faint at wasserman projects
Loren Erdrich
“Evoking the feel of hand-dyed garments, I paint on raw muslin with water, dyes, pigments, and other water-based mediums, creating images that exist somewhere between the tangible earthly world and the unearthly beyond.”
“Art is Truth” –Rick Vian. In this case it’s a dreamy, aquatic color field where light shines through murky cerulean blue illuminating conscientiously applied brushstrokes. The buttery yellow is balanced by a subtle, deeper blue circle then anchored by earthy violet allowing the suspended marks to ebb and swirl in the current.
Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson
“My work originates in my travels across the landscape of my native country, Iceland. The intention is to convey the sense of wonder and awe that one feels in a vast and untouched landscape---how small we are and completely unable to control the forces around us---especially in this particular active environment.”
Despite its scale, the piece doesn’t overwhelm. Blocks of color streak and bleed horizontally across the panel permitting the resulting, directionally inverse wrinkles to contribute to the composition. Painting on untreated fabric, whether canvas, linen or silk, is unforgiving because it’s so porous. The painter makes a mark, that’s it. There are no takebacks. The work appears simplistic, but a tremendous amount of thinking occurs prior to action in order to succeed.
Eleanor Oakes
“Our primary relationship to photographs is a personal one, our closest possibility of a time machine.
Yet, while photographs provide visual evidence of a precise instant, the stories we tell around them become a unique truth constructed through our own, re-remembered narrative. As a photographic artist, my work is based in an understanding of history as mutable, particularly as viewed through the faulty lenses of memory and bias.”
The soft palette and gentle folds of the drapery are the perfect complement to this exhibition. Allowing the exposed white tape is a lot like a magician revealing her secrets while stains lend a mysterious note relieving the subject of clichéd banality.
Sara Nishikawa
“Steeped in nostalgia, my work is defined by the homes I grew up in. My practice revolves around the domestic space and often focuses on the kitchen and memories attached to the meals and snacks that were always around.”
These stoneware pieces are registered separately but flawlessly integrate in their utility. It would be an unforgettable dinner party that opened with appetizers so whimsically served.
Matt Wedel
“I approach the concept of art as an opening into the mind. It is a point of negotiation which thrives on the active furthering of self. It is the constant attempt at breaking down the walls of my studio and those surrounding my concept of self. It is rooted in psychology - how creativity functions in the mind and in culture. It is about how to use this exploration to navigate the world.”
The creamy dough quality of the porcelain reads pliable. Milky belts of color wrap and turn on themselves creating a knot whose tone deliberately splits down the middle rendering the piece interesting from any angle.
This group exhibition displays five artists who deliver their narrative softly but effectively. Each distinct voice quietly blends with the others producing a serene yet complex environment inviting peaceable, meditative navigation. If you want to get someone’s attention, say it in a whisper.
On view through August 19th at Wasserman Projects 3434 Russell #502 Detroit
*images are mine unless otherwise noted
direct quote from gallery materials
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