At a time when there are so many opposing forces at play in the world, Gilman Contemporary’s current exhibition features two seemingly disparate artists, connecting them through their similarities. The juxtaposition of photographer Maria Svarbova’s austere minimalist images with Hunt Slonem’s lush, complex paintings is an exploration in traditional and contemporary styles. Svarbova’s images reflect the austere Slovakian architecture of her era using vacant spaces and straight lines to create tension, while Slonem’s years in Hawaii, Nicaragua, and Mexico are celebrated in his paintings of exotic flora and tropical birds. The artists’ works are masterful compositions of repetitive forms and surreal imagery, and their use of color especially stands out, drawing the viewer in—Svarbova is restrained while Slonem is exuberantly indulgent.

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