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Floating Worlds

The Paintings of Virginia Maitland

September 22 - November 17, 2006
Opening Reception: Friday, September 22, 2006, 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Virginia Maitland
Beyond the Sunset (detail), 2006
acrylic on canvas

The Gallery of Contemporary Art is Pleased to present it’s first solo exhibit in over a decade entitled Floating Worlds. This exhibit features bold, abstract paintings by Virginia Maitland and opens September 22. Floating Worlds presents a glimpse into Virginia Maitland’s vibrant yet ethereal style. Virginia Maitland’s masterful marriage of color and form has been influenced by the enduring tradition of abstract expressionists and color field painters as well as the haunting yet bold beauty of Colorado and the West. Maitland’s powerful paintings evoke emotions ranging from chaotically violent to – a detached calm. Veiled spaces within the color fields craft the illusion of windows into an alternate reality. These other worlds float in her creations just out of reach. Recent works integrate photographs from her visit to New York City into expresive and more representational statements – about memory, time and place. This exhibition offers the juxtaposition of early and recent work to givethe viewer a sence of her evolving style. The liminal quality of Maitland’s paintings unites old and new styles and transports her work into the sublime.

Born and trained on the East coast, Maitland studied art at the distinguished Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.Shortly after graduation she took a trip to Boulder, fell in love with the mountains and light and settled there for good. Maitland has been painting since she was twelve and has never wavered from the life of full-time painter. Her career has included exhibitions in New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, Santa Fe, Aspen, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Denver and Boulder. Maitland has also been very active in the arts and education scene. She has taught at Naropa University, the Collage Children’s Museum and at the Anderson Ranch in Aspen. She was one of the founding members of the Front Range Women in the Visual Arts group in the 1970s and – curated A Decade of Women’s Art at the boulder Center for the Visual Arts in the 1980s.

Hers is the first solo show at the Gallery in over a decade and ushers in a new era of programing. The exhibition includes 28 large format oil, acrylic, monotype, pastel and composite works all designed to stimulate the eye. For more information on Virginia Maitland, visit her website at www.virginiamaitland.com.

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