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January Issue 2005
Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, Offers Works by Merle Mainelli Poulton
Artist
Merle Mainelli Poulton weaves the epic that is Homer's Iliad
into a series of 24 works on paper in the exhibit entitled, Homer's
Iliad: A Visual Translation, which will be on display at the
Guilford College Art Gallery at Guilford College in Greensboro,
NC, from Jan. 12 through Feb. 27, 2005.
Each painting in the exhibition represents one book of the epic poem, and the text itself is used as pictorial elements, such as line, texture and tone. All 15,693 lines of the text are hand-scribed in this astounding collection, which works not as an illustration or a manuscript, but as a literal and visual translation.
"First written by Homer, between the 8th and 9th Century BC, Poulton's translation nearly three millennia later serves not only as a testament to the historical Greek epic, but also unveils the current of emotions underlying both historical and modern world events. Power, Fear, Hatred, Envy, Compassion, Honor, Humility, Sleep, and Death are all characters of Homer's Iliad that are revealed in Poulton's moving series," wrote Karen Southern during an exhibition of the Iliad series in Providence, RI.
Poulton has included the Iliad's entire story in her series of paintings, in Book Fourteen, the text becomes an integral design element.
Poulton earned her master of fine arts degree from The American University, and while a student there, attended the Academia di Belle Arti Pietro Vannucci in Perugia, Italy. She was awarded a bachelor of fine arts degree with honors from Pratt Institute. Poulton received a diploma from the Jewelry Institute of Providence, and also attended Syracuse International School Abroad in Queens College, London. She is a resident of Lincoln, RI.
David Newton, assistant professor of art at Guilford College, knew Poulton in Rhode Island, and is responsible for initiating her exhibition at Guilford. Terry Hammond, Art Gallery director and curator notes, "I am excited to introduce Poulton's paintings to our students and viewers in this region. I find her paintings to be both beautifully realized and wonderfully compulsive. The subject can be mined from a wide variety of academic disciplines, and I hope this exhibition may acquaint this literary masterpiece to a whole new generation."
Guilford College
Art Gallery opened in 1990 with over 3,500 square feet devoted
to exhibiting the college's permanent art collection and occasional
temporary exhibitions. Admission to the gallery is free and open
to the public. The building is fully accessible and a wheelchair
is available for the use of gallery visitors.
For more info check our NC Institutional Galery listings, call
the gallery at 336/316-2438 or at (www.guilford.edu/artgallery).
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