Read Between the Lines
Read Between the Lines, Our annual Core member exhibition runs November 30th through December 22nd with an opening reception on Friday, December 6th from 6–8pm. The curator and core member Chelsea Revelle shares some thoughts about the exhibition below.
I’ve noticed that many people view works of art for only a few seconds. I wonder what they think in that brief moment. I wanted to create an exhibition that encourages the viewer to slow down and try to find the meaning behind the work, because it’s often not what it seems at first glance. Additionally, I wanted artists to think about their narratives and true intentions, as these can often get lost in the visual impact and the act of making.
This year’s theme, “Read Between the Lines,” highlights the role of narrative in shaping perceptions. Each artist was challenged to think about what is missing from the dominant story line, and to reveal hidden or obscured messages in their work.
The twenty-eight core members of Fountain Street featured in the show work in a variety of media, ranging from video to fiber. Several artists reveal their concern for the environment—as oceans encroach on cities in Marie Craig’s ink drawings, and Kathline Carr’s planetary monoprints address the need for stability and survival of our species. Others dig deep into their identities to represent life’s changes and new beginnings, as in Emily Brodrick’s ceramic sprouts; similarly, Daniel Zeese captures nostalgic longing and feelings of belonging in the memory of a folding chair. The importance of process is examined in Marcia Wise’s vibrant strokes and mark making, a result of painting while listening to jazz music played live, translating its vibratory energy into the work; mark making also influences Georgina Lewis’s documentation of experimental drawings, in which she rubbed paper-wrapped stones against graphite-coated paper to reveal the influence and force of each on the other, a reminder of the sometimes cruel nature of exchanges and barriers. Commonalities and connections among the pieces abound, while each also stands unique with its story to tell.
Perceptions shift as the ambiguities and mysteries of the work unfold. As is so often true in the arts, this exhibition is a channel through which issues that are suppressed can be elevated in importance and brought into the public eye. My hope is that the unhurried viewer is rewarded visually, intellectually, and emotionally.
-Chelsea Revelle