Art and fashion meet on Newbury Street

Wow is the word Susan Lanoue hears over and over when visitors to her gallery view the amazing group exhibition celebrating the female figure and fashion. 

The unique exhibition featuring the work of four artists will be on display during Fashion's Night Out on Thursday, September 6. 

Lanoue, owner of Lanoue Fine Art at 125 Newbury Street, is passionate about art and the artists whose work she carefully chooses for her gallery.

"The common thread for the exhibition is that the artists are making statements about how clothing and fashion reflect how we wish to feel or the impression we want people to form by the fashion we adorn," said Lanoue.

 Lanoue says she chooses the work not just for the aesthetic beauty but also what's going on in the artist's life. 

One of the artists, Laura Schiff Bean, uses dresses as symbols for a woman leaving out the face and body deliberately so the viewer can fill in the blanks. 

"Think about any dress someone has worn on a special occasion to a wedding or a prom.  The dress evokes the emotion because you wanted to feel a certain way and be viewed in a certain way," said Lanoue. 

A native of Baltimore, Lanoue says she has always had a passion for art and moved to Boston after college.  She answered an ad for an art consultant and has since been the director for two art galleries on Newbury Street.

Four years ago she decided it was time to open her own gallery and Lanoue Fine Art was born.

"I focus on art that has a timeless quality is highly unusual and exceptionally beautiful," said Lanoue.

Besides Schiff Bean, works by Jane Maxwell, Marybeth Rothman and Carin Inalsbe will be on display.  

Jane Maxwell uses "collage and mixed media focusing on women, body image and the feminine ideal."

She says we are continually inundated with representations of the perfect woman - the perfect figure.  Her work deconstructs the ideal body by stripping away fashion and airbrushing.

Marybeth Rothman uses mid-century "photobooth" images to create her memorable pieces. She "brings them back to life" creating a biography and imagery to support each piece.  She is known for her mixed media paintings and sculpture.  

Carin Ingalsbe uses photograhs of ballet costumes from some of the world's most renowned ballet companies including New York and Boston to tell a story.  

She considers the pieces, in their essence, portraits. "The wear and tear of the costumes has been a centerpiece of my portrayal of them," said Ingalsbe. 

The group exhibition will be on display at Lanoue Fine Art until September 10.