Architecture and Landscape in the Abstract
May 1 - June 12, 2008
Flinn Gallery at the Greenwich Library
Greenwich, CT

Marty Kremer and Cate Leach Collaborate in New Exhibition
Flinn Gallery Press Release

The Flinn Gallery at the Greenwich Library is showcasing a dynamic duo, sculptor Marty Kremer and painter Cate Leach in their first collaborative exhibition "Architecture and Landscape in the Abstract", May 1 - June 12, 2008

Kremer works in kilnformed or fused glass to create sculpture inspired by various sources, ranging from Japanese architecture to sculptor Richard Serra and glass maestro Lino Tagliapietra. His new series “Paredes”, Spanish for “walls”, combines his interest in patterns, opacity and transparency with balance and architectural tension. He says, “My works may be seen as maquettes or models for large scale installations in public places. Within the thick walls of the glass structures are windows which are passages as well as destinations.” The glass work is cast with stainless steel or stone bases, and varies in size from desktop sculptures 15 inches high to large conceptual pieces 40 inches tall.

With no preconceived ideas, Kremer said he “went shopping” for an artist whose paintings would complement his architectural sculpture. In viewing the work of Cate Leach, a fellow member of the Silvermine Guild, he found his ideal match.

Kremer : Paredes II Leach : Stoptime

Kremer : Tenements Leach : Progression

Kremer : Paredes Trio Leach : Voyage

Leach’s compelling abstract landscapes in oil and acrylic create moods as haunting as a powerful theatrical set - which is not surprising as she closely experienced many stage settings during her years of dancing with George Balanchine in the New York City Ballet. Artists who have influenced her include Turner, Diebenkorn and Rauchenberg. “A blank canvas is not unlike an empty stage. My intention is to communicate drama and energy in this limitless space”. Whether in her large six foot square canvases or more intimate five inch square collages, Leach achieves these goals. She immediately recognized the synergy between her work and Kremer’s.

She says, “Marty’s dramatic architectural sculptures fascinate me with their surprising plays of light and form - the weight of the glass and the entirely weightless transparency of the medium. There is a playfulness in the windows of light - the unexpected portals to inner rooms. I tend to dance around a form until I capture it…my forms are elusive whereas Marty’s architecture stands boldly in three dimensions. In my imagination I walk through my abstracted landscapes; in this exhibit I step out and explore a city of glass.” Says Kremer, “Cate’s work gives mine context and mine gives hers depth. Or vice-versa?”

Kremer : Labyrinth Leach : Alery

Kremer : Tilt Leach : Entwine

Kremer : Spin Cycle Leach : Artifact

Marty Kremer studied blown and fused glass at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, UrbanGlass in Brooklyn, NY and the Corning Museum Glass Studio. His awards include a First Prize in the American Craft Council Show and two Niche Awards for Fused Glass. He holds a BS in medical technology from SUNY, but says that working with glass has always been his passion. His hobby morphed into a career and his original career became his hobby; he volunteers as an Emergency Medical Technician in his hometown, Pound Ridge, NY.

Cate Leach, a Darien resident, studied at Fordham University College, Lincoln Center, danced with the New York City Ballet for 15 years, then pursued her visual arts career through workshops in painting, printmaking and sculpture at the Silvermine Guild Arts Center, the Center for Contemporary Printmaking, the Darien Arts Center with Constance Kiermier, and the College of Santa Fe. She has received numerous awards for her work in regional competitions and in 2006 had her first solo show in NYC at the prestigious Prince Street Gallery.

The Flinn Gallery is on the second floor of the Greenwich Library at 101 West Putnam Avenue. The Gallery is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 am - 5 pm, Thursday 10 am - 8 pm and Sunday 1 - 5 pm.

For any information regarding "Architecture and Landscape in the Abstract" please contact us.