"Gabriele T. Raacke: IN BETWEEN (acrylics on glass)" Opens at Art Space 98
May 25, 2017 by Sponsors Exhibition Preview, EXHIBITIONS, Figurative & Portraiture, GALLERIES, HAMPTONS, Hamptons & East End, Painting
ART SPACE 98 is opening its new season and proudly presents
Gabriele T. Raacke: IN BETWEEN (acrylics on glass)
May 26 – July 3rd, 2017 (FRI-MON 11 – 5pm)
ARTIST RECEPTION: Friday, June 2, 5 – 7pm
"Two To Tango" by Gabriele T. Raacke. Acrylics on glass. Courtesy of Art Space 98.
Gabi Raacke has been living and working for many years on the East End of Long Island and has shown her extraordinary work extensively to great acclaim. In this show she is diving into her vivid, surrealist and humoresque imagery by using the technique of reverse glass painting. This type of painting originated in the Middle Ages, spread from Central to Eastern Europe and later to Italy in the Renaissance Arts. Gabi's luminous colors bring out an attractive freshness in expression and her works are great fun to be with. Here is what the artist says about her art:
"As an immigrant I had to learn to live and work in between worlds. Adapting to a different country, culture, and customs is a challenge and a mind opener. Through painting I connect with different times, far away places, and other worlds.
"Airmail" by Gabriele T. Raacke. Acrylics on glass. Courtesy of Art Space 98.
I met many of the characters who live in my paintings long ago, first listening to my parents recounting Grimm's fairy tales, then exploring the depths of the black forest near my childhood home in Germany. Decades later, traveling and living in Africa for a few years, I came in contact with other cultures and ways to see the world. What seemed strange and exotic at first challenged my imagination and opened my mind to other beliefs.
"Global Village" by Gabriele T. Raacke. Acrylics on glass. Courtesy of Art Space 98.
It would be impossible for me to describe these impressions with words. But the glass on which I paint allows me to project memories of the encounters and experiences of my life's journey for others to see.
The shiny glass pieces I use as my canvas produce a unique luminance that stems from light reflected in between layers of paint and the glass surface. I paint on the back of the glass in reverse order, foreground first and finish with the background as the last layer. This process, known as reverse painting on glass, was used in the 18th and 19th century in Germany's black forest.
My work often features surreal reflections of reality, influenced by memories of fairy tales, a small town circus or dreams: a monkey in the village square, a woman riding a giant rooster, or a clown and a dancer flying paper airplanes. Living 'in between' allows me to see what is invisible from a single vantage point which is what I try to capture in my work."
"Flea Circus" by Gabriele T. Raacke. Acrylics on glass. Courtesy of Art Space 98.
BASIC FACTS: "Gabriele T. Raacke: IN BETWEEN (acrylics on glass)" is on view from May 26 through July 3, 2017 with an Opening Reception on Friday, June 2, 2017 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Art Space 98 is located at 98 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY 11937. Open FRI - MON 11 to 5 pm. 631.324.1524, www.artspace98.com.
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