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December Issue
2008
City of Charleston
in Charleston, SC, Features Works by Fletcher Crossman
The City of Charleston
is presenting the exhibit, Great Big Paintings, featuring
large paintings by Fletcher Crossman, on view at the Gaillard
Auditorium in downtown Charleston, SC, on view through Jan. 31,
2009.
Great Big Paintings is an exhibition of work by British
painter Fletcher Crossman, and the work lives up to its title:
some of his paintings are more than 17 feet wide. The oversized
pieces will be suspended from the ceilings of the Gaillard.
The Gaillard Auditorium has often been a venue for art exhibitions
in the past, although the sheer scale of the venue can make it
hard for artists to make an impact: often the artwork can seem
lost on the Auditorium's huge walls. This was one of the reasons
that Crossman's paintings appealed to Cam Patterson, special exhibit
director at the Gaillard.
"Fletcher's work is all done on a big scale," Patterson says, "and I liked the idea of using our space more creatively. Having these large paintings suspended around the Gaillard creates a whole new atmosphere for anyone visiting the Auditorium."
Crossman's art features realistic figures that exist in a strange world of muted colors and tones, often with words and phrases weaving into the images. His distinctive style has won numerous awards and accolades, including being given the prestigious Piccolo Spoleto show at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park in 2007.
"It's nice to be exhibiting in Charleston again," Crossman says. "Since my last exhibition in town, my paintings have become even larger - there aren't many venues that can show work that's seventeen feet long! It's going to be exciting to see it installed at the Gaillard. I think people are going to be amazed by what they see!"
The Charleston arts scene was quick to welcome Crossman into their midst when he arrived from Britain in 2002, and he has been a regular speaker and teacher at the Charleston Artist Guild. Much of the artist's time is spent arranging exhibitions out of town: this summer saw two simultaneous exhibitions of his work in Atlanta, and shows at USC Columbia and St. Petersburg, FL, are scheduled for the New Year.
"It's certainly been an adventure!" Crossman says. "And it's not over yet. I'm really happy with the work I'm doing right now, and Charleston is a great place to be a painter at the moment. There are so many good artists doing great work. I'm just glad to be a part of it."
For further information
check our SC Institutional Gallery listings or call Cam Patterson,
exhibitions director, Gaillard Auditorium, at 843/577-7400.
Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2008 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2008 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.