(CHATHAM, N.Y.) – An expansive solo exhibition of modernist landscapes by Tony Thompson will inaugurate the North River Gallery’s new street level space on Main Street, marking the gallery’s new emphasis on contemporary landscape art. There will be an opening reception with the artist on Saturday, May 7, from 4 to 7pm. The work will remain on view through May 29.

Tony Thompson is a modernist landscape painter influenced by the nature surrounding him in the Hudson Valley, the painting tradition of the Hudson River school – particularly Gifford and Inness  – and the modern art of the 20th century.  Through his attempt to achieve a balance between abstraction and representation in painting, Thompson has come up with a unique approach he calls “Double Landscapes.”

Thompson creates two paintings of the same location very similar in composition but with variations, not duplicates. One of the two views on a canvas is always upside down with the bottom edges of both touching each other. Unlike a Rorschach they are not mirror images. Instead, they lead viewers to find themselves focusing on dramatic shapes and colors rather than the construction of a landscape.

“The unusual orientation of parts of the painting dampens their representational power and allows them to be seen as abstract shapes interesting or beautiful in themselves,” says Thompson.

North River Gallery is located in the village of Chatham at 34A Main Street, Chatham NY 12037.   518-392-7000.  Gallery hours Friday noon – 7pm, Saturday 11 am – 5 pm, Sunday 10 am –  2 pm.

The North River was the name given to the present day Hudson River by the Dutch in the early 17th century.  Although the name has disappeared over the years, the beauty of the historic artwork inspired by the area surrounding it has stood the test of time.