2017-2018 Artist-in-Residence Exhibition
2017-2018 Artist-in-Residence Exhibition
season affections
June 26 – September 10, 2018
On view at Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street, Concord, MA
*Note that the gallery at 40 Stow Street is closed for renovations until late fall*
Reception: June 28 from 5:30-7:30 pm
Join us in celebrating the work of our 2017-2018 Artist-in-Residence, Elizabeth King!
Elizabeth's Artist Statement:
I make loud, shy paintings. Despite their large size and bright colors, they are constantly trying to slip as far back into the weave of the canvas as possible. I build up thin glazes of dye using wax resists, which result in areas that feel deeply spacious next to areas that are abruptly shallow. I weave together complex silkscreened passages on the surface to function as a speed bump, to slow down the viewer’s navigation of my paintings. A quickly read painting is the enemy. I think of my paintings as screens, allowing air to flow freely through the interlocked layers. I leave space for air to get through, as it is the only relief in otherwise claustrophobic paintings.
My paintings encourage looking. The narrative, which initially appears to be the main attraction, is only the opening act. At a distance, the scene depicted seems clear, but moving closer doesn't bring more clarity. The image instead disintegrates, leaving only the colorful residue of the first impression. I paint marks to draw attention to the surface instead of working in service of the narrative. The ambiguity of the story may at first feel frugal, but is made up for with the richness of color and texture that sit in the surface. Once inside my paintings, the hope is that the viewer is no longer concerned with getting immediate answers and can start to adapt to the visual language of brushstrokes and color.
From Elizabeth's Artist-in-Residence Proposal:
I propose that with my time spent in the resident artist program, I would generate a series of large scale paintings. I think large paintings are exciting because they immediately become an immersive experience. They have the power slow down an audience. I try to make paintings that encourage looking. At a time when the average viewer has been conditioned to process images in seconds, it feels important to make paintings that remind people how satisfying it is to get lost in a piece of art. Large, immersive paintings encapsulate the Umbrella's renovations to me because of their ability to transform a space and entice people to take a longer look.This is an influential time for the future of artists in and around Concord. I would be honored if I could be a part of this transformation.
