“Bread and Blue” by Randall Lake—Reception on Friday, May 28th, 2010

New works by Utah artist Randall Lake

“A skull is more interesting than a naked woman” -Ingmar Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal”

Randall Lake is a man who should have been born 150 years ago. He lives his life with a turn-of-the-century mentality, having an appreciation for manners, letter writing, antiques, and fine art. During his career forty+ year career, he has accumulated an impressive resume of awards, commissions, and collections.

For this new “Blue” body of work, Lake’s ideas came to him in the middle of the night; he got “slammed with the idea and had to draw it out, right then and there in the kitchen” and then worked on the piece the next day, using his brush as a cudgel. The new work is focused on human misery, and inspired by Goya’s “Disasters of War.” For Lake, the work is intensely personal: “The imagery in these works, I saw this and I witnessed this.”

This work is Randall Lake’s life. These paintings are coming honestly from this artist, without censure. “Bread and Blue” reminds us that it’s the struggle that brings people together, and not perfection. Moving away from teacups, dinghies, florals, and portraits, Randall is now embarking on a new frontier. He is no longer fulfilled, faithfully painting the realistic way objects or landscapes look.

Jennifer Carr, Fine Art Consultant at Gallery MAR, will be contributing to our Park City blog this spring, with her Italian Insights and Adventures. This week’s adventure brought Jennifer through the volcano cloud to Paris, France, where she begins her three month trip. Look for more updates and inspirations from her travels throughout Italy and beyond.

Inter Milan is champion of European soccer for the first time in 45 years! I was enjoying a peaceful Sunday afternoon at the Duomo (obviously not aware of the game) when they won the Italian League! Within minutes, the entire piazza was filled with people cheering, the sound cars around the city honking their horns, and black and blue flags covering every inch of the place.

Celebrating in Milan

After that, I came better prepared for the European championship this past weekend. The game was projected onto a huge screen at the Duomo and when they won, it was an absolute celebration throughout the entire city. I haven’t seen the following the football league or Inter Milan’s success but being there you couldn’t help getting excited and intoxicated by the pride of the people here in Milan.

The Victorious!

Another plus to being in Milan is that it’s close to the border making day trips to Switzerland a fun and easy adventure.  Next up… hiking in Lugano, Switzerland.

Lisa Lamoreaux, “Perfect Place to Rest,” Mixed Media, 2010

This spring, Gallery MAR worked with a collector to commission a painting by Lisa Lamoreaux.  Lamoreaux is one of Gallery MAR‘s most popular artists and works in mixed media featuring archival papers, wall papers, acrylic, and oils. Her artwork has an incredible sense of luminosity and dimension and collectors usually can’t stop at one! This Washington state artist was one of the first artists to call Gallery MAR home, and we are honored to continue to exhibit her works.

The new collector was thrilled with the prospect of her commission, and Lamoreaux worked diligently for several weeks to perfect her piece. As is the policy with most commissioned work, the painting shipped directly from the artist to the collector’s office in California. The collector waited… and waited… with no sign of the artwork. We got in touch with our client and realized that between the three chefs, this kitchen had gotten the client’s work address wrong by one number. And what a lucky mistake, too.

As the painting winged its way back to Lamoreaux’s studio in Washington, a fire broke out at the client’s office and demolished the building. We all realized that had the painting gone to the correct address, the piece of art wouldn’t have survived. By way of faith, luck, or love, our collector was truly meant to have this painting. Congratulations to Lamoreaux on such a successful outcome to her work! Let’s hope future commissions with our Park City Gallery are less dramatic.

I am so pleased to showcase new work by Kerry Soper, who spent the last Fall in England and Italy.  Kerry Soper was raised in Farmington, Utah and spent his high school years in Atlanta, Georgia, and Provo, Utah.

After graduating from high school, he moved with his family moved to Spring City, Utah-–a sleepy town in central part of the state that has preserved an old-time artistic atmosphere. It was here that he discovered his favorite sites and subjects for painting: the fields, trees and mountains of the arid but cultivated Utah landscape.

Soper has exhibited with Gallery MAR for about a year, and we will expect to see more of his work for our July “Local Fireworks” exhibition.

The fruits of his labors (and vacations!)…

“Villa in Italy”

“Olive Tree in Tuscany”

“Venice in the Fall”

The third Annual Savor the Summit returns Saturday, June 19th combining Park City’s unique and diverse dining options with our celebrated community atmosphere into an incredible culinary experience in Historic Park City. New this year– Before you take your seat, take in some art! Savor the Summit brings a unique opportunity for a mid-month Gallery Stroll on Saturday the 19th of June.

From 4 to 6 pm, enjoy a special stroll that gives locals and Park City visitors alike the opportunity to enjoy light refreshments at participating galleries, while exploring Park City’s exciting art scene. The Park City Gallery Association offers our community a unique monthly showcase highlighting artists, special exhibits, and art events. The Park City Gallery Stroll is a free community event.

Join Park City’s longest dinner party during Savor the Summit’s The Grande Table event. One long dinner table graces the length of Main Street, allowing for over 1500 diners to join in celebration of fabulous food, outdoor dining, live music, and summer in the mountains.

Park City’s finest dining establishments provide their own “menu du table,” showcasing their summer menus, while live musical performances fill the evening with ambiance. The lively “Spirits Garden” offers a listening and nibbling area near the Main Stage for pre-and post-dinner drinks and music. Small bites available for the casual diner.