NEW YORK, NY.- Gayleen Aiken’s personal narrative is revealed by the endless depiction of her home (both inside and out) in Barre, Vermont. Her family and friends, the fictitious Raimbilli cousins, all 26 of them, constitute the anchor of her existence. The granite shed plants, mills, and stone cutting machinery are constant fodder too. Through the artist’s imagination they become a child’s playground.

When Aiken is at home, the allure of the wallpaper, the Nickelodeon, other musical instruments, and even the slate kitchen sink capture her creative expression. The viewer smiles at the delight, knowing, and perspicacious insight Aiken has of her surroundings.

The extreme sensual beauty of northern Vermont is cogently felt and portrayed in all seasons. This visceral connection to the land gives Aiken’s work an immediate intensity. We can feel the flutter of the leaves, the deep snow and the coming of spring!

The artist’s obsessive repetition of place, of friends, of family, gave her a sense of security and grounding in her long productive life. Her extraordinary oeuvre included the illustration of about 500 graphic novels as well.

This is the first one person exhibition of the self-taught artist Gayleen Aiken at Luise Ross Gallery. She joins the ranks of other self-taught luminaries in the gallery including Bill Traylor, Minnie Evans and Carlo Zinelli.