Charlie Emers, of Patchwork Farm & Bakery in East Hardwick, stands between two of his 70 multifaceted collection of sculptures, paintings and drawings displayed at the Third Floor Gallery in the Hardwick Inn. The Beyond Bread artwork show will run until the end of March with a reception for the artist January 26 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
by Olive Ylin, Community Journalist
HARDWICK – Charlie “Bread” Emers will have a reception for his latest show, “Beyond Bread”, on January 26, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Third Floor Gallery at the Hardwick Inn.
This show is a multifaceted collection of paintings, drawings and sculpture, full of color, quirks, and surprises. One piece, called “Leonardo” after DaVinci, combines painting with found objects like corks for arms and hands, and a pair of ancient wooden shoe stretchers for feet.
Emers pulls from his store of oddball items that he hoards away, and lets them initiate inspiration. His self portraits challenge the viewer, unafraid to throw the question back at you.
The bird paintings are a step back into gentleness. They celebrate Emers’ appreciation of their feathers, shapes, and individual personalities.
Although Emers studied at Johnson State and at the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston, academics did not smooth the edges off his style. Exuberance and vitality flood off his canvases with an innocence reminiscent of folk art.
His use of broken bakery gear blends his day job with his unleashed imagination. Half a loaf board becomes a creature of the sea; corks decorate the fins of a fish. He has more ideas than he will ever have time to bring to life. They are waiting to jump out of his brain and on to a page, or piece of old barn board, or perhaps a small block of wood that transforms itself into a cat or mouse or an animal that only Emers can name.
