Sidestreet Arts is presenting a show of work from Reta Larson and Michael Pratt opening First Friday October 7 and runs through the month in the gallery at 140 SE 28th Ave. Sunday, October 14, is the Mimosa Sunday Artist Talk at 11 am.
Larson founded Sidestreet in its original form in 2005. She has been developing this series called Women at Work since 2004.
A master of collage, she uses found and made items to create sculptures representing intricately detailed visions of some of the many aspects of life and work. The multi-armed women become symbols for the many tasks women must juggle every day.
Pratt’s new series is captivating as well. He described them for The Southeast Examiner.
“The paintings are a series of fifteen pieces, thirteen of them painted in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
“I had gotten interested in the painting of Whistler’s Mother – the shape of the black dress, the spare feel of the space around her, the stern look on her face.
“I had been working with paintings of cats and dogs with tattoos. That just morphed into cats wearing Dior-like dresses.
“As the series progressed, the images began to express a certain spirituality much like in the Whistler painting.”
Sidestreet Arts is open Wednesdays through Sundays at 11 am.
