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In “ A Quiet Roar” artists examine ideas of interconnectivity through the elaborate use of color, shape, & design. This multidisciplinary exhibition features artists Keith Breitfeller, Brian David Dennis, & Patrick Carrow. They explore visual attributes not merely from one perspective but embody the concept of deep connections between individuals. From hyper-saturated palettes that explode with sensibility to muted tones that evoke intimate interiority, this exhibition highlights the artists who can bring us into their world, creating a balanced and kindred environment.  

Keith Breitfeller and Brian David Dennis share a relationship that travels throughout their work, creating a cohesive boundary between them. Keith is influenced by pointillist & modernist perspectives, creating textural layers, with exciting colors popping through. His work features countless individual dots of color combined into radiant imagery, inviting viewers to step close and experience the transformation of each point. Brian's work visually complements Keith's pieces well, but steers in a new direction of visual comprehension. His work defies the boundaries of fine art, giving extraordinary life to everyday objects. His work's use of found material highlights the unique textures we often overlook and creates a sense of rejuvenation and new life. 

Similarly, Patrick Carrow uses preexisting fabric scraps to create delicate, detailed handbags that flourish with vibrant patterns. He uses a harmonious blend of color, print, and texture, accentuating the bag's shape. Patrick gets his inspirations from within the fabrics themselves, using the patterns and colors to guide his process and end result.

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Keith R. Breitfeller

Bio

Keith R. Breitfeller was raised in Catasauqua, a small town in eastern Pennsylvania, in 1952. Keith had a hunger to explore beyond the boundaries of this little hamlet. He harassed his parents until they allowed him to take art lessons in Allentown, a nearby city. Later, he attended Kutztown College, then furthered his studies in New York Artist Marion Pinto. The keystone of his methods was acquired at the Barnstone Studio, a Renaissance-type Master and Apprentice program. The heavy emphasis on the Golden Section and color theory continues to inform his work. 

Residing in Philadelphia, Keith has exhibited locally for 30 years with solo exhibits at Vox Populi, Sande Webster Gallery, Abington Art Center, and Perkin’s Center for the Arts. Outside of the region, he has shown in Texas, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and in Austria. His work is included in many private and corporate collections in Athens, London, Dubai, and throughout the Northeast. In the last few years, he has completed many commissions.

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Statement

My work has been influenced by the impressionist, modernist and pointillist. I use figure to ground relationships to deliberately confuse the subject matter, allowing the viewer to find, him or herself in the artwork. The use of small individual brush strokes and the placement of one color against the next gives an ever-changing color palette to the piece.

The theme of my painting has been a search for stillness, a form of mediative calm. Painting is my escape from a world of too much noise and information. It’s a way to step away from those inner dialogues that keep us from being truly calm. My work is an oasis away from the complexities of modern living where one can reflect on what is essential.

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Brian David Dennis

Bio

Brian was born in 1959. He was raised in a home with movable walls designed by his father, an aspiring artist. The openness and fluidity of the modular arrangement captured Brian’s imagination. His mother, a kindergarten teacher, encouraged Brian’s free thinking and constant building.

As a student, Brian considered following his passion for stage design but sought the more personal expression the fine arts offered. He studied drawing and painting at the Pennsylvania Academy. He quickly settled into collage and assemblage. In the mid-80s, he began to explore installation, using the exhibition location as an essential part of the piece.

A lifelong resident of Pennsylvania, Brian has lived and worked in Philadelphia since 1984 with his life partner, Keith Breitfeller. He began exhibiting with the cooperative gallery Vox Populi, and remained an active member for 15 years. He has held solo exhibits in Austria, the Philadelphia Art Alliance, the Sande Webster Gallery as well as a prestigious Fleisher Challenge. He has been granted an Independence Foundation Fellowship and other awards. In 2016, he was commissioned by Longwood Gardens.

