'Between the Obvious'

The Corrigan Gallery at 62 Queen St. will host a solo show opening Saturday for Lynne Riding entitled 'Paying Attention to What Happens Between the Obvious An Inquiry Concerning Transparency.' The show runs through September with a reception 5-8 p.m. Sept. 13.

'A native of Knighton, Wales, Lynne Riding has always had a love of landscape and has found much of her inspiration from the nature that surrounds her. Her paintings are simplistic in form that reinforces the importance of line and space.

By taking the work to the simplest form Riding captures it's true essence.

This new body of work is minimalist abstraction, yet informed by the found object or form that she has discovered in the landscape,' explains gallery owner Lese Corrigan.

Riding's work, Corrigan says, often deals with the concepts of human frailty and impermanence and that her interests lie in 'the ephemeral nature of what we call reality, aligned with the dichotomy of enduring hope which drives humankind forward.'

Riding says, 'I believe that there is validity or need for the poetic in today's society, and through my work I am concerned with current tensions, both global and personal, aligned with notions of history, erosion and evidence of use, all of which intrigue me. I continue to develop the reductive painting process that I have started, involving what to bury and what to reveal.'

Corrigan describes Riding's work as: 'An exploration of ambiguity and embodiment, occurring through the pictorial contemplation of place and or emotion. Riding's work brings a refreshing simplicity to our connection to nature and reflects a hint of the explorations of the physicists into string theory. Peaceful with an undercurrent of tension that holds things together, this new body of work glows with an inner luminosity - a transparency that both fulfills and empties at the same time.'

Riding studied at numerous schools in the United Kingdom, and later taught figure drawing, design and painting in London.

During this period, she was included in 'Best of European Illustration,' London. Since moving to Charleston 15 years ago, Riding has continued to exhibit widely, and has been an adjunct professor of fine art at the College of Charleston since 1998. She also holds an Master of Fine Art from the San Francisco Art Institute. Riding has shown her work in numerous solo and group exhibits nationally in addition to receiving a number of residencies.

For more information, call 722-9868 or visit www.corrigangallery.com.

'Owning the Landscape'

Painter Ann Marie McKay enjoys painting on location where she can use all of her senses to 'own' the place.

One of McKay's favorite beach scenes is near Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island.

To paint this view, she stood in the sand behind a bulkhead and looked out toward Charleston and the Ravenel Bridge, and with impasto strokes, she painted the rough texture of the rocks and bulkhead in the foreground. McKay's inspiration comes from her sensory experiences of a place - the sounds of the waves, the smell of the ocean, the vibrant colors - and she seeks to 'own' the landscapes she paints.

This painting, 'View from Fort Moultrie' is part of McKay's month long exhibition called 'Owning the Landscape' at The Charleston Artist Guild Gallery.

'Owning the Landscape' will begin Saturday, and will be on display until Sept. 30. There will be an opening reception for her works 5-8 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery, 6 North Atlantic Wharf, off East Bay Street. Call the gallery at 722-2425 for more information.

Piccolo applications

Piccolo Spoleto, the official local, outreach festival of Spoleto Festival USA, is now accepting performer applications for the 2008 Piccolo Spoleto Festival.

The application deadline is Oct. 5. For an application or more information, call the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs at 724-7305 or e-mail Cultural_Affairs@ci.charleston.sc.us.

Arts; Riding concerning herself with 'Transparency'