Johnson and Saccio opening Sunday at Kehler Liddell

Kehler Liddell Gallery
873 Whalley Ave., New Haven, (203) 389-9555
Keith Johnson and Joseph Saccio
Oct. 3—28, 2007
Opening reception: Sun., Oct. 7, 2—5 p.m.
Artists talk: Thurs., Oct. 25, 7 p.m.

Press release

The two-person show featuring the works of photographer Keith Johnson and sculptor Joseph Saccio will be on view from Oct. 3 through Oct. 28 at the Kehler Liddell Gallery in Westville Village.

The photographs of Keith Johnson are the pictorial observations of his travels through life. The unexpected, incongruous, often ironic juxtapositions and relationships captured by his lens parallel the found objects incorporated into the multifaceted sculptures of Joseph Saccio. Each artist seeks to convey humor and irony by layering memory and meaning, complexity and mystery. Materially the works display a profusion of color and detail, exploring the interplay between the material of the natural world and man's synthetic contributions.

New Work by Keith Johnson is returning to New Haven after a successful run in New York. The exhibition includes twenty large color pigmented inkjet prints done over the past four years in three groupings: Ground/Cover; Extended Work; Re: Man(ufactured) Space. He is having a concurrent exhibition of "Ground/Cover" at Wall Space Gallery in Seattle, WA. He is a recipient of a Connecticut Commission of Arts Grant and a constant traveler. Johnson considers himself a visual anthropologist, documenting the results of man marking his space in the landscape. The root of his art is about entertainment.

Sculptor Joseph Saccio is a new member of the Kehler Liddell Gallery. He has won several regional awards, including two awards for best sculpture in show at the annual Art of Northeast USA exhibit at the Silvermine Guild Arts Center. His sculptures are in a variety of sizes and materials, and elicit a wide range of emotions. The majority of Saccio's highly personal pieces use natural materials joined together in a primitivistic manner. They evoke a somber emotional mood of myth and ritual, loss and resurgence. The brutal form and meaning of his solemn works are in contrast to the highly colored, brash, and humorous style of his synthetic pieces.

The artist reception will be held Sunday, Oct. 7, from 2—5 p.m. The public is welcome to join the artists and community in celebration at the Kehler Liddell Gallery, located in Westville Village. Please also join us for an Artist Talk held in the gallery on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. where you will be free to meet the artists and explore the concepts of their work. Both artists are represented by the Kehler Liddell Gallery in New Haven. Artists' works can be viewed at www.kehlerliddell.com.