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May Issue 2009
Nina Liu and
Friends in Charleston, SC, Features Works by Susan Miller Simon
Nina Liu and Friends in Charleston, SC, anticipates the celebratory nature of the upcoming festival season with an exhibition of work by Susan Miller Simon entitled Defining Moments. The exhibition will open on May 1 and remain on view through June 30, 2009.
Simon, whose studio
is in Evergreen, CO, has both a Master of Arts and a Master of
Fine Arts from the University of Iowa. Since graduating with the
MFA in 1979, she has shown her paintings in solo exhibitions in
Italy, Germany, and throughout the US. In 2004 Mepkin Abbey, outside
of Moncks Corner, SC, presented an exhibit of Simon's work, and
her paintings and other work have been on view at Nina Liu and
Friends over the past twenty years.
The artist has said that she has found inspiration in imagery
from such diverse sources as "cave paintings, Byzantine icons
and manuscripts, and works by Giotto" among other things.
Though these images influence and inspire Simon, her work has
its own distinct character. Her compositions often appear to be
minimal upon first inspection, but a more focused viewing reveals
that they feature patterns, subtle shifts in color, blocks of
text, and stitching that give each work a layered quality.
Simon exploits the translucent nature of watercolor to create
works on paper that seem to glow with an all-encompassing light.
She uses color in a disciplined way to reflect the hues of the
world that she sees around her studio. The images that Simon introduces
into her work are ever-changing, but she focuses on animal and
plant forms that reveal her interest in the natural world and
our place within it.
Gallery owner Liu says that she finds Simon's work to be "both
engaging and endearing." In a very personal response to
Simon's focus on spiritual themes, Liu says that Simon "takes
me on a journey. She provides a vehicle - perhaps a horse or a
turtle - for getting there, but she does not tell you what path
you will take to arrive at the destination."
For further information check our SC Commercial Gallery listings
or call the gallery at 843/722-2724.
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