Calvin Laituri, "Ruin and Renascence"

Calvin Laituri, “Ruin and Renascence” Opening event with Calvin: Saturday, July 10th, 2-6pm Haven Gallery is pleased to present “Ruin and Renascence”, a collection of new ink works from New England artist Calvin Laituri, for his second solo show at Haven Gallery. “Ruin and Renascence” is a series that chronicles an ongoing narrative reminiscent of the cyclical nature of life. Buildings once teeming with life and function, as commonly found throughout the US and abroad, now appear as lonely mammoths in rural landscapes. Each structure finds itself accompanied by a silhouetted canine who reinvigorates our interest in the delicate sensibility of these places and their lost functions. A shadow of the past or ghost of the future, this guide connects us to these periods of time to remind us that despite the imminent denouement of all life, existence is reborn. A nod to the slow but sure moment of time, reminding us not to forget our past and relish in the beauty of these times, places and their functions. Laituri’s work is made up of highly skilled line work, built from a push and pull approach where ink is laid down on his clayboard medium, and carved out with sharpened tools, resulting in highly defined and meticulous strokes reminiscent of a cross hatching technique. Each drawing cultivates its monochromatic palette to emphasize the artists control of values, contrast, mood and narrative, as inspired by printmakers and artists of the past. This dichotomy of technique serves as an accentuation of the artists play on dualities throughout his work. Artist Statement: The heart of New England is riddled with fading remnants of a regional vernacular. Born from a time when news travelled at a canter, these distinctive local shapes in the built environment once arose naturally. The inherent value in such structures is their innocent response to climate, their natural setting, regional identity, and local material. To live in coexistence with the chapters of seasons was a necessity. “Ruin and Renascence” tells the story spanning the solstices in a region along the Connecticut River, following a black hound as an allegory of Winter amidst various timber-framed artifacts that epitomize the area.