Hanging in the Campanella Gallery is a story of paintings. One might overlook the meaning and the work that went into it, but for Rita Guile, art is more than just shapes and colors.
“A few years ago, I received an album of old black and white family photos. I was moved by the images. This is what inspired me to paint this group of paintings,” said Guile.
The project started in 2016, with the sequencing and framing of each painting. It took Guile several months just to prep. She finished early 2017.
“I created image on 12 by 12 inch canvases, which I then assembled into vertical and horizontal, diptych and triptych formats. All are framed in simple black floater frames…this formatting organizes the images into ambiguous sequences. I employed this method from when I was in design school,” said Guile.
Guile’s work is done with the purpose to give the viewer a sense of feelings they might have never felt before or to rekindle memorable moments.
“My intention is for the work to transport the viewer. I hope they evoke a narrative, just as a poem evokes feelings,” said Guile.
Guile’s artwork was inspired from her own family. Although she did not recreate the photos, she used it as a stepping stone to create an impactful message.
“My images suggest a home, warm memories and relationships, one never had and wishes for. I believe work is more than the longing or remembrance of the past, it is an acknowledgment for my feelings of the importance of domesticity,” said Guile.
Guile loves having the availability to express herself and the opportunities to see other’s expressions when viewing her work.
“I believe this quote from the artist Anne Truitt supports my compulsion to paint what is important to me: ‘Artists have no choice but to express their lives,’” said Guile.

Guile’s paintings will be on display until November 22