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October Issue
2009
Plum Elements
in Charleston, SC, Features Works by Bobbi Kittner
Plum Elements in Charleston, SC, will present the exhibit, The Discarded Story, featuring narrative works of assemblage and collage by Bobbi Kittner, on view from Oct. 1 - 31, 2009.
Kittner's work has begun a local following, becoming a favorite among those who appreciate a bit of whimsy. Her first solo show in Charleston, The Discarded Story delves into the many stories each person holds. Frank Lloyd Wright's observation that, "The idea is salvation by imagination," inspired the work. This, Kittner said, is why I create: "Saving myself through the preservation of these disparate pieces of salvaged junk to create a story."
Whether it's a collage of painted rice paper, her old journal pages and music scores from 100 years before, or an assemblage of playskool blocks and other found objects, the many layers reflect the depth of Kittner's thoughts and experience. One can uncover hints of her many experiences, growing up in rural Kansas, tutelage with an opera singer, the mother of two young boys. Texture and color create a place for the viewer's heart and mind to wander. Though sometimes representational, most of her work is abstract.
Discussing her process, Kittner explained, "I create art out of a need to understand and embrace the everyday uncertainty of living, being human, a woman, and a most importantly a mother. I used to be an avid journaller, writing in the wee hours of the morning about nothing, something or everything. I still journal but wood, plaster and canvas have become my paper, with color and form becoming my words." Kittner's work can be triggered by a note of music, an old photograph or even just a word. She has thought of it as if she's an explorer uncovering what lies beneath the grime of time, or even a pathfinder wondering through the chaos of the everyday.
Kittner's work appears in collections in the US and Europe. After graduating from the University of Kansas, Kittner went to Washington, DC, to pursue a journalism career. In the mid-1990s she started Kittner Design, graphic design firm. Plum Elements has shown Kittner's lively work since opening. Other recent shows include a juried exhibition at the Arts and Humanities Commission in Washington, DC, and at one of the Smithsonian affiliates.
For further information
check our SC Commercial Gallery listings, call the gallery at
843/727-3747 or e-mail to (info@plumelements.com).
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