Pretty Open

Interpreting a portrait is a complicated thing. We look to the facial expression, the mood of the colors, clothing and more to help us understand the face in front of us, and just like real life, we can never really know.  C.L. Martin and David Quady have joined together to offer their blend of contemporary and classic perspectives of the human face. They also give us so much more.  Pretty Open asks the viewer to never take a portrait at face value but consider the multiple aspects that make up a personality in any given moment.  

About the Artists:

CL Martin is a queer, figurative artist working in traditional media. She creates mysterious characters who exude their own distinct identities in a kind of still performance, imbued with diverse influences from history, allegory, design, psychology and social constructs. She has studied art all her life and received a BFA in Painting from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. In 2007, she received an Artist Initiative Grant from the MN State Arts Board and the National Endowment for The Arts. She has exhibited internationally from Italy to New York and her work resides in private collections across the globe.

David Quady is a Minneapolis based artist who is currently pursuing his MFA at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. His work explores the human form as a vessel for storytelling and the primary locus of narrative and emotional impact. Each painting is a narrative told within a single frame, exploring the stability and limitations inherent in the format.

Gallery Hours:

Calendula Gallery is generally open the first, second and third weekends of each month, plus every first Friday from 5 - 9.