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Statement

I am a multimedia visual artist. My body of work ranges from large installations to small collages. From immersive to intimate, I seek to extrude the extraordinary from the common. I’ve constructed soaring towers of coffee stirrers and present lost worlds discovered in minute street trash. My imagination dives into the everyday world to manifest wondrous realms. 

Much as I rummage for art materials, I also plunder the art canon for influences. The project and the process dictate his sources. My tormented figures refer to Francis Bacon. The installations are direct descendants of Josef Svoboda’s stage designs. Minimalist edicts temper my spontaneous chaos. Central to my aesthetic concerns are always balance, tension, and surface. “The piece is the subject, not the content.”

There is a solid autobiographical thread running through my lifelong body of work. The narrative details in earlier projects were shrouded in diffusing layers. With a mature understanding, the confusion and conflict of my past have given way to peace. My work’s always raw and emotive nature is now infused with a powerful honesty.

As an artist, I crave the sweet moments while working when I slip beneath my conscious control. While making art, I seek to lose awareness of the outside world and myself. I am free when working from within, untethered to expectation and thought, even if what comes to the surface is the worst experience of my life.

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Patrick Carrow

Bio

Patrick Michael Accessories is committed to saving the environment, one accessory at a time; the fabrics used to create his handcrafted, one-of-a-kind items come directly from upscale design houses and decorating firms. These donors allow Patrick to turn surplus and discontinued materials into wearable art, therefore eliminating considerable waste in landfills. 

"As I was folding and stacking my collection of upholstery fabrics, I saw a beautiful harmony of print, color and texture. It occurred to me that this could be a fantastic interior for a woman’s wallet." This initial idea grew into a prototype, then a reality. Early support from colleagues and personal associates furthered his vision, and a demand grew, and a business was born.

His company has significantly expanded from a few wallets in 2009 to an inventory boasting handbags, clutches, credit card holders, coin purses, make-up pouches, reversible bucket hats, and wine carriers. Top Philadelphia boutiques such as Paper Dolls Ambler, BUS STOP Boutique and Linda Golden Boutique on the Main Line have proudly carried Patrick Michael Accessories. Additionally, his pieces appeal to consumers outside his home city. Boutiques in Provincetown, San Francisco, Fort Lauderdale and Lyon, France have offered his pieces in their showrooms. The Germantown Friends School 2014 Juried Craft Show honored Patrick the “Local Emerging Artist” award along with the “Artist Recognition” ribbon at the 2018 Manayunk Art Festival.  During the 2014 spring and summer season, Patrick’s products were found at juried craft shows throughout PA, DE, NJ and NY.  Patrick Michael Accessories also participated at Christmas Village LOVE Park for the 2012 and 2013 season as well as Winter Wonderland at Congress Hall in Cape May, NJ.  He was once a member of the PA Crafters Guild and the Haverford Crafters Guild. His latest endeavor is an independent boutique located at 951 E. Passyunk Ave in Philly’s Bella Vista neighborhood.  Lastly, Patrick was twice accepted in the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show and Philadelphia Flower Show 2023 and 2024.                     

From a tiny Philadelphia studio, the product of a clever eye, delicate yet sharp hand and insatiable imagination became a formidable creative enterprise. This same level of passion remains in every Patrick Michael Accessories design.

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Statement

Although I was born and raised in South Jersey, Philly has been my heart and home for over 30 years.  Living and working in Philly has peaked my environmental awareness, inspiring me to seek out ways to reduce waste of existing fabrics. Ninety-nine percent of the fabrics I use are discontinued swatches from mills around the world.  My design signature is a harmonious blending of color, print, and texture. It's also important to me that the proportion of print size stays true to the silhouette of the product.  I do not have a specific inspirational reference within my work; it's the fabrics that inspire me as to how and where to begin.  The weight, color, and print of the fabric "speak" to me and command their ideal arrangements.  To enhance and complete the overall aesthetic, I often embellish my work with unusual and sometimes dramatic hardware.  This rare combination is what makes my artwork memorable to the discerning eye.