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September Issue 2004
Davidson County Community College in Lexington, NC, Features Group Exhibition
Beneath the Surface is the theme for the Fall art exhibit at Davidson County Community College in Lexington, NC, which is on view through Dec. 17, 2004, in the Mendenhall Building on the college's campus.
From photographs of amusing and bizarre yard decorations to the literal use of texture that embellishes the surfaces of metal or art quilts, each artist participating in Beneath the Surface shows that there is always more than meets the eye. Humor, intrigue, and reflecting cultural perspectives are among the range of approaches used. Each artist asks the viewer, whether literally or figuratively, to look beneath the surface of that which is readily visible.
Artists from a number of states with work in several media are participating in the exhibit. Joining six North Carolina artists are participants from Virginia and Georgia, as well as artists hailing from Illinois and New York. The fall show will offer an opportunity for visitors to view artwork produced from a wide variety of geographical regions. Viewers can compare works created in the more immediate region to those from the three largest regional art hubs of Atlanta, New York City, and Chicago.
Participating artists and their media are Jeffrey Adams and Laura Mahowski, Forest Park, IL, (sculpture); Diane Bielak, Williamsburg, VA, (quilts); Rachel B. Compton, Woodleaf, NC, (repoussé); Drew Dean, Brevard, NC, (oil on board); Jay Hahn, Swannanoa, NC, (photography); Annemarie Johnson, Kernersville, NC, (digital photomontage); Stefani Joseph, Savannah, GA, (oil on canvas); Jack Lawing, Atlanta, GA, (photography); Marilyn Murray Lindner, Waxhaw, NC, (acrylic); V. Mae, Charlotte, NC, (photography); and Amelie Sourget, New York, NY, (photography).
Jeffrey Adams and Laura Mahowski are sculpture collaborators. Adams is an Assistant Professor at Northern Illinois University, while Makowski is an independent artist from Chicago. The pair note they see themselves as "observers and participants who fashion a portrait of our culture's shifting whims, bridging the gulf between our assumed knowledge and distrusted beliefs."
The quilts made by Diane Bielak are rich surfaces embellished with color and texture. She is self-taught and has been quilting for 25 years. Her recent work reflects a more contemporary approach that incorporates original designs, hand-painted fabrics, machine quilting, and embellishments. Bielak's work often reflects nature, adding depth and interest through the use of organdy ribbons, sheer fabrics, beads, and natural materials.
Rachel B. Compton practices the ancient metal art of repoussé, a French word meaning "pushed out." This term refers to the method of raising a design in relief on metal using tools, hammers, and punches. Compton often incorporates stones and other materials into the designs made of pewter, copper, brass, and other metals to form a three-dimensional piece.
Drew Dean's humorous oil on board paintings in her Goinsmwr series are nostalgic yet contemporary windows onto places people feel they have been or seen countless times. The artist depicts neon signs of bowling alleys, motels, and restaurants using colorful photorealism to give a glimpse into this slice of aging Americana.
Jay Hahn takes digital photography into the realm of printmaking as he manipulates his images with the computer, using it as a wool to change elements such as color and texture. He is inspired by what he calls "an unwavering love of wild places and their inhabitants," but his resulting works are often creative departures from the original landscape sources.
Annemarie Johnson also explores the medium of digital photography. Her digital photo images are colorful, elegant, and sometimes humorous. Johnson balances her work as a medical illustrator, a field that requires sanitized, emotionless information, with her personal artwork. Preoccupation with detail also motivates her art as she is constantly searching for and recording surface textures and details.
Jack
Lawing
In his photography, Jack Lawing shows the beauty and charm of kitsch. Bizarre yard decorations, wacky restaurant designs from the fifties and other outrageous "humanscapes" give the viewer an honest look at eccentricity. Born and raised in the mountains of North Carolina, Lawing realized after returning from several years in New England the uniqueness of the language, idioms, and customs of what he had always regarded as the norm.
Marilyn Murray Lindner, who paints abstractions in acrylic, notes her paintings depict the sensuality and aesthetics of color, form, and texture. While remaining true to her roots in abstraction, Lindner's work has evolved to include biomorphic forms that evolve into explosive calligraphy based on striking and startling color juxtapositions.
V. Mae's photography appears to fool the eye. At a glance, they might appear to be charcoal drawings. Instead, these are elegant and surreal portraits of figurative sculpture. This body of work developed when she visited Santa Fe, NM, in 2002, and was further developed when she recently attended a season with the Santa Fe Photography Workshops. V. Mae is the artist's alias for her full name, Valerie Mae Sherrington.
Amelie Sourget is a French-born artist currently residing in New York. Photography presents statements about progress moving too fast, creating a gap between what humanity has built and everyday real needs. Her photography deals with empty, atmospheric places where people pass through but never stop. The viewer is left with the impression that the human dimension has all but disappeared.
For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call the college at 336/249-8186, ext. 383 or e-mail at (kkepley@davidson.cc.nc.us).
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