BRATTLEBORO — “Eggshells & Cheekbones,” a group show by a family in Halifax, opens Friday, Sept. 2, from 5 to 8 p.m., at 118 Elliot in Brattleboro.
The show presents recent work by Alison Crossley, Tristan Roberts, and Felix Roberts, a family of three who make art together and who are all now showing their work for the first time. Alison shares a painting studio with Tristan's 10-year-old son Felix, while Tristan sculpts outside with rocks and boulders on the land, a process he documents through photographs and stories.
Crossley creates large-format canvases and said in a news release that “art has become my freedom. I love color and movement. My process is intuitive selection of color and stroke. My only goal is to stay present in choice. Not to force or allow my anxiety to take hold.”
Why “cheekbones”? Felix Roberts, who contributes deliberate use of language and color to the show, explains that cheekbones are “the part of your body that holds your cheeks together so you can fully experience the art.”
Tristan Roberts is known to readers of the Brattleboro Reformer via his regular column, “This Spot on Earth.” Visitors to 118 Elliot will recognize Tristan's storytelling, in which he doesn't shy away from uncomfortable eggshell-laden topics.
They will also see it extended into stone sculptures on his farm in Halifax and gallery installations that include documentary photographs by Guilford resident Kelly Fletcher. Each piece invites the viewer to participate in completing the telling of the story.
The paintings and land art installations remain on view at 118 Elliot for the month of September. For more information or to check the schedule, visit alisoncrossley.org or call 704-441-5338.