Cate McQuaid's review of the exhibition Pushing Painting at the David Winton Bell Gallery at Brown University, featuring the work of Nicole Duennebier, Elise Ansel, and Duane Slick, from the June 22, 2018 edition of the Boston Globe.
The Scorbutic Eye
Please join us on Saturday, July 7 from 4-6 pm for cocktails to celebrate the closing of Nicole Duennebier's solo exhibition View into the Fertile Country.
More common in the Golden Age of Exploration, the "scorbutic eye" refers to a heightened sense of vision caused by scurvy, which made the world appear highly and overwhelmingly decorative. Explorers travelling to new lands who were afflicted with the scorbutic eye would sometimes faint from the visual intensity of their surroundings. Inspired by this bizarre phenomenon, Duennebier paints and draws imagined landscapes that invite viewers in to explore features that are simultaneously beautiful, intricate, and grotesque.
Come experience the scorbutic eye for yourself! We'll have a signature cocktail and some snacks to celebrate. Read more about View into the Fertile Country here.
Above: Nicole Duennebier, Folded Landscape at Dusk, acrylic on panel
Nicole in Wonderland
Artist Nicole Duennebier is featured in online art magazine Wonderland to mark the opening of her solo exhibition View into the Fertile Country at 13FOREST Gallery on May 19. Writer Greg Cook visited Duennebier's studio earlier this month to get a sneak peek of the work for her upcoming show and to learn more about how her artistic process and influences have shifted in this latest body of work.
Cook writes that Duennebier is "one of the most sumptuous painters around." Her latest work draws on 16th century Dutch still lifes and French rococo gardens, but also incorporates grotesque elements like mold and oozing meat. Duennebier explains that “Pushing people to find something attractive that they wouldn’t normally is always something I’m working towards. I think artists are always looking for something people haven’t found beautiful yet.” Read the entire profile of Nicole Duennebier here.
Landscape with Pink Folds, acrylic on panel
Nicole Duennebier in her studio in Malden, May 12, 2018. (Greg Cook)
Nicole Duennebier’s studio in Malden, May 12, 2018. (Greg Cook)
13FOREST Featured on NewTV's Museum Open House
We were honored to be featured in an upcoming episode of Museum Open House, a wonderful program on Newton's public access station, NewTV, that highlights museums and galleries throughout Massachusetts. Thank you to host Jay Sugarman for the engaging conversation about our current exhibition 13WOMEN, on view until May 11. You can catch our interview on Thursday, May 3 at 9:30 pm on NewTV, or watch it online here.
Left to right: Museum Open House host Jay Sugarman, 13FOREST co-owners Marc Gurton and Jim Kiely, Gallery Director Caitee Hoglund
From Flowers to FOREST 2018
Last spring our first-ever From Flowers to FOREST event was a huge hit! It was so enjoyable for us to see our artists inspire other creators to make some truly lovely floral arrangements. We are delighted to be partnering with Derby Farm Flowers & Gardens again this year to bring you another fun and festive floral event during Capitol Square's annual Spring in the Square celebration on Saturday, April 7.
From Flowers to FOREST will begin with a workshop at Derby Farm from 12-2 pm. Derby Farm will give you some pointers and blooms, and you'll design a floral arrangement prompted by a work of art from our current exhibition 13WOMEN. If you're looking for ideas, see some of last year's creations below.
When you’re done, bring your flowers across the street to display next to their inspiration at 13FOREST Gallery and enjoy refreshments at our exhibition reception from 2-4 pm.
The workshop is for any ability level, and there are limited spaces available but we will do our best to accommodate drop-ins. The price of the workshop is $40 and includes instruction, vase, and blooms. To register for the workshop please call Derby Farm at 781-643-0842.
Please feel welcome to join us at the reception even if you did not participate in the workshop. Come help us celebrate spring!
Clockwise from top left: Catherine Graffam, Self-Portrait with Two Eggs and a Handkerchief, oil on panel; Nancy Popper, Maid of Orléans, etching, drypoint, and chine-collé; Asia Kepka, Bridget & I: Conversation, c-print; Mary O'Malley, Pollinator Mandala #1, gouache and ink on paper
Thoughts from 13WOMEN
As part of our current exhibition 13WOMEN, on view from March 17 to May 11, 2018, we asked the exhibiting artists to write statements about the work they contributed to the show. Each artist took a slightly different approach to the statement, discussing her inspiration, process, or artistic goals. We were so impressed with the thoughtfulness and insight of these statements that we wanted to share their words here.
Coco Berkman, Under the Sky, reduction linoleum print
Coco Berkman
I created this piece for a show whose theme was “The Individual in the Community.” The initial sketch of a woman was torn from my sketchbook. I added elements of a peopled landscape. The main character in this piece looks fragmented and broken to me. The plant imagery on her clothing and the simple colors bring a sense of peace and order to her inherent confused state.
