Mom & Pop | deGrandpre & deDeSalvo
Last chance to see Mom & Pop.
DeGrandpre constructs works that channel the person who had the most impact and importance in her life, her Mom. DeSalvo conceives artworks that offer a front-row seat to her late father’s interpretations of reality throughout his journey with dementia. The show closes June 25.
We are nurtured and shaped by our parents and families. Traditions, vacations, daily schedules and personalities. When we first discovered Monica DeSalvo’s work, we were overwhelmed by the love and commitment she bares in her ability to construct stunning collages of her father’s ephemera. In her process of acceptance of his Alzheimers, she makes sense of his “new” conversations and adding some of her own imagination. When talking to Monica about the collection, she mentioned that often his commentary was disconnected and did not make sense, so if you read the titles to her works you will see that she takes these conversations and creates beautiful works of art with pieces that her father saved and collected over the years. Each one is essentially a piece of her past. Invaluable art at Fountain Street. Combined with the nostalgic and clever compositions of Patty deGrandpre, images beckon childhood memories in the most effectual way. We love the recognizable beach chair that pre-dates the swagger of the over-the-shoulder Tommy Bahama. These vintage mid-century chairs are selling for $69.99 these days on eBay so check your parent’s garages.
A perfectly complimentary pair, just like Mom & Pop.
Mom & Pop at Fountain Street, SoWA Boston
Patty deGrandpre, image via her Instagram
BOSTON, MA – Beginning June 1, 2023, Fountain Street Gallery will exhibit “Mom & Pop,” featuring the work of two friends of forty years, Patty deGrandpre and Monica DeSalvo. It’s deGrandpre’s “Mom” and DeSalvo’s “Pop” that are the inspirations for the exhibition, and the conjunction of parent and child is palpable throughout. The artists utilize printmaking, photography, and collage to depict the dance of communication and interaction they had with these two complex people.
DeGrandpre constructs works that channel the person who had the most impact and importance in her life, her Mom. DeSalvo conceives artworks that offer a front-row seat to her late father’s interpretations of reality throughout his journey with dementia. The visual languages and intricate approaches used by both artists blend seamlessly as a plethora of recollections are unpacked from suitcases too full to zip up.
Patty deGrandpre pays homage to her coastal Massachusetts upbringing and her late mother in her most recent body of work. Meshing the past with the future—while staring down a relocation to the Southwest— deGrandpre incorporates deconstructed imagery and photos depicting both what has been and what is to come within her experimental mixed media prints. Through thoughtful use of form and color deGrandpre creates vivid contemporary compositions that intertwine the abstract with the pictorial.
DeGrandpre received her BFA in Visual Design at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She has participated in multiple exhibitions on regional, national, and international levels. In addition to three solo exhibitions, deGrandpre has been selected for numerous awards in both fine art and printmaking. deGrandpre’s work is in many private collections and she has been featured in publications including ArtScope, Art in Print, and The Hand Magazine. She recently was selected for inclusion in the White Columns Artist Registry (New York, NY). DeGrandpre is an Artist Member of the Cambridge Art Association (Cambridge, MA) and a Core Member of Fountain Street.
In Monica Desalvo’s most recent series, a visit to Skopolos, Greece converges with her late father’s hallucinations and quotes, which frequently inspire her work. The preserved ancient structures and the abundance of falling fruit tree foliage gave the artist insight as she realized there is no finish but only an afterward. This concept was a natural complement to her utilization of her father’s paper memorabilia in her artwork. The result is enchanting mixed media collages that are rich in surreal abstraction as well as storyline.
DeSalvo received her BFA in Visual Design from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Her work has been shown in many shows both juried and invitational, is a part of collections across the US and Europe, and has been featured in Juniper Rag and Artscope magazines. In 2021 DeSalvo was one of eight artists selected for the Attleboro Arts Museum’s annual juried exhibition "8 Visions." In 2022 her three-person show, “Into the Ether,” was the winning proposal invited to exhibit at Nearby Gallery in Newton, MA. She lives and works out of her studio in Arlington, MA, and is a Core Member of Fountain Street.
About Fountain Street
Fountain Street is a contemporary gallery in the SoWa Art + Design District of Boston. We exhibit a wide array of media from over 30 emerging and mid-career artists in our main and annex galleries, and 24/7 at our sidewalk video gallery. Founded in 2011, our passion has always been about connecting art seekers and makers through thoughtfully curated exhibitions, juried shows, collaborative projects and installations. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is reflected in the media that we exhibit, artists and curators that we promote, and audiences that we seek to engage.
Contact
Marie Craig, Director, (774) 286-1800
Fountain Street Gallery, 460C Harrison Ave. Suite 2, Boston, MA 02118
marie@fsfaboston.com
www.fsfaboston.com
Monica DeSalvo
“A Bus Tour in the Woods—Stage 6” at “Mom & Pop”
This collage began by printing onto my late father’s paper memorabilia with a Gelli plate. Enlarging a configuration of two prints became the base. Collage elements include fragments of many other prints on this memorabilia. Some items were printed in Greece on the island of Skopelos where the idea of the bus tour in the woods came to life!
Closing reception this Sunday, June 25 at 3 pm.
