STEPHEN ALTENA
EVERYTHING'S GONE GREEN
EVERYTHING'S GONE GREEN
June 04 - 30, 2024
Opening Reception:
Saturday, June 8, 1-4 pm
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What is our connection to plants? Why do we invite them into our homes and care for them so diligently, or create climate controlled gardens for plants that are non-native to this region?
From the exotic succulents and cacti at the Mediterranean Gardens at the Royal Botanical Gardens, to his own selection of common houseplants, Stephen Altena creates an abundantly green landscape in response to these tropical wonders. Through luscious oil paintings on canvas and paper, he fashions an oasis of green for our own delight and enchantment.
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Stephen grew up on a dairy farm outside of Hamilton. The Victorian farmhouse of his childhood with its pressed tin ceilings, patterned wallpaper and china cabinet brimming with ornamental ‘fancies” informed his aesthetic.
Stephen Altena is co-founder and co-curator of Hundred Dollar Gallery/The Hamilton Art Gallery with Andrew McPhail, and is one of the founding members of the Hamilton artist-run collective, The Assembly Gallery. He is a graduate of the Independent Study Program at Dundas Valley School Of Art.
Image: Lushly. 2024, oil on canvas, 24x36 inches
Opening Reception:
Saturday, June 8, 1-4 pm
__
What is our connection to plants? Why do we invite them into our homes and care for them so diligently, or create climate controlled gardens for plants that are non-native to this region?
From the exotic succulents and cacti at the Mediterranean Gardens at the Royal Botanical Gardens, to his own selection of common houseplants, Stephen Altena creates an abundantly green landscape in response to these tropical wonders. Through luscious oil paintings on canvas and paper, he fashions an oasis of green for our own delight and enchantment.
––
Stephen grew up on a dairy farm outside of Hamilton. The Victorian farmhouse of his childhood with its pressed tin ceilings, patterned wallpaper and china cabinet brimming with ornamental ‘fancies” informed his aesthetic.
Stephen Altena is co-founder and co-curator of Hundred Dollar Gallery/The Hamilton Art Gallery with Andrew McPhail, and is one of the founding members of the Hamilton artist-run collective, The Assembly Gallery. He is a graduate of the Independent Study Program at Dundas Valley School Of Art.
Image: Lushly. 2024, oil on canvas, 24x36 inches