The place where I now live is a beautiful historic fishing town, Gloucester, Massachusetts. I took a train here from Boston 36 years ago when I was 26, with my two small children. I was escaping from an abusive situation. I love my adopted city but perhaps because I wasn’t born here, I’ve never felt that Gloucester was my real home. I’ve met many people who’ve immigrated here from all over the country and all over the world. What we have in common is our love for this place. We are all daily striving to create a home and a sense of community, Under the Sky.
Caitlin and Nicole Duennebier, Infestation of Hanging Garden, acrylic and ink on paper
Caitlin and Nicole Duennebier
Caitlin and Nicole have been working on projects together since childhood. Although each artist has a distinct style, they combine their talents to create a shared environment within their work. In Infestation of Hanging Garden, Caitlin's apprehensive worms take residence in Nicole's detailed flora and baroque imagery. The infestation is more of a symbiotic relationship that encourages the other to thrive within the sisterly environment.
Catherine Graffam, Self-Portrait with Two Eggs and a Handkerchief, oil on panel
Catherine Graffam
Self-portraiture is a way of cathartically processing my emotions as well as an important means of reflecting on life experiences. I use myself as a vehicle for storytelling as well as regaining agency over my body as a queer trans woman.
By continuing the tradition of oil painting, I am engaging with a medium that has objectified women since its conception. Placing myself as the subject in a tradition informed by a voyeuristic history contrasts the stigma of trans bodies that is woven into the fabric of society. The act of recontextualization confronts the viewer with its position in and out of the art world, and humanizes queerness by expanding beyond the physical.
Boriana Kantcheva, Earth, gouache on clay board
Boriana Kantcheva
Earth and Water are part of a new series titled Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air. In the last few years I have worked on a number of paintings that focused on the feminine aspect of the divine. The Goddess religions offer a different approach to nature and spirituality that is inclusive, mindful and lacks the oppressive qualities of patriarchal religions.
I was greatly inspired by the 1970s efforts of feminist artists to reclaim the Great Goddess. From the artistic practices of these artists to the archeological discoveries and the feminist approach to study of the pre-patriarchal Goddess civilizations, women were able to recover some of their lost history. In addition, there is a close link between the Goddess traditions of today and the growing awareness of the ecological devastation of our planet. Each painting in the series focuses on a specific element used in Goddess spiritual practices as a symbol of power and a connection to the natural world.
Asia Kepka, Bridget & I: Pool, c-print
Asia Kepka
Interesting things happen when you are not paying attention. You are examining the world through your camera, capturing people around you, learning about them, telling their story and slowly you realize you are starting to tell your story.
During my decade long project Bridget and I, I found myself exploring my life through a series of self portraits taken alongside my mannequin named Bridget. While in the process of creating the photos, I realized that this was my visual journal, my mirror in which my life was reflected.
At some point I no longer needed another person to tell my story. It was okay to become vulnerable and I was ready to open myself up even deeper. The images you see are the intimate and honest reveal of myself.
They tell the story of my life – a woman, immigrant, gay artist. Some images are reflections of my mother, my grandmother, my best friend Goshka who passed away 12 years ago. They are stories of love, endurance, loss and changes.
C.J. Lori, Seven Sisters, oil on canvas
C.J. Lori
When I look at most trees, I find a human form in the shapes of the trunk and branches. When I look at a birch tree, my focus shifts to the patterns on the bark. Eyes, skin, mouths appear, some in conversation with others in their stand of birch.
Drawing connections between human features and the elements of landscape – rocks, trees, clouds, water – has always been central to my artistic practice. It both satisfies my imagination and expresses my desire that we see ourselves not as separate from, but as part of the living world around us.
Mary O'Malley, Pollinator Mandala #1, gouache and ink on paper
Mary O'Malley
My work begins with a fascination with nature, combined with a love of pattern, decoration, and ornamentation. In this series, I explore pollinating species, from hummingbirds to moths, bees to beetles, as well as other beneficial insects and the plants they pollinate. Many pollinator species are threatened with extinction, which will have deep and troubling consequences for biodiversity and our own sustainability.
The mandala is a guidance tool used in various spiritual traditions to aid meditation or trance. I use the form of the mandala, repeating shapes and motifs to create a meditative experience for the viewer to reflect on these essential creatures that are so vital to our ecosystem, and ultimately, our survival.
Nancy Popper, Maid of Orléans, etching, drypoint, and chine-collé
Nancy Popper
My prints focus on the tension between figures as they come into contact with one another. The tension is the simple push and pull of interaction that happens in any relationship – between friends, lovers, parent and child, even strangers. My intention is for the viewer to make associations with their own personal experience relating to the connection/disconnection of the abstracted human forms and the symbolism represented by the objects they hold.
Karla Quattrocchi, At the Window, oil, acrylic, crayon, tar, pastel, rice paper, paper, tape, fabric, sequins on canvas
Karla Quattrocchi
In my work I incorporate the use of multiple mediums including oil, acrylic, pencil and tar. Each composition uses a structured amount of space and adheres to a flat picture plane. I strive for subtle yet direct color variations and the restrained use of marks and line. I add the suggestion of texture and form with materials and found objects that decorate and define the painting’s space. The placement of each object is deliberate - yet uneven. It is through this inconsistency that I promote the idea of assemblage, space, meaning and intent.
