A project inspired by the “color fields” movement has pushed some local artists out of their comfort zones.
The Loft Artist Association’s fourth annual exhibit, inspired by a painting from the Stamford Museum & Nature Center, opens Friday night, featuring a piece from Nicholas Krushenick, who was part of the color fields movement in the 1960s and ‘70s.
Mark Macrides, co-director of LAA, said the style veers from the usual work of many of the LAA artists, challenging their creative minds.
“The color fields movement was much more of an abstract movement in that it incorporates these flat areas of color and geometric shapes, which is very different from the styles of a lot of our artists,” Macrides said. “It’s been exciting to see what, in particular, some of more figurative artists have done with this project.”
An opening reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday night for the exhibit, which will be on display until March 11 at the Pacific Street gallery. The reception will feature Krushenick’s painting, Big Frog Mountain, and a curator from the museum will discuss the artist’s work and the color fields movement.
Macrides said the exhibit will feature “a broad range of interpretations of the color fields mindset and movement” in large- and small-scale paintings, as well as some mixed-media pieces.
The goal of this project, Macrides said, was not to copy the color fields style or Krushenick’s painting, but to inspire the artists to push past what they know.
“The artists are always a little wary at first, but then they really get into it and they become very excited about the work they’re producing,” Macrides said. “And, I think what’s exciting for the artists is that it’s an opportunity to explore other forms of expression.
“Artists are creative people, but like anyone, we can get stuck in our styles and that thing that we do, so this is a fun way for them to break out of that a little bit and explore a different direction. Most of them will probably to go back to what they know, but sometimes you’ll see them incorporate some of that new technique or style into their work.”