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At the Art Club, an expat and an old friend share a show

11:26 PM Sun, Apr 19, 2009 | Permalink |

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By Sheila Lennon |

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Tony Ramos, Miles Davis, acrylic on canvas, 60" x 120", 2005.

Native Sons is a joint exhibit at the Providence Art Club of two Rhode Island natives, painter Tony Ramos and furniture maker Timothy Philbrick, friends since 1968. Tony grew up in East Providence and now lives in Aix-en-Provence, France.

Tim Philbrick grew up in Providence but spent summers in Narragansett, where he works today.

Friday night they spoke at the Providence Athenaeum about their work, and about the joint show that opened today. The private library's unofficial blogger, Computer Concierge, put up a little 75-second video, shot after the talk, that gives you a chance to see the artists behind the work. There's mention of a closing event May 8.

When Galerie Dragon in Paris mounted an exhibit of Tony's work last year, his bio included a review by the art critic of the Kansas City Star -- this is the first Rhode Island exhibition of his work. The images on that site share the signature dots in the Art Club paintings, raised trails of them, some like the colorful candy buttons on strips of paper we ate as kids, others like smeared raindrops. A side gallery shows some of his earlier work focused on the causes of racism.

Here's one of furniture-maker Philbrick's pieces, which include fine work in lovely woods -- curly maple, Cuban mahogany and more:

Timothy S. Philbrick
Side Table
macassar ebony/ top- figured satinwood
25" x 30" x 15"
2008

Timothy S. Philbrick and Tony Ramos: Native Sons runs through May 8 at The Providence Art Club, 11 Thomas St. Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 12-4 p.m., Weekends 2-4 p.m. 331-1114.