‘Starling Symphony’ exhibition opens at The Phoenix Gallery Sept. 8
August 12, 2023 | By Waterbury Roundabout 
Trystan Bates. Courtesy photo
A new solo art exhibition opens on Friday, Sept. 8, at The Phoenix Gallery & Music Hall on Stowe Street with a reception from 5-9 p.m. for “Trystan Bates: The Starling Symphony.”
A graduate of the Gerrit Rietveld Acadamie in Amsterdam, Bates is an internationally acclaimed graphic illustrator, entrepreneur, mentor and collaborator who has worked in New York City and Buenos Aires and now lives and works in Southern Vermont.
Bates worked in New York City as an editorial illustrator and as curator and general manager at Felissimo Design House and Museum. In the early 2000s he relocated to Buenos Aires where he focused on the development of his studio practice. His work appeared in numerous publications, in corporate collaborations with companies such as Coca-Cola, Adidas and streetwear brand PURO, as well as in exhibitions throughout South America, the United States, Australia and Europe.
His efforts branched out to include formation of an artist collective to nurture emerging young artists in Latin America, Europe and the U.S. with residency and educational programs.
Bates returned to the U.S. in 2018, settling in Vermont where he has continued to develop his studio practice. In addition to producing new works, he is collections manager at the Londonderry Arts and Historic Society and runs Double Vision Editions, a small art publishing/printing company.
Works in mixed media collage on paper by Trystan Bates. Click to enlarge.
The concept of the show opening in Waterbury takes its inspiration from the starling. “The small bird is part collector and part madcap composer. With a highly developed echoic memory, the starling spends its day exploring its environment and taking sonic snapshots of sounds it encounters. It then takes these snippets and combines it into a birdsong that is truly unique and magical. Each Starlings song is completely their own and is an audial record of their entire life,” the exhibition announcement explains.
The exhibit consists of several sections called “Movements” with specific themes and made using differing media. For example the Icons movement is a series of collages; Jawbreakers are monotone, layered papercut sculptures; Crystallization is a triptych of acrylic sculptures; Convergence presents a series of mixed media collages and wooden assemblages; finally Birdsong is a suite of five hand-pulled prints incorporating the themes of the other four movements, demonstrating repetition and rhythm.
“We as humans are very much like the starling,” Bates describes. “We travel through our lives encountering other people, facing challenges, enjoying beautiful moments, learning and evolving. We take mental notes of the things that are of personal significance and carry those memories with us. The echoes of these experiences are crucial to our growth and development…Our memories, and that what we hold on to is a major part of what makes us special.”
Bates’ work will be on view through Nov. 17. At Friday’s reception, the winner of the Aug. 25 numbered print raffle/flood-relief fundraiser will also be announced. Find more information online at thephoenixvt.com.