The Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center gets a jump on the new fall season with three exhibitions opening in the last days of August that include Daniel Cascardo: Vision of Reality, An Artist’s Perspective in the Robinson Gallery, the Birmingham Society of Women Painters in the Kantgias-DeSalle Gallery, and work by Hannah Miller. The exhibitions opened on August 23 and extend through September 19, 2024. “It’s really a very inclusive show,” said Annie Van Gelderen, president and chief executive of the art center, noting the range of emerging and veteran artists in the exhibit.
In the work of Mr. Cascardo, the painting Luminosity reflects the most traditional abstraction with a large and diverse collection of colorful shapes and patterns that rely on his black line borders to hold the composition together. There is a calculation of placing swaths of color in positions across the rectangle from left to right and from top to bottom. If you wonder why this abstraction feels right, it is because of this calculated balance of line, color, and shapes that make their way equally into all parts of the composition.
He says, “The versatility of acrylic paint allows me to work quickly, capturing the energy of the moment through a freestyle technique. My inspiration comes from my imagination, spirituality, life experiences, creativity, music, and the arts. Through my work, I strive to communicate joy, happiness, and beauty, inspiring others to explore their creativity and engage in the artistic process.”
In the artwork, Rooster’s Melody, a similar technique of colorful patterns is encapsulated by a black border outline. Still, it supports a rooster motif near the center of the composition and is less abstract in its intent.
In the work Ol So Mio, the composition is more formal and illustrative in its intent. Balanced in shape and design, the composition is easier to understand, and the color is now heavier and darker in the lower half of the canvas, providing a top and bottom.
By using a variety of standard and recognizable shapes, figures, animals, instruments, and a landscape, Harmonic Encounter is a universe unto itself, even more illustrative in the artist’s attempt to create an overall happy place for us. Cascardo says, “My childhood experiences and cultural influences have significantly shaped my artistic vision, particularly my deep connection to my Italian American heritage. The food, travel, people, architecture, and fashion that have shaped my life inspire my artwork, allowing me to create unique and powerful imagery. Through my art, I hope to evoke emotions, inspire creativity, and engage in the world’s beauty.”
Daniel Cascardo attended College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI, Art Direction/Design, 1985
Henry Ford College, Dearborn, MI, Fine Art, 1983
Goldman Sachs 10k Business Alumni, 2018
Birmingham Society of Women Painters
The Birmingham Society of Women Painters, founded in 1944, comprises residents from the surrounding metro Detroit area. With more than 50 members, they exhibit a diverse approach to painting, including watercolor, oil, acrylic, and mixed mediums. This exhibition, Brushstrokes, is in the Kantgias-DeSalle Gallery through October 8, 2024, and the juror is Meigan Jackson, a contemporary fine artist whose work is both a painter and paper artist, between the visual real and its abstracted essence.
Hannah Miller: Parallel Seekers Here, in her Hopper-esk painting, the artist reflects a socially conscious creator and innovator who uses art and design to make the world a more inclusive, kind, and welcoming place.
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Exhibitions supported by Bank of Ann Arbor / Birmingham