Gary Fisher, Glenn Fry in joint exhibition July 19 to Aug. 5 at Philip Morton Gallery
Jul 17, 2014 Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print More Sharing Services
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“Reflections II,” oil on canvas by Gary Fisher.
The Philip Morton Gallery announces a joint exhibition of new works by artists Gary Fisher and Glenn Fry.

Fisher is known for his vivacious use of color, and this exhibit is no exception. This collection of works will primarily focus on Fisher’s newest abstract series – oils on canvas or wood panels.

A longtime environmental enforcement attorney with the U.S. Justice Department, Fisher started painting almost 30 years ago and now works as a professional artist in Rehoboth Beach and Washington, D.C., with much of his work consisting of commissioned pieces. His works are in many private collections and corporate collections. He has exhibited in numerous galleries and public establishments throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland and Delaware. He has been featured in special exhibits at the Children’s National Medical Center, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and embassies and U.S. government buildings. In 2001, Fisher was selected by the U.S. State Department for participation in the prestigious Art in Embassies program. Fisher’s work was displayed in several U.S. embassies around the world until 2005.

His works have been featured in Delaware at The Philip Morton Gallery, The Blue Moon Restaurant, Dos Locos, Detail Gallery and the Peninsula Gallery. He has been represented by Philip Morton Gallery since 2008.

He has participated in many community-based projects, painting an elephant for Washington’s Party Animal project in 2002 and taking part in Rehoboth’s Dolphins Around Town project in 2003. He is a member of the Rehoboth Beach CAMP Rehoboth Art Steering Committee and regularly donates his art to CAMP Rehoboth; HRC; Food and Friends in Washington, D.C., and numerous other charitable organizations.

Fisher is a native of Wyoming and received both his BA and JD from the University of Wyoming. He studied art at the Corcoran School in Washington, D.C., and is a graduate of the Vander Zee School of Art in Alexandria, Va. He currently resides in Washington, D.C., and Rehoboth Beach.

Washington, D.C. artist Glenn Fry taps deep into the minds of viewers with his keen sense of composition and iconography. Fry melds seemingly inconsequential elements to directly communicate with people of all types. His work is accessible with immediate appeal and a subtext that runs deep. The subtext is a message of authenticity – know yourself, be yourself, and take deliberate action. That message runs throughout Fry’s work and his life.

Following his formal art education at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Fry got his start in advertising. But unlike television’s “Mad Men,” he decided to leave the corporate machine behind and pursue a career in fine arts. His sought-after work is often bold, colorful and eye-catching. But it’s that element of choice, the empowering of the individual to take deliberate action that gives his work lasting appeal.

A creator of imaginative screen prints, Fry controls every element to produce captivating images. In the Flutter series that will be on exhibit at Phillip Morton Gallery, Fry defines and conveys his viewpoint of what’s important in each piece through multiple layers of detail and oftentimes text. Working from a theme of his choosing, Fry selects, poses, and photographs his models; converts, enhances, and processes the images; incorporates iconic elements; designs the color application; writes the text – then prints each piece by hand. That screen printing process involves creating multiple screens for each composition (one screen per color) and applying each color separately. The pieces are either one-of-a-kind or in limited editions, on wood, heavy paper, glass or canvas, and in a variety of sizes. In addition to creating works of his own choosing, he also does commissioned work.

All of this appeal keeps Fry’s work in high demand. With substantial bodies of work featured in the Federal Reserve Board Building, IBM, National Geographic Channels, Washington Design Center, boutique hotels, and trendy homes (including ones shown in “The Real Housewives of DC” and MTV’s “Real World DC”); creating art is Fry’s full-time occupation.

Everyone is welcome to attend the opening reception for the exhibition from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, July 19. Fisher and Fry will be available to discuss their work, and hors d’oeuvres will be provided by Hobos Restaurant of Rehoboth Beach.

The Philip Morton Gallery was awarded 2014’s Best of Delaware – Art Gallery award for the third consecutive year by Delaware Today Magazine and is at 47 Baltimore Ave. in Rehoboth Beach, between the Blue Moon and Aqua. Call 302-727-0905; email info@philipmortongallery.com or visit Phillip Morton Gallery’s Facebook page.

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“A Flutter in Plum,” silkscreen on wood by Glenn Fry

FISHER-FRY EXHIBITION OPENS AT PHILIP MORTON GALLERY
by Dagmar Kirchner Henney

Washington has sent us two fascinating artists! Butterflies, flowers and beautiful color greet us and the delicious summer.

It is a pleasure to see two Washington/Rehoboth artists with such talent. Gary Fisher and Glenn Fry, studio mates since 2004, well established for many years, extremely talented, not only in America but worldwide, have a joint show at the Philip Morton Gallery.

Half of the exhibition focuses on Fisher’s latest abstract series, oil on canvas or wood panel. It features lots of color and is also monochromatic.

His giant flower oil painting was inspired by his visit to South Africa, an exciting and heartwarming painting which will delight most anyone. Fisher has been doing lots of international travel, recently visiting northern India. He says he takes many photos and many places he has visited inspire his work.

A master of oil painting, Fisher uses many layers, in thin overtones, sometimes as many as 30, such as in the painting below, to get the color and texture just right.

Fisher’s experience is so extensive it is difficult to summarize it all in one short article. He has exhibited in numerous galleries, embassies and government buildings. Fisher was selected by the State Dept. for the prestigious Art in Embassies Program in 2001. His work appeared in various U.S. embassies throughout the world until 2005. Fisher is a Wyoming native who received both his bachelors and JD from the University of Wyoming. He studied art at the Corcoran School in Washington, D.C. and is a graduate of the Vander Zee School of Art in Alexandria, Va. He resides in both Washington, D.C. and Rehoboth Beach.

The other half of the show includes works from Fisher’s studio mate, Glenn Fry.

Fry’s colorful “flutter” exhibition makes one think happy thoughts, summer, flowers and butterflies and the miracle of the world which is encompassed in the butterfly. The butterfly represents a world, represents us and our soul, Fry tells us.

Butterflies accomplish an amazing lifecycle but only live for the moment. Fry says he designed his butterfly series, modeled roughly on the Monarch, for summer. It is more portable than the sea shells and lighthouses we see often in summer art. It is amazing to consider a beautiful creature and remember that our life passes very quickly and at great speed from beginning to the end. Fry catches the beauty and mystery of the saga of the butterfly beautifully.

Fry, pictured below, left his career in corporate advertising to pursue a career in fine arts. Not many artists use his screen-printing technique that Andy Warhol made popular. Each color requires a separate screen and he works in reverse. Each one is done by hand, not by computer.

Above is one of Fry’s silkscreens on wood, “Captured Moments.” Both artists’ works will be at Rehoboth’s Philip Morton Gallery through August 5.