Opening Thursday: "stitches in time, etc."

New abstract watercolors by Gretchen Feldman.

Please join us for the opening reception of “stitches in time, etc.” on Saturday, May 10, 2008 from 5:30 – 8:30pm. The artist will be present. Public parking is available in the garage at 14^th and U Streets.

Chinese Checkers / 2007 / Watercolor on Paper / 30’’ x 22’’

We are honored to have Gretchen Feldman show her new works at our gallery beginning this week. The paintings, which combine transparent watercolor with thick, multi-layered opaque colors, mark both a forward progression as an abstract watercolorist and a return to the artist’s prior career as a textile conservator. Many of the works in “stitches in time, etc.” are influenced by the common titles of traditional American quilts, such as Baby Blocks, Queen’s Puzzle and Chinese Checkers (pictured above). Others (the “etc.” part of the exhibition title) are inspired by microscopic imagery. In a sense, “stitches in time, etc.” contrasts the biotechnological explosion of the 21^st century with the more functional creations (quilts) of 19^th-century rural America.

As an abstract artist, Feldman balances shape, form and powerful color to capture a sense of the intangible. She draws on the past for inspiration, acknowledges the present and looks to the future. Her pieces serve both as a form of her own creative expression and as a catalyst for inquiry, inviting us to ask questions, seek answers and create a bridge between viewer and artist.