A Fusion of Material and Inspiration
By Haley Zeller, Arts & Entertainment Editor
On Saturday, Jan. 18, curator Reni Gower presented the unique and tactile exhibition titled FLASHPOINTS at the Lore Degenstein Gallery . A distinguished artist, curator and educator, Gower is the recipient of numerous awards and grants for her outstanding expertise and innovation. Inspired by fellow artist Kristy Deetz, Gower believes the key to art is one’s ability to fluidly change between mediums and materials. With four artists taking on the challenging encaustic technique–the use of pigmented hot wax fused with heat–Gower’s exhibition was distinct and authentic.
Jane Allen Nodine is a professor, curator, artist and gallery director from South Carolina, who chose to take an organic, earthy approach to her work. That night, the gallery showcased colorful monoprints of heat-pressed cheesecloth, as well as a sculptural installation representing abstract artifacts like vertebrae and nets. Her creation of natural, eye-catching art is a skill hard to match. As an artist Gower had worked with before, she was excited to collaborate with and feature Nodine.
Daniella Woolf is an artist from California who is no stranger to the encaustic technique. She has traveled and taught about the particular medium, and she has also written books about it. Gower had last worked with Woolf in a show called “Papercuts,” and Gower expressed her delight in working together again. Woolf’s collection included creations made out of slips from library card catalogs and tea bags as well as the tall, suspended piece titled “Family Secrets.” A heartfelt, private piece, Woolf used shreddings of letters, calendars, and other personal papers from her family’s life, sewn together.
The third artist to be introduced was Kristy Deetz, who is a professor and artist who served as the inspiration of the exhibition. Her collection featured two Renaissance-style oil paintings of encaustic paintings, and digital prints of images taken from her own paintings. Gower described them as “fractal spaces that go in and out of infinity.” She called attention to the way Deetz enjoys using artwork that sends you down rabbit holes and surprises you.
The last artist was none other than Gower herself, who described some of her encaustic pieces as well as her acrylic monoprints. Gower is inspired by sacred geometry as a commonality between cultures and languages, where one can obtain a sense of comfort and quietness. She used self-designed stencils and gelatin in her pieces as part of a labor-intensive process that shows her dedication and patience towards art. With a wonderful message of embracing cultural awareness, Gower’s artwork not only excels visually, but symbolically.
For those who may have missed the opening night, or those who would like to support the artwork again, there will be student-led tours of the exhibition happening at noon on Feb. 11, 13 and 18. Be sure to check out the commitment and enthusiasm brimming in the work of these four, talented female artists.
