CAPE ANN COLLECTORS summer show, Above the Horizon Line: Alizarin Crimson Greets Ultramarine Blue, opening May 30 – 31, 1-5 p.m., tells the story of light, atmosphere, and color changes above the horizon line where light becomes hypnotic, glowing and spiritualized (running Saturdays through June 20 – all 53 works on view).
Emile Gruppe (1896-1978), Cape Ann master known for cultivating an impressionistic approach through direct and reflected light, states that “objects are affected by two sources of light…the sun and the sky.” Two transparent pigments capture this alchemist drama when glazed, washed or merged:
- Alizarin Crimson, a cool, transparent reddish blue derived from the madder plant used for dye since 3000 BC, producing delicate, light pinks when diluted
- Ultramarine Blue, a warm, transparent blue pigment named from Italian “ultra marino” (meaning beyond the sea), producing rich, moody violets when blended
CAPE ANN COLLECTORS main gallery celebrates color and the excitement of compositions showcasing expansive skies conveying feeling rather than view, narrative rather than object, poetry rather than text – above the horizon line!
