Hespe Gallery presents new works by Greta Van Campen, beginning February 3 – 28, 2015, with an opening reception, Thursday, February 5, from 5:30 – 7:30.
Greta Van Campen’s work incorporates flat planes of color arranged in dynamic and graphic compositions that catch the viewer’s eye and draw them into the space. Based on imagery from around America, Van Campen reduces scenes to their simplest components, while adding enough variety and unique interpretations of shape to create strong contemporary compositions. Working with acrylic on panel, Van Campen uses tape to create the hard edged look she is known for, occasionally utilizing frayed edges of torn tape to suggest texture or gradations. Her work shows an impressive confidence without losing a caring sensitivity to nuance.
Greta Van Campen has been featured in Western Art and Architecture Magazine, as well as making her name in the press in Maine. She has had solo shows at Dowling-Walsh Gallery and the Kimball Art Center. She has a fresh and innovative approach to painting and in 2011 she embarked on a crowd funded Kickstarter campaign that took her on a tour of the 50 states to complete a body of work of the same name. Van Campen grew up in a family of artists and is a niece of the American painter George Ault. She received her BA in Visual Arts from Bowdoin College.