Reviews / Special Edition to Athens Newspapers / 1975
Eavenson Art To Be Displayed
By Vicki Womack

Dennis Eavenson is a surprise for people who expect an abstract artist to be a wild-eyed eccentric. The young Elberton artist,
whose works will be featured at the Athens Community Theatre, Oct. 22-25, is as warm and lively as the colors of his
paintings. His career as a serious artist started at the Atlanta School of Art. While earning his M.F.A. at the University of South
Carolina, he gained profession credits as a member of both the Columbia Guild of Arts and the South Carolina Artist Guild.
One of his works is part of the Permanent Collection of the South Carolina Arts Commissions.

The exhibit will include serigraphs and paintings on paper are a nonrepresentational style called color-field or lyrical
abstraction. The artist experiments with the relationships of colors and forms to develop an idea. Eavenson’s personal style
features warm colors and “moving” shapes for visual emotional expression.

The display will open to the public in the lobby for the Athens Community Theatre each evening during Town and Gown
Players’ production of Woody Allen’s “Play It Again Sam” Oct. 22 - 25th.

ARTSLANT Magazine / Print and Web Editions / 2008
Ico Gallery
606 West 26th Street
New York, NY 10001
September 2, 2008 – September 23, 2008

Article / 8 Surrealists At Ico Art & Music Gallery
Cosmic Consciousness Displays Diverse Views Concerning Mankind
By Dennis and Sharon Eavenson

Each visual artist in the surreal show at Ico Art & Music Gallery, curated by gallery director, Skylor Brummans, brings to mind
the diverse flavors of a scrumptious scoop of spumoni ice cream. This body of work presents a myriad of tastes and textures
that define and elaborate upon the diverse aspects of human existence. The scope of artistic expression covers both the
tangible and intangible universe. As a diverse collection of works, which belong to the school of surrealism, the artists
prompt the viewer to consider the physical, spiritual, political, social, psychological and cultural aspects of human existence
and behavior.

Humans consistently question their placement in the greater picture. Struggling to understand the macrocosmic or divine
plan with limited and often-flawed information is a constant directive that defines the human quotient. The need to
understand our origins, behaviors and future path is so deeply rooted in our nature that it becomes the driving force that
shapes our evolution. Creative expression catapults humanity with explosive energies toward the discovery of ultimate truths.
Pursuit of truth becomes our exquisite expression of human ideas in the form of art, science, mathematics, philosophy and
religion.

The intimate and monochromatic works of Anthony Harris speak to us on an existential level as they explore generalized, but
somehow personal, landscapes revealing ancient territorial boundaries. This collection of scratch technique paintings
presents his signature earth tone palette and address human placement within particular societies. These societies are
governed by human rituals used to determine societal status. Although many landscapes are devoid of human figures, these
arresting works speak of ancient and sacred land as a binding element in the course of humanity.

With a strong background in literature and photography, Doug Ross mesmerizes the viewer with allegorical photo portraits
that explore human quests, needs and discoveries. Creating stories for the viewer to unravel they demand attention and
respect. They are beautiful expressions of these actual individuals highly personalized spiritual journeys and their
relationships to mankind’s path.

Merrill Steiger’s notable works in painting and collage provide a symphony of color and texture to the show. Presenting
symbols and images that reflect the microcosmic and macrocosmic world, Steiger invites the viewer to consider human
existence. The works are filled with a juxtaposition of images that define human spirituality and the universal connections
we all share with the whole.

Rainbow colors permeate the painterly compositions and landscapes of Ilona Van Hoek and imbue them with a sense of the
surreal. Her artworks rely on man as an essential element in the cosmic picture. Symbolic elements fill the illusionistic
paintings with compositional structures that reflect a strong influence from the great north Renaissance masters.
Ron Griswold’s mannerist paintings portray various aspects of modern day women. Presented as icons, they reveal subtle
cultural, social and psychological themes. Relying on a colorful palette and build compositions with graphic line and shape,
the works deconstruct and redefine form. Ron’s Madonnas reflect a myriad of attitudes concerning the essence of today’s
female gender.

Manifestations of human desire dominate the canvases of painter Nicolas Gracey. His masterfully painted nudes are
entwined with symbols and themes exploring forbidden passion. These works probe the rise and fall of the human spirit
when presented with the desires of the flesh. His compositions contain strong biblical references and invite the viewer to
consider their known temptations as a basic construct of the human spirit.

James de Blas works with totem like symbology to discuss the course of human existence in a spiritual context. His
paintings contain a mythic quality and hint at man’s ever-present spiritual existence as a basic element in the natural world.
Using surreal color and morphing human and animal elements into symbolic presences, he seeks ideas that soar toward
the divine.

Finally, as artists in the show and also writers of this review, Sharon and Dennis Eavenson humbly refrain from additional
commentary on our artworks. We feel they speak for themselves and invite others to contemplate their worth to this amazing
group of surreal artists. We have been honored to be included in the flavorful show that superbly explores the artistic spirit
striving toward the discovery of truths.