Organic Fiction paintings by Hava Gurevich
THE HAMPTONS PERIOD In September of 2009 I moved from an apartment in New York City to a small cottage on Eastern Long Island trading crowded subways and gym workouts for salty ocean air and daily nature walks, city lights for expansive starry skies, chic restaurants and exciting nightlife for local farm stands, deer in my yard and solitude. On my daily walks through the natural landscape, I began noticing …and really seeing, the smallest details; the shapes of tree branches, the color of sunlight in summer and winter, patterns in ice and reflections in a pond, spectacular fall colors, intricate twisted vines and delicate spring blooms. I am especially attracted to the repeating patterns I find in nature, from one life form to another. These human-scale patterns imprinted in the environment repeat themselves both on a microscopic and macroscopic scale. Much of the inspiration for my paintings comes from photographs I take of the natural landscape around me; trees and vegetation, marine life, rock formations and insects. I do not try to copy those images...rather, I let them inspire me to create a vocabulary of biomorphic shapes and gestures that echo these patterns and retain the organic quality, yet allows me a visual voice to explore my own reality. -Hava Gurevich 2011
This catalog is published on the occasion of:
Organic Fiction: Paintings by Hava Gurevich March 18th - June 3th, 2011
The Museum of Contemporary Art at the Ozark 425 Central Ave - Hot Springs, AR 71901 www.museumofcontemporaryart.com
opposite page: Devonian Playground , 2010 acrylic and collage on canvas 30”x40”
October 19, 2009 I’m sitting at my desk working, and I get startled by the sound of a bird pecking at the window (this happens a lot actually). I opened the curtain and was struck by the magnificent shades of Autumn. I think she was trying to tell me to take a break from work. Good point! I think I’ll go for a walk now. Demeter, 2009 acrylic on canvas 24”x18”
Organic Fiction, 2009 acrylic on canvas 24”x36”
this page: Ghost Lilies, 2011 acrylic and paper on canvas 30”x24” opposite page: Bio-Pods, 2009 acrylic on canvas diptych 36”x48”
Every Leaf Tells a Story, 2010 acrylic on canvas 24”x36”
January 2010 my growing fascination with naked trees is turning into a full blown love affair; in the spring I was seduced by the fragrant flowers, in the fall the lush colors overwhelmed my senses and in the summer I was just grateful for the shade they provide. But this winter, I see their true beauty for the first time; graceful, intricate, elegant... and I am in awe. My Love Affair with Trees, 2010 acrylic on canvas 36�x24�
Tide Jewels, 2011 acrylic and collage on canvas 24”x36”
November 2010 you know that feeling, when you just got back from a (cold but invigorating) walk to the beach, and you just CAN’T WAIT to download the photos because you came across something pretty spectacular...so glad I didn’t forget my camera! Wonderland, 2010 oil and acrylic on canvas 30”x24”
January 2010 The world around me is frozen, it’s an amoeba and plankton kind of day. Drinking coffee and getting lost in the tiniest details Biomorphic State Machines, 2010 acrylic on canvas 24”x18”
Undiscovered Worlds, 2010 acrylic and collage on canvas 24”x36”
March 2010 When I woke up this morning the sky was gray and there were snow flurries. But by noon, I was on my 3rd cup of coffee and I suddenly heard birds singing...(For the first time this year!) I looked up and the sun was out. So I grabbed my camera and went out to looks for signs of spring this page: First Signs of Spring, 2011 acrylic and collage on canvas 30”x24” opposite page: The Triumph of Spring, 2010 acrylic and paper on canvas 24”x30”
Flowering Micro-Life, 2010 oil and acrylic on canvas 24”x36”
Twilight Sonata, 2011 oil and acrylic on canvas 24”x30”
this page: Persephone, 2010 acrylic on canvas 30”x24” opposite page: Biophilia, 2011 acrylic on canvas 24”x30”
Hava Gurevich was born in Russia and spent part of her childhood in Israel before moving with her family to Ann Arbor, MI. She received her BFA in Photography from the University of Michigan in 1990 and her MFA in painting from the Illinois State University in 1998. Professionally she has worked in the arts for more than 20 years as a photographer, educator, art dealer, web designer, and art curator. Her intellectual and artistic curiosity is matched by her love of travel, having lived in several major cities (Milano, San Francisco, Chicago, Calgary and New York City) as well as a few small towns. Miss Gurevich currently lives and works in Eastern Long Island.
For my mom
opposite page: Ocean Bed, 2010 acrylic on canvas 30�x40�
Inspired by Nature: photographs I take that inform my paintings