Friday, June 28, 2013

HOUSTON: Bās

Featuring work by Rabéa Ballin, Ann Johnson, Delita Martin and Lovie Olivia
June 28 – August 2, 2013

1953 Montrose Boulevard
Houston, TX

Art League Houston (ALH) is excited to present Bās, the fourth collaborative  exhibition  by artists Rabéa Ballin, Ann Johnson, Delita Martin and Lovie Olivia, which examines and transforms personal experiences, family  histories,  and  cultural  identities  into  a  provoking  visual  play through the art of print­making. 

Getting  back to the BASics of things, the artists re­visit the desire to work from the heart; the place of impulse, desire, chance and truth. Raw ideas and organic pursuits are on their creative agenda as they fuse contemporary  processes  with  traditional  techniques  using  various  objects,  sculptures  and  forms  in  an attempt to push the boundaries of this sometimes forgotten art form of printmaking. They cut, pour, sculpt, suspend, transfer, screen and etch their way into a broader conversation.

Rabéa Ballin: History Slept On: “The Original Dime Piece” explores idealized images of feminine beauty. "Circassian" women were regularly exhibited and became a mainstay of dime museums and P.T. Barnum's circus side shows. Known as the "purest" type of white person, Circassian women were said to be the most beautiful on earth. Sporting undeniably distinctive hairstyles, they became known as “moss haired girls”.

Ann Johnson: "Nesting" I've been teaching over 16 years, and as I've watched the students transition from analog to digital I've noticed that more and more students are content with individual solitude and isolation as long as they're plugged in(to an iPod/iPad) Nesting explores an individual's private space and thoughts. Are we as individuals nesting in our own worlds, letting the days pass us by, or are we caged and trapped in this game called life. Rather it be in song, meditation, or prayer, nesting examines one's personal moments of conceptual seclusion.

Delita Martin: “Memory” explores the relationship between memory and objects. Objects are imprinted by moments  of  life  and  they  retain  stories,  history,  and  experiences  that  work  together  to  create  each individuals reality. I am fascinated by the connections and shifting moments between that which is physical and the intangible.   On the periphery of every tangible memory are the intangible details that we fill in as facts.   When in reality those periphery details are our sub conscience attempting to give clarity through the use of familiar objects.   As we grow and our context changes, the objects meanings change but their use in formulating thoughts and memories remain constant.

Lovie Olivia: “Between” explores the spaces of transition from one state to another. In between: class, caste, time, consciousness, form and space are where I am inspired to create from.  Pursuing my personal take on “totems and portals”, I attempt to experiment with the notion of transitioning from different conditions and modes of being.   By creating free forms and moving away from some printmaking restrictions, I allow myself the freedom to simply “go with it”.


Exhibit Link


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