The Aldrich Presents a Color Panel with Artists David Scanavino and Cary Smith

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum’s exhibitions director Richard Klein will moderate a panel discussion featuring artists David Scanavino and Cary Smith along with Jude Stewart, journalist and author of ROY G. BIV, for an engaging conversation about color on Sunday, January 25, from 2 to 3:30 pm.

The talk will draw back the curtain on one of the most complex and subjective human phenomena and answer tantalizing questions like why is blue the most popular color in the United States, while red is favored in much of Asia.

Communications director Pamela Ruggio said, “Our everyday lives are full of color, so this was an accessible topic around which to organize a public program. The Aldrich is well positioned to connect artists with the community, and David and Cary were naturals for this format. Visitors are invited to explore their exhibitions, and then join the conversation.”

While color is not the subject of either artists’ work on view, they both utilize color in exciting and different ways.

Scanavino, for instance, is interested in nondescript institutional spaces like libraries, schools, and hospitals; their drab interiors are the impetus for his work. At The Aldrich, he has transformed a neutral gallery space by creating a multi-colored and immersive floor sculpture from linoleum tiles: Imperial Texture (2014) spans the floor and scales four walls.

In addition his wall relief, Peacock (2014), is crafted with a colorful construction-paper pulp-and-glue blend that he applied to the gallery wall by hand over three days. The pulp was pre-mixed in a household blender and arrived in color-coded buckets.

Smith’s exhibition, Your Eyes They Turn Me, showcases equally colorful paintings that vacillate between geometric and biomorphic abstraction. The exhibition includes a vitrine that offers insight into his meticulous practice, including how he mixes the diverse paint colors used in his work.

Both exhibitions are on view through April 5. This Color Panel is free for members, K-12 teachers, children (under 18), and active-service military families; $10 for adults; and $5 for seniors (over 60) and college students (with identification). For more information visit aldrichart.org or call 203.438.4519.  The Aldrich is located at 258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877.

Museum: Founded by Larry Aldrich in 1964, The Aldrich is dedicated to fostering innovative artists whose ideas and interpretations of the world around us serve as a platform to encourage creative thinking. The Aldrich is one of the few independent, non-collecting contemporary art museums in the United States, and the only museum in Connecticut devoted to contemporary art. It is one of only twenty museums in Connecticut and only 318 art museums in the country to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. All exhibitions and programs are handicapped accessible. Free on-site parking. Regular Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 12 noon to 5 pm.