You can see many walls full of art in Richmond, which is one of our cultural blessings, but it's not often that here, or anywhere, you can see the work of a living master.
That opportunity comes during an exhibition of new work by printmaker David Freed at the Rey-nolds Gallery, 1514 W. Main St., May 1 to June 13.
In 1966, Freed started the printmaking program at Richmond Professional Institute, which later evolved into Virginia Commonwealth University, from which he retired in 2005. The artist, a 2001 recipient of a Theresa Pollak Prize for Excellence in the Arts, captures the essence of his subjects in a gesture or an expression. His latest meditations on the James River give a sense of nature as the ultimate creator.
"It starts simply by me going down there all the time," Freed explains, with a slight laugh. "Walking 'round, I do some sketches. Sometimes I drag stuff back from the river and prop it up on my back deck — branches and vines. But really, rather than specific depictions, à la photographs, I'm after ambience, musings on the seasons, and weather."
The exhibition features around 20 pieces — monotypes, woodcuts and etchings — some with hand coloring. For more information, call 355-6553 or visit reynoldsgallery.com.
