The Gallery: Pull-Tight Rhapsody by Stefan Nodarse

The Arts Council is honored to showcase the work of Region 8 artist Stefan Nodarse in a solo exhibition here at The Gallery at 118 Cotton Street in Downtown West Monroe from September 30th - October 30th. The Gallery is open Monday-Thursday from 10am until 4pm. Please call ahead to ensure the staff is not out on rural region visits. "As both an artist and educator, my work is driven by design and the arrangement of lines and shapes to create patterns and decorations. I prioritize the visual over the conceptual, and my current body of work is a combination of portraiture, expressive facial features, and illustrative prints. My paintings are humorous and unsettling, exploring how we perceive and respond to the human face in different ways. In a world where social media can evoke strong emotions and reactions, I aim to provide viewers with a visceral visual experience that confronts them with their own emotions. My portraits are frozen moments in time, capturing unique and spontaneous reactions to a single emotion, such as anger, disgust, or euphoria. Through these portraits, I emphasize the uniqueness of internal perceptions and how they manifest externally. I keep my painting process loose and intuitive, providing a freeing experience that is a great counter to my printmaking work. In contrast my printed works are meticulously planned and carved comprising of linocuts, woodcuts, etchings, and silkscreen prints, often illustrating the absurd, humorous, and disgusting. Through my work, I hope to provide viewers with an engaging and thought-provoking experience that challenges their perceptions and confronts them with their own emotions." *images courtesy of the artist & Bayou Life Magazine