daas Gallery opens 'Skin' exhibit Jan. 2

"Skin," a collection of provocative and uncensored, yet tasteful and brilliant, masterpieces by three prominent Southwest Florida artists, opens at daas Gallery Jan. 2.

April Clary, Doug Heslep and Daniel Lovely accepted daas Gallery's invitation to expose these images freely and without boundaries. The group, in alliance with the gallery, plans to break the mold and dare to display images intended only for mature audiences. Beautiful nude bodies of both male and female are the common subject for this exhibition.

The human body, in nude, has been the main subject of classical masterpieces for centuries. Renaissance Masters like Sandro Botticelli ("Birth of Venus," 1985-86) as well as 19th century artists like Evard Munch ("Madonna," 1894-95) and William Blake ("The Body of Abel Found by Adam and Eve," 1825) have used the nude figure as a way to represent everything from divinity to impurity. Twentieth century masters such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Henri Matisse all explored the possibilities of the nude and created remarkable images.

As a tribute to the body, the soul and all its components, daas Gallery invites visitors over the age of 18 to enjoy the work of our artists. "Skin" will be on display from Friday, Jan. 2, through Saturday, Jan. 31. The opening reception is Friday, Jan. 2, from 6 to 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.daasgallery.com or call 939-1194.