The Grenning Gallery is presenting the “Four Corners of Realism,” their most recent group exhibition highlighting the latest work of Anthony Mastromatteo, Viktor Butko, Carl, Bretzke, and Sarah Lamb.
From the gallery:
Towards the end of the 20th century, a groundswell of interest created a proliferation of classical ateliers. When an artist decides to enroll in a classical atelier, they are determined to learn how to paint in the Realist style. An atelier will teach an artist the traditional methods gleaned from the masterminds of the Renaissance, from accurate drawing, the study of human anatomy, a deep study of the relationships of values, refined methods of blending pigments, etc.
After completing their academic training, an artist is most likely painting with a limited palette to exemplify a seriously observed subject and portray them in the most naturalist way possible. This study often yields muted still life paintings of fruit beside wine, or a figure standing nude in contrapposto, against a neutral backdrop. These academic paintings are of course well done, and sincerely impressive.
The path an artist takes forward, after their training, however, is what most interests us at Grenning Gallery; where an artist takes their training, and how one will become king of their canvas. This show compares four distinct pathways of four accomplished mid-career painters. Whether it be finding a brighter, more vibrant palette, painting outdoors amongst the elements, or taking a highly refined approach and applying it to an obscure or clever subject.
Two artists in this exhibition hail from Water Street Atelier, a classical painting academy in New York City founded by Jacob Collins in the late 1990’s (now in a new location and known as Grand Central Academy). Sarah Lamb (b.1972 | Virginia) mastered her training and has become Nationally known for her striking still lives, which capture an object’s luscious texture with intricate detail, and as king of her canvas, Lamb’s work exudes elegance. Her colors are natural, and her compositions appear somewhat traditional, yet entirely fresh.
This year, Lamb has delivered three stunning new compositions. In “Shells” (above) Lamb has arranged five pristine pearlescent seashells atop a minimalist grey ledge. Each shell appears utterly unique, with distinct curves, points, and caverns. However, it is the artist’s divine compositional choices that convince the viewer these shells are each one of a kind. These may be five of the exact same shell, simply arranged in their distinguishing poses. It is Lamb’s excellence in formulating her subject that results in a completely thought-out, and expertly executed masterpiece.
More than two decades ago, Anthony Mastromatteo (b. 1970 | Ohio) studied alongside Lamb at Water Street Atelier. Although he received the same training under Jacob Collins, Mastromatteo has taken his paintings to an entirely different realm. His work is technically refined, and beautifully composed, yet suffused with a deep knowledge of art history and philosophy.
His paintings are not the typical structure for a realist painter, in contrast, they consist of bright colors, utilitarian props like masking tape, and usually an element of pop-culture. Irony is never lost on this artist, who cleverly declares that “Trompe l’oeil was the first Modernist movement” and proves his claim via his own hyper-realist oil paintings which force the viewer to dive deep into their psyche; discerning reality from artifice in various subjects both foreboding and sometimes hilarious.
“Vertigo” does what is impossible to do in real life—it makes eternal the moment before this comic clipping of Daredevil inevitably folds over because of the way it is taped—aesthetically rather than functionally. The painting is forever held in suspense. Daredevil, blindly walking the tightrope between two buildings is suspended as well. The anxiety of everything crashing down and falling apart represents a vulnerable side of Mastromatteo’s state of mind as an artist, even as a person.
However, there is so much opportunity when you are on the precipice. Daredevil might just get to the other side safely and become “the world’s two most famous initials” as the comic states. And Mastromatteo, in the process of creating a painting (a process of self-doubt and trial and error) might just create his own “Marvel Masterwork.”
Viktor Butko (b. 1978 | Moscow) received his training first from his classically-trained mother and grandfather, and then formally at Moscow’s Academic Art Lyceum at the Russian Academy of Arts. In Butko’s training, he learned to paint strictly from direct observation. He applies his knowledge of value and color to compositions of the world around him.
Butko spends lots of time each year on Shelter Island, painting views at their golden hours. “Sunset Shelter Island” shows an idyllic setting, where the viewer is situated on the grass, beside a tall tree at sunset. The sky evolves from bright blue to a clouded purple and bright orange where the sun peaks out. The sea is cloaked by the shadowed clouds, and hints of sailboats at rest adorn the horizon. Butko’s expert composition with the attenuated backlit tree is just one of many markers of his classical training.
Carl Bretzke (b. 1954 | Minnesota) has been honing his craft as a painter for decades, without a degree from a classical atelier. Instead, Bretzke earned his skills while receiving training from Plein Air Painters of America’s signature artist, Joseph Paquet. Bretzke has won awards for his esteemed abilities as a plein air painter, but sometimes, he will take his work back to his studio.
Swimming against academic traditions, Bretzke sometimes works from a photograph, which is fitting due to the cinematic quality of his compositions. As a young man, Bretzke worked part-time assisting a professional photographer. This experience explains his outstanding and consistent compositional sensibility. We are grateful for Bretzke’s ability to apply observational disciplines when he is back in his studio, as he has delivered three brand new Sag Harbor scenes despite not having been to Long Island since 2022.
In “Long Island in December” Bretzke presents a Sag Harbor home on Capitan’s Row on a cloudy December day. An old Rolls Royce parked out front adds luxury and nostalgia to an otherwise humble landscape. Sag Harbor cove glistens blue in the background; still waters reflecting the overcast sky above.
For more information, please visit the gallery’s website at grenninggallery.com.
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