Contributed by Natasha Sweeten / I thought of this quote as I viewed “Souvenir,” the current group show at Ruthann. Inspired by a poem of the same title by Edna St. Vincent Millay, the show brings together the work of 15 artists with a focus on moments “that touch on intimacy and affection, humor and sadness, absence, and memory.” That’s quite a bit of ground to cover, but for me – no doubt influenced by reading the poem posted on the gallery wall – the prevailing theme is memory and the emotional aftermath of happier times. As Joni Mitchell famously sang, you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone.
Tag: Louis Fratino
Louis Fratino’s happy equilibrium
Contributed by Margaret McCann / Louis Fratino’s paintings in “In bed and abroad” at Sikkema Jenkins depict varied social situations, from intimate scenes to foreign climes. Snapshots of memories, many from Italy, read like a travel diary. In Duomo, light seems to dissolve a church façade into a gossamer veil, like Monet’s series of Rouen. Milan’s iconic gothic cathedral is strikingly illuminated, as are most monuments in Italy at night. Silhouetted throngs of young people in front of it have gathered after their evening stroll to aid digestion, take in the sumptuous surroundings, and see what’s happening in the local piazza. This saunter or “passegiata” is also “a walk in the park,” and the painting’s mellifluous drama demonstrates Fratino’s impressive facility, as it captures the Italian relish of visual and other small pleasures, which Americans often mistake for sunny dispositions (see Fellini’s La Dolce Vita).








