Don't Shed No Tears

Paintings by Denis Peterson

Show extended through July 31, 2006

Opening Saturday May 6, 2006 5-7 PM

Over forty new works by photorealist painter Denis James Peterson focus on genocides around the world, including Cambodia, Rwanda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Haiti. Darfur canvasses will likely draw the most attention due in no small part to their incredibly meticulous detail; and, of course, to the compelling subject matter of a current genocide in progress. Notably, Don’t Shed No Tears showcases significant historical documentation archived at formidable contributing institutions, i.e., Yale Genocide Project, Documentation Center of Cambodia, UN Refugee Agency, and Genocide Watch to name just a few. However, this is neither a depressing show; nor is it a celebration of survival. Peterson’s masterful hyperreal paintings hang as metaphoric silent witnesses - quintessential portraitures of salient human beings and incorporeal landscapes.

Don’t Shed No Tears is at once visceral and ethereal. For most of it, there are no words. These unspoken visual messages are nonetheless heard. Be forewarned – these deftly crafted images of chaotic order definitively constrained by compositional harmony will remain with you as haunting memories.