IMAGINARY GARDEN | NEW GROUP EXHIBITION
IMAGINARY GARDEN
I conceived of this work to explore my ideas of becoming immersed within a world of plants. What would it feel like to create a world that I wanted to get lost within? Could I bring the viewer with me into moments of swirling forms and dappled light or cool, shady bogs that lay hidden under the giant leaf of a fern.
My travels have allowed me to visit gardens around the world to include New York, Vancouver, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, London and Giverny. I pour over pictures after my return and relive the textures, colors, smells and movement that are part of the garden experience for me.
Other artists have influenced me to create multi-panel, large scale work that speaks to their deep emotional connection to the landscape. Monet’s “Water Lillies” displayed in a room that offers a 360 view of his own garden “Giverny”, first gave me the feeling of being immersed and losing yourself in the landscape. Joan Mitchell and the abstract landscapes she painted from her memories using bold brush strokes on large canvases that she created and then hung together creating emotionally charged paintings. After seeing Natasha Bowdoin’s “Sideways To The Sun”, a sprawling, encroaching installation at The Moody Center for the Arts, Houston, I knew that the flowers and plants she portrayed didn’t need to be realistic, but they did need to say something to the viewer. Her garden was meant to remind humans that Nature is in control. My garden lies somewhere between these and comes from the lines and forms that I inherently make. As I created the first piece, I really didn’t know what the rest would look like. The process became like a puzzle and I moved forward to the other panels jumping back and forth letting them tell me what the next shape or color needed to be. I did have a goal to create different spaces or experiences within my “Imaginary Garden” inviting my viewer to explore.
“Imaginary Garden” will be included in the virtual show for BLOCK XX – Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, January 2021, and it will be included in the permanent archives of the MFAH!
A NEW GROUP EXHIBITION
I’m excited to announce that I am one of 12 artists that will be participating in a group exhibition at the Silos at Sawyer Yards! Seeking a way to connect artists during the pandemic, photographer Ashkan Roayaee invited Houston-based artists to reimagine his dance images. I selected a photograph of the amazingly talented Harper Watters. I can’t wait to share the final product with you!
