Voltz Clarke Gallery is pleased to present Weightless, an exhibition of recent paintings by Heather Chontos. The gallery will host an opening reception with the artist in attendance on Thursday, May 10 from 6-8 pm.
Heather Chontos is constantly absorbing her surroundings in order to translate her interpretations on to canvas. Most recently, she has traveled extensively with he daughter, Zana. This new body of work tells the story of a mother who plays the part of artist, provider, and explorer.
Aesthetically, Chontos’ abstract paintings are strong and bold. The shapes and colors directly correlate with the exposure and relentless adaptation to various cultures that comes with traveling. Dark, full shapes are a representation of the luggage, the heaviness, and the weighted life that people live as a society. In contrast, the solid shapes lie against color and brightness that can be interpreted as the release of the baggage of life that only gives way when getting lost on unfamiliar ground.
Although the blue and white tiles of Porto, Portugal were a source of awe and inspiration for Chontos, she has returned to her home in Portland, Maine with Zana to find the beauty in having roots. The push and pull of the artist’s personal journey can be seen in her use of paint and composition. Her yearning for artistic escape versus her responsibility to her family move from internal to external through her abstract use of palette and brush. There is an intangible energy that electrifies the work that can only be explained through her story.
Heather Chontos was born in Tarrytown, New York and received her Bachelors in Art History from University College London in England. Chontos has shown her work nationally and internationally since early 2000. As a new addition to the Voltz Clarke Gallery roster, Weightless is the artist’s first exhibition with the gallery.
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