Press Release

Tracy Helgeson

The Harrison Gallery will be presenting a solo exhibition of abstract landscape painter Tracy Helgeson from January 5 – 31, 2008.  This is Helgeson’s second show with The Harrison Gallery and will be an exciting start to a new year.  An Opening Reception with the artist will be held on Saturday January 5, from 5-7 pm.
Tracy Helgeson was born in Minnesota in 1964. She attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1983 where she majored in Graphic Design. Tracy went on to attend the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts), concentrating on illustration techniques. Philadelphia was of great influence on Tracy.  It was there that her work began to take on its unique style with the under painting and glazing techniques that distinguishes her current work. In 2003, Tracy and her family moved to upstate New York where she has been greatly inspired by the natural beauty surrounding her farmhouse home. Her paintings reflect this rural landscape of valleys and old barns, combined with a passionate palette.

Like master Wolf Kahn, Tracy uses a combination of transparent and opaque layers of paint to create a sense of luminosity and visual glow. Large areas of pure color define the simplified forms of structure, land, and tree. However, closer inspection reveals many subtleties and variations within the color field. Pink is never just pink, green is never just green. Fiery orange and reds may be undercurrents, while deep blues and greens are subtle overtones. Tracy is entranced by the texture of the surfaces she prepares, the softness of the brush, the smell of the paint, the color of the under painting and the excitement of laying down each subsequent layer of color. Each painting is a sensory experience for both Tracy and the viewer.
The Harrison Gallery is located at 39 Spring Street in Williamstown, MA.  Gallery hours are Monday - Saturday, 10AM to 5:30PM, Sunday 11AM to 4PM.  For further information, please contact The Harrison Gallery at (413) 458-1700 or visit our website at www.theharrisongallery.com.