Intersections:

an intersection of ideas, a meeting of the minds.... A play on the colors, textures and people in our daily lives

Dan Topalis

Dianna Lee Miller

Kristina Hines

Opening Reception: February 21, 2004 7-10 pm Show runs through March 21, 2004 Hygienic Gallery Hours: Thurs. 11-3, Fri. and Sat. 11-6, Sun. 12-3 Tel: 860-443-8001

Hygienic Art Galleries at 79 Bank Street in New London, CT invites you to enter a crossroads of colors, textures and people. Meet three talented artists that want you to intersect with their ideas; Dan Topalis, Dianna Lee Miller and Kristina Hines

Dan Topalis graduated from Norwich Free Academy in Fine Arts. He is a resident of Norwich Connecticut, and two-time recipient of Connecticut Commission on the Arts, Film, Culture Fellowship. Dan has exhibited primarily along the east coast in numerous solo and group exhibitions. His work is on permanent collection in the Slater Memorial Museum Norwich CT, The Martin Luther King Center Norwich CT, and Quest Diagnostics Inc. in Teterboro, NJ.

Artist Statement:
My work deals with ethnic, cultural and racial issues
No use of any offensive language or images.
I capture the “Real People of the Community”, not just the face you see, the being inside.
Putting the viewer in a situation we deal with every day.
Looking to judge each other.
The paintings are right in you face images of people from different walks of life.
Every face has a story behind it, a biography of ones life and enlightening book for all of us to read. No matter what your feelings are about diversity, if you find the painting appealing then you should find each human being as such.
I hope to make the viewer question his or her own sensibilities of personal prejudice.
When we open our minds we close the gap.

Diana Lee Miller will be exhibiting a transition of older prints, and new creations. Each prin has its own unique quality, and can make a powerful individual statement. Dianna loves color, and her work has changed over the years from a softer palette to a richer bolder mixture of colors. Most of the prints in this exhibition have been through the press multiple times. Dianna says “It is rare for me to finish a piece on time through the press- but it can happen. I must give credit to my wonderful husband, Cecil, for encouraging me to explore this fabulous media.”

Artist Statement:
Art is a process of discovery for me. Because I intend to be spontaneous when I work, as opposed to planning things out, printmaking has allowed me to stay fresh and excited, always anticipating the starting and finishing of a work. A friend once described a piece as a “tapestry of colors that flow smoothly, one with another, without losing their individuality.” I thought that was a pretty good analysis considering each print does have a quality of movement within it

Kristina Hines was born and grew up in Melrose, Mass, a suburb of Boston. After finishing high school, Kristina went onto attend college at Holy Cross College in Worchester, Mass, majoring in the visual arts. She later moved to Chicago where she worked as an assistant teaching textile design for Gallery 37, and inner city arts program for high school age young adults. After spending two years in Chicago, Kristina moved to New Orleans in search of new inspiration. In New Orleans, she worked at Toulon University as a program coordinator for a first year ethics program an continued to show her work in group exhibitions a variety of local galleries. In July of 2003, Kristina moved to Providence, Rhode Island with her husband and son. Intersections will be her first group show in the New England area in over ten years.

Artist Statement:
My work is continually changing chromatically and inspiration comes in waves. I struggle to work from instinct rather than intellect, trust that my hand will work from my heart, feeling the colors before I think about the technique. Working with pastels, charcoal and acrylic paint allow me to work quickly, in rich color and bold lines. Acrylic paints and mediums add transparent layers, and allow me to work on top of the pastels crating texture and depth. Charcoal helps me to define the space within a piece as I struggle to define the emotional space around myself.

Most recently, I have been struggling to find a visual language to express the joys and frustrations of being a new mom a wife and the glue in our daily lives. I find myself drawn to the simple experiences of eating, balancing the days routines and the complex emotions of loving my family. Motherhood has profoundly changed my life as an artist and those feelings dominate my most recent pieces.

Come to Hygienic Galleries to meet this diverse group of artists in their group show: Intersections.