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Painter and printmaker Ed Bordett’s newest body of work “Travel Paintings – Maine, Manhattan, Venice” will be featured for the month of September at Artists in Cahoots at 21 W. Washington St., Lexington. The opening reception is Friday, Sept. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m.
As a professional artist for over 50 years, Bordett often travels to reenergize his artwork, heading to both farflung urban settings and quieter, rural spots. There he looks for constantly shifting visual patterns: a complex interplay of shadows thrown by fire escapes; the movement of figures as they make their way through the streets; the fog as it rolls in on a coastal harbor. Then, excited by the setting’s vibrance and energy, he jumps in and begins sketching and making notes.
He uses these back in his studio in Fincastle for basic information to make large, intricate, and more abstract paintings and serigraphs.
“But,” says Bordett, “Sometimes I just have to set up my easel right there, on the spot, and start splashing paint around trying to capture the complexity of shapes, and patterns, and objects in front of objects. Traveling helps me relook with new eyes and respond with looseness. That invigorates my work.”
It’s these travel paintings that Bordett will be showing at Artists in Cahoots. In addition to the reception, Bordett will be at the gallery on Saturday, Sept. 7, to chat about his work.
