Painter and printmaker Frank Curran has been with Thompson Giroux since they opened in 2010.  His work has been included in several of their group shows; "TIME and TIDE" marks his first solo show at the Gallery.

Since 2002 Curran has been making painting trips to a pair of unique locations—Percé, Quebec, Canada and Monhegan Island, Maine.  Coastal and rocky, the dramatic landscapes of these remote outposts have long been a draw for artists.  All of the work in "TIME and TIDE" is based on Curran’s visits over the years.

From Percé, an oil on canvas and 12 etchings are on view.  Copper plates were "needled" while he was there and etched when he returned to his Hudson Valley studio.  Further etching and aquatint was done after preliminary proofs were made.

The Monhegan work consists of oil paintings and sketches on paper as well as woodcuts and block prints using artwork done on the island as source material.

“Why do I keep going back there?” Curran asks, “It's the watery part of an aesthetic journey, I guess.”

The aesthetic journey Curran speaks of has been long and varied.  As a printmaker he uses classic techniques-- etching, aquatint, drypoint, woodcut, wood engraving, handset type, and letterpress--and traditional equipment to create editions whose subjects range from figures to landscapes to everyday objects, along with abstraction.  This diverse body of work is unified by Curran’s clear and unsparing vision—he is a dedicated observer with a sure hand; his pieces feel spontaneous but never rushed, fully-realized but never overworked.  Curran’s art doesn’t try to capture a moment; it simply is the moment.

The Gallery maintains a flat-file collection of Curran’s earlier work in all sizes and media, available for viewing any time.

Thompson Giroux Gallery is located at 57 Main Street, Chatham, NY 12037.

image credit: FRANK CURRAN, Pulpit, 2005, Oil on canvas, 20" x 24"