The impressionistic clarity of color in his works gives them a sparkling light. Raffael's works are represented in many of the world's best museums, including the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

Michael Gregory, a California artist who has exhibited around the United States, is known for representational paintings that have monumental, architectonic qualities whether they portray grain elevators or still lifes.

This exhibit will display the work ranging from palettes of brilliant color to a warm palette of sepias, grays, and whites.

Douglas Cumming is a Wisconsin artist with an international reputation. He is known for his super-real, trompe l'oeil approach to representing his subjects. Since the mid 1980's he has juxtaposed abstractly expressive references against photographically real images, creating pictures that combine surreal alienations with optic irritations. His personal symbolic language allows him to be at the same time, narrative, political, personal, affectionate, critical and often autobiographical.

At first his works seem to be purely studied representations but on further viewing reveal a sly sense of humor and irony. Cummings work is represented in museums around the world, including the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center.

The opening reception for these three artists is on September 13th from 6 to 9 p.m. The exhibitions run through October 19th, 2002. Flanders Contemporary Art is located at 400 North First Avenue, first floor in the Wyman Building. Gallery hours are 10 to 5 Tuesday through Saturday, and by appointment. FFI: Contact Doug Flanders or Tasha Kubesh at 612-344-1700 or by email at <art@flanders-art.com>.

View Upcoming Exhibitions