Looking out, looking in: an introspective

The Alice Gauvin Gallery is pleased to present its first exhibition, “Looking out, looking in: an introspective” in collaboration with Engine. This pop-up exhibition, held in Engine’s first floor galleries, will feature recent work by eleven artists. It showcases a range of media, including painting, drawings, collage and sculpture, created mostly over the course of the pandemic.

“Looking in, looking out: an introspective” will run from August 10-26, 2021, with a reception held Friday August 13, 6-8 p.m.

Exhibition Overview
One can never quite guess how a particular historical moment will be remembered. Yet even distant observers must surely remark on the isolation and forced, sometimes unwelcome, introspection that has defined the past eighteen months, and is evident in the artwork of the period. Even now, we are still emerging from a world mediated entirely by screens, windows, masks, plexiglass barriers—constant visual reminders of the separate spaces we occupy. 

This pop-up exhibition, which heralds the hopeful end of this prolonged social winter, investigates how these pressures play upon the mind of an artist. What does happen to art after one’s anxieties, ticks, internal monologues, memories, and tastes have become super-saturated after months of isolation? How have these barriers (psychological as well as physical) affected not just what artists see, but how they see? 
Many of these artworks are responses to—and some are rejections of—the
boundaries and restrictions imposed by the recent pandemic. Through windows, walls and reflections; through figuration, abstraction and inversion; these eleven artists explore interior spaces, open spaces, liminal spaces and headspaces. This exhibition aims to offer a survey of these diverse explorations–and to celebrate the protean nature of the practice of making art. 

About the Gallery
Founded in 2021, Alice Gauvin Gallery showcases unique and thoughtful works by contemporary artists. With a strong interest in the traditions of the 20th century, particularly the push-pull of abstract and figurative art, the gallery seeks to support artists motivated by a desire for discovery and a dedication to craft. A native of Maine, Alice Gauvin has spent both her professional and personal life surrounded by works by many of the artistic masters of the twentieth century. Prior to opening the Alice Gauvin Gallery, she worked in the curatorial department of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She received her MPhil from the University of Cambridge and her BA from Colby College. The Gallery will open at its permanent home in Biddeford in the winter of 2021/2022.

About Engine
Based in the economic heart of Biddeford, ME, Engine has propelled cultural, social, and economic revitalization with creative community programming for more than a decade. The 501(c)3 nonprofit brings together artists, makers and local businesses to infuse Southern Maine with culture through creative exhibitions, events, and educational programs. Engine programs are designed to ensure accessibility and inclusion, with an emphasis on free community events open to the public. Learn more about how Engine supports the creative economy at feedtheengine.org.

General Information
Engine, Biddeford
163 Main Street
Biddeford ME 04005
Tel: 207-494-7125
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

What people are saying about Engine...

Partnering with UNE, Engine has offered professional level gallery and classroom experiences for undergraduate and local students enrolled in arts classes as well as a venue to see art by both regionally and nationally recognized artists.
Stephen Burt
University of New England
Engine is and has been a focal point of downtown Biddeford for many years for so many artists and creative spirits. It is a go-to for me: a retreat, a destination, a source for connection and ideas and community.
Laura Dunn
Artist
Engine is a wonderful place to work surrounded by wonderful people who have infused so much love and light into the downtown of Biddeford. I cannot imagine a bright future in the town without this wonderful organization.
Savanna Pettengill
Artist & Arts Teacher
Engine fuels the creativity of our city, making it the hub for youth and adults alike to feed their spirits, expand their skills, and create a better future for all of us.
Stephanie Edwards
Community Action Committee