In the month of February, DAAS Co-OP Art Gallery & Gifts is showcasing the artwork of two great artists.
Xavier Brignoni is presenting the first part of his collection entitled Xtraction. Photographer Ray Felix brings his creative photography for all to enjoy.
The opening reception is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 3 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. in conjunction with the monthly Fort Myers Art Walk. The exhibition will be on display through Feb. 26.
Xavier Brignoni is an artist based in southwest Florida, originally from Puerto Rico. He is the co-owner of DAAS Co-Op Art Gallery and co-founder of the Union Artist Studios, both in Fort Myers. His past artworks reflected the pandemic situation and the uncertainty of an unknown future. With this collection, the artist focuses on how the “system” has pulled us from the bubble and back to a new reality where there is a different type of “normalcy.” Through abstraction and a play on words, he displays a different color palette with messages pointing at his humanity and personal experiences.
“For me, returning to the reality, but with this new vision, is what Xtraction is,” mentions Brignoni. “What we as humans really need is a purpose in life, as these past years have taught us,” concludes Brignoni.
Ray Felix
Ray Felix is a photographic and mixed media artist from Philadelphia and currently living somewhere between Upstate NY and southwest Florida. He holds a BFA in painting and photography from MICA and an MFA from UAlbany.
Felix is primarily working in fine art and commercial photography for which he has received numerous awards. His work is included in the permanent collections of Albany Institute of History and Art, The University Museum, and The Kinsey Institute as well as numerous private collections.
“My interests in design and abstraction strongly guide my point of view and composition. And with this work in particular, I approach the images in a ‘straight forward’ or non-manipulated way to maintain the integrity of that which I am photographing. But it is equally important to create images that reflect the vision of what the individual photographer sees,” comments Felix. “For me, that vision isn’t singular, much like my varied subject matter. I attempt to be dependent on what I am photographing and my experience in the process. But ultimately, I tend to intuitively begin with a visual approach that seems to favor a kind of subtle but detailed simplicity,” said the artist.
DAAS Co-Op Art Gallery & Gifts is located at 1815 Fowler St. in the Butterfly Estates complex in downtown Fort Myers. The gallery’s business hours are Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monthly opening receptions are held every first Friday of the month, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. More information about the venue and/or how to become a member can be found at daascoop.com or by calling 239-590-8645.
