"Common Ground" opens at Hygienic this Saturday evening

Hygienic Art
83 Bank St., P.O. Box 417, New London, (860) 443-8001
Common Ground: Six Artists interpret New London
Mar. 19—Apr. 16, 2011
Opening reception: Sat., Mar. 19, 7—10 p.m.

Press release

Common Ground: Six Artists interpret New London exhibits six distinct disciplines of artistic expression while collaborating on one subject: The City of New London. Though the exhibition consists of artists from Poland, China, and across America, each artist—chosen for their unique style, choice of medium, and exceptional quality—lives in the city, working, creating and adding to an already diverse and multicultural artistic community.

Common Ground will be on display from Mar. 19—Apr. 16. The opening reception is this Sat., Mar. 19, from 7—10 p.m.

Ted Ciesielski (Video Installation) is a native of Poland and works both with film and video. Mr. Ciesielski has created remarkable time-lapse videos of many of the landmarks of New London and has many accomplished credits to his body of work, including clients like National Geographic, HBO and Lady Gaga.

Pola Esther (Photography) is also a native of Poland and an artist in residence at the Hygienic. Esther creates powerful photographs of contrasting elements of urban decay, feminine beauty and sexuality. In this show, she presents a very personal tale of the town of New London. Her vision is mysterious, magical and mystical. She focuses on places of worship and invites the audience to intimate disputes about spirit, sin and sublimation.

Don Eccleston (Painter/Watercolor,) a native of New London, works in a very fluid, instinctive and playful style of imagery that is reminiscent of Pieter Breugel the Elder and Hieronymus Bosch. Working with watercolor, his paintings come together through various means—the use of found objects, memory and his of course, his wonderful imagination.

Yibing Huang/Mai Mang (Poet) is a Chinese Literature Professor at Connecticut College, a native of China and a renowned, published poet, both in China and here in the United States.

Troy Zaushny (Prints/Polyfresco Paintings) is a native of Connecticut and an also an artist in residence at the Hygienic. Zaushny has developed a very unique voice in the traditional world of Printmaking. He uses multi layered colored panels and varying levels of imagery to create very large prints that are surreal and chaotic, as well as incredibly sophisticated and powerful.

Michael J. Peery (Painting and Drawing), the mastermind behind this exhibition, is a native of Idaho and a resident of New London. Peery teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design and is an accomplished oil painter and draftsman. His paintings were published in the March issue of American Artist 2010 and are included in esteemed collections such as the Forbes Foundation, The Prince of Wales Foundation, and in the personal collection of Jean-Louis Dumas-Hermes.