Abel Contemporary Gallery Exhibits

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Courtesy Abel Contemporary Gallery

"Drained Lake" by Helen Hawley.

Stoughton's Abel Contemporary Gallery continues its run of interesting and challenging local art with exhibits from Tom Jaszczak and Helen Hawley as well as a group show called Beautiful Fiction. Jaszczak's ceramics explore muted pastels and minimalist, monochromatic color schemes. Hawley's thoughtful work is an installation using paper, canvas, clay, and other everyday materials to create "lake sediment." The reception is open to the public but artist talks from Hawley and Jaszczak will take place virtually on Facebook Live Jan. 20 and Feb. 3, respectively. The shows run through Feb. 20.

media release: January 7- February 20, 2022

We Present: Tom Jaszczak: Still Life, A Minimalist Approach, Group Show: Beautiful Fiction, and in no. 5 - Helen Hawley: Drained Lake

Opening Reception Friday, January 7, 5pm-8pm, open to the public

Shows open online Saturday, January 8th at 10 AM CST

Virtual Artist Talks:

Helen Hawley – Thursday, January 20, 5pm CST

Tom Jaszczak  - Thursday, February 3, 5pm CST

The online events will include: a video walk-through of the exhibition installed in the gallery, conversation with the artists about their work, and Q&A with the audience. Broadcast through Facebook live and available on our website, the recorded video will also be available to view after the event has ended.

Tom Jaszczak- Still Life, A Minimalist Approach 

Tom Jaszczak creates functional ceramics, influenced by the contemporary Minnesota pots he grew up admiring. His previous body of work explored minimal color blocking and graphics using saturated primary hues over the rich earth toned background of a sodium fired surface. Jaszczak is still using this same sodium fired technique but stepping away from the Bauhaus and Piet Mondrian inspired surfaces to begin using still life to explore pastels, monochromatic schemes, and other muted colors. Influenced by the palette and minimalist approach of Giorgio Morandi’s still life paintings, this new adventure into still life is principally a deeper exploration into color rather than a transition into imagery. 

Beautiful Fiction: Group Show

This exhibition explores artists’ use of stories, myths, parables, legends in visual art; and conversely, how viewers bring their own set of internalized narratives and project them in viewing a work of art. Artists in this exhibit include Theresa Abel, Randall Berndt, Jessica Calderwood, Kelly Connole, Gerit Grimm, Kelli Hoppmann, Larassa Kabel, Debbie Kupinsky, Marlene Miller, and Ariana Vaeth. 

no.5: Helen Hawley - Drained Lake

In her first exhibition at Abel Contemporary Gallery, Helen Hawley creates an installation using everyday materials, including paper, canvas, clay, and found objects, transforming them into lake sediment. Hawley’s artwork includes a wide variety of media, from painting to sculpture, to visual texts and poetry. Her work has been exhibited in New York, Chicago, and Beijing and included in the Wisconsin Triennial at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Her poetry is published and forthcoming at La Piccioletta Barca, The Oakland Review, and Eunoia Review. A sound and music enthusiast, she has also collaborated with performing chamber and experimental musicians. Hawley received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from UW Madison, where she is currently a lecturer in the Art Department.