Vittorio Masoni, Red Sun, acrylic on canvas, 20 x 20"
Vittorio Masoni: Euro-American Abstract Paintings, A Gallery Santa Fe 154 W Marcy, #104, agallerysantafe.com January 25–March 17 Reception January 25, 5–7 pm A Gallery Santa Fe—a new artists’ cooperative that opened this past September in Santa Fe’s GALA Arts District—premieres the paintings of Florence native Vittorio Masoni, who currently lives and works in Washington, D.C. Masoni’s abstract pieces, influenced by the likes of Kandinsky and Rothko, begin as spontaneous sketches and frequently take months to complete—perhaps because the artist’s approach involves “searching until I find,” he says. Masoni’s finished paintings are known for their bright colors and distinctive geometric shapes.—SS
Blair Vaughn-Gruler, Shingle Painting #32, oil and wax on canvas, 12 x 6"
Blair + Ernst: New Paintings GVG Contemporary, 202 Canyon gvgcontemporary.com December 21–January 15 Reception December 28, 5–7 pm GVG proprietors Ernst Gruler and Blair Vaughn-Gruler team up for a holiday exhibition. Vaughn-Gruler continues the exploration she began with her shingle paintings, a series of multilayered oil-on-canvas works, while Gruler, a fine-art furniture maker as well as a painter, explores material and process through mixed media on panel. He’ll also likely be displaying his Tree Lights, floor lamps made from saplings.—ET
Marci Erspamer, Two Together, acrylic on canvas, 15 x 30"
Marci Erspamer: Connectivity The William & Joseph Gallery, 727 Canyon thewilliamandjosephgallery.com, December 20–January 5 Marci Erspamer paints with a very distinct style, using solid, vibrant colors and connecting each segment of her painting with a dark contour line that she calls a web. Primarily depicting familiar images, the kaleidoscope of colors and shapes created by Erspamer is wonderfully reminiscent of Heinz Edelmann’s animated Beatles film Yellow Submarine. Apt, as Erspamer strives for universal connection—to beauty, simplicity, and clarity in life.—ZP