Exhibit on the Horizon "Other Than"

Curated by Claudia Craemer and Debbie Craemer, Other Than will open on Saturday, June 19 and run through July 24, 2021.

 

Tall Grass Arts Association, 367 Artists Walk, Park Forest, IL  60466

www.tallgrassarts.org   708 746 3377

O T H E R   T H A N

Nikkole Huss - Laura Lein-Svencner - Jennifer Meyer - Colin Walsh - Don Widmer

 

Beginning on June 19, Tall Grass Gallery presents a new exhibit of works that move beyond   traditional 2D wall pieces such as drawings, paintings, or photographs, into other, less familiar media and processes.  Included is a diverse mix of contemporary ideas and approaches, methods and formats through assemblage works, encaustics, metallic prints, fabric prints,  digital paintings, pulp paintings, handmade books, wall hung and freestanding sculpture.

 

The five artists included in the show, Nikkole Huss, Laura Lein-Svencner, Jennifer Meyer,   Colin Walsh, and Don Widmer, come to us from a variety of experiences and interests. They have established themselves as highly respected and honored artists and educators, exhibiting nationally and internationally, with works in numerous galleries; university, museum, and private collections; public sculpture gardens; corporate media, magazines, and books.

 

Jennifer Meyer’s wall hung and freestanding sculpture pieces in the exhibit, created from found and recycled materials and natural objects, reflect her belief that used, discarded, abandoned, or rejected does not mean there is no longer any potential or value in the object. She feels that, as in human healing, often what is needed for recovery is a little time and attention to construct a new perspective so that a renewal may emerge. Her installations have found homes in many regional sculpture parks and walks, including the Park Forest Village Green, outside of Tall Grass Gallery. She hopes that more art can be made easily accessible to the public in order     to inspire greater appreciation and understanding.

 

Laura Lein-Svencner, widely known for her mixed media collage and assemblage works, is       a co-founder of the Midwest Collage Society, which exhibits throughout the Midwest Chicagoland area. She frequently gives workshops and presentations, encouraging countless others to explore the beauty and excitement to be discovered through the fine art of collage.     In this exhibit, she brings another dimension of her work to us through several transformed violins. As with most of her projects, intuition plays an important part. She observes and considers possibilities and waits for the materials to suggest a creative direction.

 

For Nikkole Huss, concern for the exploration and preservation of the natural environment, habitat loss, pollution, deforestation, rising sea levels, and the devastating consequences of our not resolving these issues have been important themes in her work for several years. She has been inspired by virtual globe treks using Google Earth as well as the imagery of authentic locations. Her encaustic series in the exhibit, composed of beeswax, pigment and damar resin, as well as a series of metal prints and fabric floor installations, remind us through imaginative interpretations of natural landmarks, their beauty, and their fragility.

 

Don Widmer exhibits handmade books and pulp paintings in our show. The books pair storytelling with the architectural form of the book.  Both elements influence each other and enhance the visual narrative. Inspired by history, poets, writers, myth and culture, his books often take on complex physical structures, featuring movement and light and sound. His pulp paintings use pigmented paper pulp as a painting medium, applying numerous layers of the pulp freely or through a stencil, onto a freshly formed sheet of handmade paper.

 

Illustrator and graphics artist Colin Walsh, who owns and operates a successful graphic design company, has recently, been re-energized by his real passion - illustration and stylized portraiture with a focus on people who have influenced him, and is writing and illustrating his first book, ‘Animals Are People Too’. He has also been working on a series entitled ‘Musicians Rule the World’, which focuses on the effect music and musicians have had on his life. Examples of his digital paintings from both series make a commanding appearance in our Other Than exhibit.