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May Issue 2008
Caldwell Arts Council in Lenoir, NC,
Features Works by Andrea Gomez and Karen Yost
The Caldwell Arts Council in Lenoir, NC, will present the exhibit, Body Poses and Land Masses, featuring works by Andrea Gomez and Karen Yost, on view from May 2 - 30, 2008.
Andrea Gomez will be exhibiting landscapes and a retrospective of two decades of portraits, as well as a section of works devoted to her work as a courtroom artist. Karen Yost will be exhibited paintings.
Gomez offers the following statement: "Years ago, I was given some advice from another artist: if you want people to collect your art, paint consistently. Add to this the rule of thumb from any gallery owner: an artist submitting slides for consideration should always choose the least diverse works in her range. Narrow the focus. This all might be good advice for those learning the business of art. I'd even add that artists should be familiar with the workings of this side, that is the business of their endeavor."
"That said, here's the truth about me. I am a non-branding artist. In fact, I find life too short, my questions about what I see/experience too numerous, the world around me too vast, my training in materials too wide for me to create so narrowly. Basically I am a painter and a draw-er, a draughtsman. When an image moves me, it usually suggest the materials that might work best, whether it be pastels or oils or watercolor, etc. But images are everywhere and a variety of forms resonate with me. Clouds, for instance, allow me a visual language. I love the figure and its movement, posture and all that it conveys. Portraiture, a separate way of seeing the figure, is not merely a replica of the face but the history of the subject, his personality, her favorite objects and room, a presentation of all that makes the person tick. I paint a self-portrait every year around my birthday, and the one in the show is the most recent Self."
"Additionally at times I work for TV media in the courtroom when cameras are not allowed. For me, it's like a life drawing class, but with intrigue. The sketches exhibited here are from the well-publicized case of the CIA operative who questioned an Afghani prisoner so brutally that he subsequently caused the prisoner's death. Not only were there no cameras allowed, but CIA witnesses testified in disguise. No photographs of the victim, Abdul Wali were released to the press. I was able to quickly draw Mr. Wali during the prosecution's slide presentation of evidence showing the damage to Mr. Wali's body, thus producing the only released image of him until that point. His photo was later released."
"So when the Caldwell County Arts folks approached me and proposed a show that would include such diverse works as landscape, portraits and court room drawings, I happily accepted, despite the advice from my fellow artists. Rather than an artist who paints one way all the time, keeping myself boxed in some business plan, let art lovers know me as an artist whose consistency is in her love of color and movement, figure and natural form, but is constantly evolving in how these subjects are treated."
Drawing from an emphasis on the human form, Karen Yost has exhibited her work throughout North Carolina. As an art educator, Yost has instructed art in Baltimore, MD, Hickory, Durham and Wilson, North Carolina. Through decades of art involvement as a painter and instructor, Yost's work now includes painting, photography, computer art and ceramics. Leaving room for interpretation and drawing from an emphasis on the human form, Yost's layered coloration and subtleties in her work make a visual impact. The Caldwell Arts Council exhibit will include The Waiting Series, a group of paintings developed from the impact of shopping malls on our lives.
In addition to the exhibition, Andrea Gomez and Karen Yost will present a "Lunch and Learn" narration of their art at noon on May 7, 2008. Providing an opportunity for interested art patrons to hear more about the painting style and the philosophy of these artists, Gomez and Yost will conduct this informal seminar. Anyone interested in participating is invited to bring their own bag lunch to The Caldwell Arts Council - reservations are requested, due to limited seating.
For further information check our NC Institutional
Gallery listings, call the Council at 704/754-2486 or visit (www.caldwellarts.com).
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