Viridian Artists, Inc. is pleased to present Susan Sills’ exhibition “Cutting Loose/ A Walk Through Art History” from April 30 to May 18, 2013. There will be a reception on Thursday May 2, 2013 6-8pm. Sills has been a featured artist in the book “100 New York Painters” and will be interviewed by the author, Cynthia Dantzic on Saturday, May 11th at 4pm. On the last day of the exhibition, Saturday May 18th, there will be a closing reception from 4-6pm. Gallery hours are Tuesday- Saturdays 12-6pm.

With her life-size freestanding painted 2-D sculptures, the artist Susan Sills whimsically restructures and re-constructs art history. Enlarged to life size, they are cut out of birch plywood and skillfully painted in oils in the style of each Old Master. Using a jigsaw, she releases familiar images from the confinement of the frame and thrusts them into real space to confront the contemporary viewer.

Continuing a project she started 20 years ago, Sills’ sculptures explore the magic of encountering familiar personages from Art History in a totally new context, often putting them together in combinations that tell a completely new story. This time however, the artist is not only adding new characters to the mix, but she is bringing them together in today’s world, juxtaposing them in their differing times and histories with an insouciant disregard for ordinary reality.

“Sills takes us on a journey through art history with wit and humor.” Pensacola Museum of Art, 2004.“… her groupings provide fresh insights and evoke quiet chuckles as she gently challenges our established beliefs about art history.” Vernita Nemec, 2005. “As with all of Sills’ delightful post-Pop takes of familiar figures from art history, encountering them out of context, blown up to … life-size, is like spotting one’s favorite movie stars on the street. They look just as good in person!” Ed McCormack, Gallery and Studio, 2003.

Ms. Sills has had 16 Solo shows, has shown in Tokyo 6 times, and has been in group shows too numerous to mention. Her work is included in the Sylvia Sleigh Collection of Women Artists at Rowan University. She has had solo exhibitions at the Queens College Art Center and Pensacola Museum of Art which sponsored an educational experience for 4500 children and their teachers. Her 2-D sculptures have also been used as a set for a dance performance at the Whitney Museum.