Greenwich Artist’s New Show Explores Tapestry Of The Senses

WOODBURY — Greenwich artist Ellen Hackl Fagan explores the rich tapestry of sensory interaction through her abstract paintings with her new collection “Sensate,” which is on view until March 26 at Good News Cafe and Gallery.

Ms Fagan will be the guest of honor at an opening reception at the café from 3 to 5 pm on Sunday, January 21. The reception will provide an opportunity to view Ms Fagan’s visually evocative arrangement of paintings and learn more about the artist and her intensely personal artistic philosophy.

At the core of Ms Fagan’s artistic work is the commitment to draw viewers into an interactive experience of “synaesthesia,” or sensory blending, through a complex arrangement of many small paintings in a kaleidoscopic tapestry of color. In her artist’s statement, Ms Fagan explained her installations are designed to convey the “voice” of her abstract paintings by revealing the close relationship between color and sound.

“My painting installations make tangible music, synaesthesia, complexity, organization, pluralism and an awareness of the mind in the body,” says the artist. “Once a painting is complete, it takes on a life or personality of its own.”

Ms Fagan frequently finds inspiration in music for her prolific artistic work, completing some 100 paintings – typically small works on a scale of 8 inches by 10 inches – each year. She compared her process of painting to “a marathon dance or meditation,” producing “abstract works where I let the materials dictate the subject of the painting.

“Often, my works are pattern-based, relating to musical rhythm,” she said. “This open-ended working style echoes the chaotic beauty of life.

“My process is driven by three objectives: commitment to keeping open to new ideas and materials, collaboration with composers to explore synaesthetic relationships of color to sound, and interaction with viewers of my art,” she observed.

A Master of Fine Arts graduate of the University of Hartford Art School, Ms Fagan has participated in nearly 30 solo and group exhibitions since her previous show at Good News Cafe and Gallery in 2000. She has shown her works extensively at galleries, museums and art centers throughout Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina and Indiana.

Over the past three years, she has mounted solo and duo exhibitions at Hartford Art School’s Silpe Gallery, Mercer County (N.J.) Community College Gallery, Louise Jones Brown Gallery at Duke University, and The Enchanted Garden Arts Conservatory in Ridgefield.

Complementing her painting exhibitions, Ms Fagan’s exploration of the sensory blending of color and sound has led to her participation in a dozen performances since 2004 that have presented her artistic works interactively with music to create a multi-dimensional sensory experience. In “Community Sing” performances last year at Duke University and art studios in Ridgefield and New Haven, Ms Fagan offered an opportunity for viewers to become direct participants in the show through a unique invention of her own conception.

“To make tangible the voice of my paintings, I have created an interactive device called ‘The Reverse Color Organ’ in collaboration with sound designers,” she said. “The RCO places sensory blending in the hands of the viewer, encouraging imaginative play and enhancing their understanding of abstract visual language.

“My recent installations have doubled as a performance where I invite viewers to select one or more panels based on their preferences, and then have them vocalize the sound of that painting’s personality of simply the sound of its colors or textures,” she added. “I often document these performances by viewers, continuing to gather data about the nature of animation in abstract art.”

In addition to her artistic work, Ms Fagan has served for more than a decade as an art show curator and art instructor with schools, museums and galleries throughout Connecticut. She has been an instructor and docent at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, a mentor with the Urban Artists Initiative in Waterbury, and a visiting art instructor at The Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury.

Good News Cafe & Gallery is open from 11:30 am to 10 pm daily Wednesday through Monday. The January 21 reception is free and open to the public. Complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served in the bar during the reception.

The café/restaurant and gallery, at 694 Main Street South (Route 6) in Woodbury, can be reached by calling 203-266-4663.