Adventure Quilter

A View Within is an art quilt exhibit currently on display at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts, in Melbourne, FL.  It features the work of Paula Chung and Karen Rips.  Paula likes to interpret MRIs and other medical images in her work.  Karen has riffed off the same images and ideas but in her own unique way.  It’s interesting to see two different interpretations of the same subject.

This is Mary III, by Paula Chung.  Can you see the purple jaw and the yellow teeth?

Her pieces are VERY heavily machine stitched.  Amazing, right?

Karen, on the other hand, took an entirely different approach to the subject with her piece Teeth.  If you look closely, you’ll see the vertical stitched teeth shapes.

When Paula depicted an MRI of the head and neck in neutral colors, Karen created this piece, Road Trip.

The close up view is amazing, because the entire piece is heavily puckered into rows and rows.  It’s a very interesting and appealing texture.

These are just a few of the images from this exhibit.  It will be on display, along with the Radical Elements exhibit through August 27th.

Ellen Lindner
P.S.  While you’re checking out art be sure to check out the Dirty Dozen Fiber Artist’s exhibit on display at the Eau Gallie library.  See earlier posts for images.

We’re very lucky to have the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts right here in Melbourne, FL.  This is a state of the art facility which brings in extraordinary textile exhibits all throughout the year.

Every summer they host an art quilt exhibit.  Right now they have two:  Radical Elements and A View Within.

Radical Elements is a juried invitational* exhibit, curated by the great folks at SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Association.)  It’s all about the elements of the periodic table.  Each artist got to select the element she wanted to use and then made work appropriate to that element.  Artists were encouraged to use very non-traditional materials.

This is Chromium, by Diane Melms.  It’s composed of artists’ canvases that have been painted and stacked.  It definitely pushes the definition of a quilt, but this sort of thing is allowed per the SAQA definition of a quilt.

Trisha Hassler selected iron as her element.  She calls her piece
The Irony of it All Was Not Lost on Her.

She used a wide variety of materials, including steel and snake skin!

Mary Pal did one of her wonderful cheesecloth portraits to portray Albert Einstein.  She calls it
Elements of Surprise.

Darkness Into Light II is the title for Grace Harbin Wever’s piece.

It has really wonderful details.

Chloros was a very interesting piece by Martha C. Hall.  As you can see, it’s double layered with holes cut in the front layer.

I think Martha must have had fun collaging paper and other items to create the first layer.

This exhibit will be on display through August 27th.  I hope you get the chance to see it.

In the next post I’ll show you images from the second show.

*(I’m not sure my term”juried invitational” is exactly correct.  What I mean is that people apply to be invited, without actually making any work.  If the juror likes their portfolio they’re invited to make a piece specifically for the exhibit.)

Ellen Lindner
P.S.  If you want to see more of what the RFCTA offers, click on Old Blog above and in the search box type “Ruth Funk.”  You’ll find a wealth of posts about exhibits there.

You wouldn’t think that three galleries of “head shot” portraits would be that interesting.  But, it really was.  In the hands of painter Ray Turner, each person not only looks different, but in many cases, their personalities shine through.

This grouping was on the main wall at the Foosaner Art Museum, in Melbourne, FL.

Can you see how the background colors shift slightly?

As with every exhibit he does, the center column and center row are portraits of local “celebrities” and museum personnel.  The very center portrait is of Anthony Cantanese, the  outgoing president of our local college.  To the left are his wife and the incoming president.  You get the idea.

The portrait below was photographed from several feet away.

It was intriguing to come in close and notice the details.  There was quite a bit of texture in the paint.  Also, because each portrait was painted on special glass that’s 3/8″ thick each one had  an unexpected depth, as well as a shadow.

The artist also experimented with how little information he could provide and still have the face be recognizable.

He tried one with no color.

And another with just a little yellow.

Could you tell that both of those last two were the same person?  I’ll bet you could.  It’s amazing how little information is really needed to convey an idea.

I always enjoy a visit to an art museum.  I hope you’ve been able to visit one or two this summer.

Ellen Lindner