MONROE - From Jan. 7 through 31, the Monroe Art Center Frehner Gallery presents "Positive Matter" by artists, Derek Hambly and Guy Bellaver. This two-man exhibit will reflect the vision of well-known abstract artist Derek Hambly, Stoughton, who paints powerful abstract symbols in oil and acrylic and Guy Bellaver of St. Charles, Ill., who creates abstract sculptures in bronze or painted steel.
Hambly was born in Melbourne, Australia, graduated in 1967 from Caulfield College in Melbourne, and moved to the midwest in 1999. The symbols Hambly uses in his powerful abstract paintings were derived from the landscape work he had done in his early years, beginning in 1976, as a painter. He has shown his work nationally and currently is represented by galleries in New Orleans, Boston, Madison, Atlanta, Georgia and the Yunnan Province of China. When asked how he's arrived at the elegant, symbolic designs, Hambly states, "My work now has a maturity. It is derived strictly from my past work and my own development, and a study of my own creative abilities. I'm now in a place of control over my creativity. I've worked towards this goal through complexity, and am now finding it through simplicity."
Guy Bellaver of St. Charles, Ill., works in many sculptural mediums, but most recently, in bronze or painted steel. His work ranges from "tabletop" scale to monumental pieces over 18 feet tall. Through his fascination with positive/negative space, his sculptures attempt to stretch the physics of the medium that he is working in to occupy those spaces. His work has been displayed in civic, corporate, residential, and university settings throughout the United States. After his discharge from the United States Army, Bellaver earned a B.A. in Economics from St. Vincent College. He has worked as a sculptor since 1976.
An opening reception for this exhibit is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7, in the Monroe Arts Center Frehner Gallery. Both Hambly and Bellaver will give a short gallery talk that begins at 5:30 p.m. This free event is for art lovers of all levels. Come stroll through the gallery on your way home from work or school and enjoy the refreshment table.
Hambly was born in Melbourne, Australia, graduated in 1967 from Caulfield College in Melbourne, and moved to the midwest in 1999. The symbols Hambly uses in his powerful abstract paintings were derived from the landscape work he had done in his early years, beginning in 1976, as a painter. He has shown his work nationally and currently is represented by galleries in New Orleans, Boston, Madison, Atlanta, Georgia and the Yunnan Province of China. When asked how he's arrived at the elegant, symbolic designs, Hambly states, "My work now has a maturity. It is derived strictly from my past work and my own development, and a study of my own creative abilities. I'm now in a place of control over my creativity. I've worked towards this goal through complexity, and am now finding it through simplicity."
Guy Bellaver of St. Charles, Ill., works in many sculptural mediums, but most recently, in bronze or painted steel. His work ranges from "tabletop" scale to monumental pieces over 18 feet tall. Through his fascination with positive/negative space, his sculptures attempt to stretch the physics of the medium that he is working in to occupy those spaces. His work has been displayed in civic, corporate, residential, and university settings throughout the United States. After his discharge from the United States Army, Bellaver earned a B.A. in Economics from St. Vincent College. He has worked as a sculptor since 1976.
An opening reception for this exhibit is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7, in the Monroe Arts Center Frehner Gallery. Both Hambly and Bellaver will give a short gallery talk that begins at 5:30 p.m. This free event is for art lovers of all levels. Come stroll through the gallery on your way home from work or school and enjoy the refreshment table.