In my portraits, by separating and defining this space, I encourage the focus to come to center and deliberate solely on the model. Her needs, her wants - all that she knows - is what I urge the viewer to see.
I hope for the hint of a hidden dialogue to be felt, the possibility that she is sharing secrets and imposing the kind of emotion that only unspoken exchanges can evoke.
Allison Maria Rodriguez, One Girl's Fantasy, digital video still on metal
Allison Maria Rodriguez
Funded in part by a grant from The CreateWell Fund, my current in-progress project entitled Legends Breathe explores the power of creativity and the imagination in overcoming traumatic experiences. Based on interviews with different female-identified artists about childhood fantasies that assisted them in overcoming trauma or extreme circumstances, this project speaks to a strategy and methodology of survival activated through the power of creativity.
Each video, which will eventually be installed together as an interactive installation, explores these individual fantasies, highlighting their uniqueness, their commonalities, and their inherent power. One primary element evident in all the fantasies is a harvesting of strength and transcendence through a deep connection to the natural world. The work is populated by endangered species and threatened habitats, conveying a link between the trauma and healing of our planet to that of the individual. Presented in 13WOMEN are two of the pieces which will be included in the final large-scale installation: The Lady and the Bear and Water Mythologies.
Amy Ross, Mushroom Patch, collage on paper
Amy Ross
My work as an artist is informed by a lifelong interest in folklore and mythology and a deep reverence for nature. I look at the phenomena of the natural world through the lens of story and imagination. In the studio, I take a “mad scientist” approach to art making: I create hybrid creatures by morphing together humans, animals and plants.
In my drawings and collages, I examine the interconnectedness of all life and the vulnerability that we all share. I’m interested in the connection between humans and animals and the ways in which they are entwined. Similarly, I imagine ways that plants and animals can be conflated. The hybrid creatures I create arise from a blurring of permeable boundaries: those between humans and animals, flora and fauna, predator and prey, food seeker and food source, and the human and spirit realms. I see the creatures I paint and collage as mediators between worlds, inhabiting a hypothetical, plausible, other world constructed in the art studio yet solidly rooted in nature.
Dorothea Van Camp, Flyers (MM 1822), viscosity monoprint
Dorothea Van Camp
Surrender
For decades, never wanting to be tied to a printing press, my pursuit of making printed marks has taken me through all manner of hand-made impressions, transfers and stenciling. I have been screen-printing into my paintings for the past ten years, leaving me with a heavy investment in more than sixty screens. Time, energy and ideas accumulated into my own language of mark making.
My mind is always working to come up with new ways to capitalize on this investment. Adding pressure + viscosity to the mix, has resulted in my total surrender to working on a press again.
Screen printing with thick, tacky ink onto a plexiglass plate + rolling over with a more juicy, fluid ink + hand working to my heart's content before cranking through the press = ever-surprising results.
Resistance + pressure = Printed prints <3
Valentine's Day Gift Guide
Having trouble thinking of a Valentine's Day gift for that special someone this year? Simplify your holiday shopping at 13FOREST, where we offer a wide range of art and other gifts to help you declare your feelings. Start with our helpful gift guide below, and make sure to stop by the gallery soon to shop our whole collection.
Sheila Corkery carves the organic forms found in her jewelry out of wax before casting them in silver. She finds inspiration for her pieces in plants and other natural materials that she finds on her travels. She combines her silver forms with other natural materials like red silk and brown leather that add a sensual touch to her work.
Artist Linda Cordner works in a unique style of painting called encaustic, where the painting is composed using a mixture of molten wax and oil paint. The wax allows Cordner to create thick texture and translucent colors on her panels that creates an effect unlike any other method of painting.
Working with materials like copper and brass, and even washers found at the hardware store, Karenna Maraj transforms these humble metals through careful manipulation and thoughtful composition to create show-stopping statement jewelry.
These petite 6" x 6" framed mixed-media prints by Dominique Lecomte combine the techniques of linocut, a form of printmaking, with watercolor to form sweet images with lots of personality that make the perfect little gift.
Jennifer Crowe uses cool blue and turquoise glazes to decorate the clean, simple lines of her ceramic vessels, creating visual interest through bold geometric lines. Her pieces offer both style and functionality.
Inked - Woodcut Demonstration with Andrew Stearns
Visitors at 13FOREST for Stearns' demonstration.
On Sunday, January 28 we had a packed house for Andrew Stearns, one of the artists from our current exhibition Etched & Carved, who gave an in-depth look into one of the printmaking processes he uses in his artistic practice.
Stearns walked us through the steps of creating the small two-color landscape he had brought as an example. To begin he demonstrated how he uses a roller to apply a thin coat of ink to a carved woodblock, explaining his preference for thinner inks with transparencies that allow different colors to combine in unique ways.
Stearns rolling ink onto the wood block.
Taking questions from the crowd, Stearns discussed many different aspects of the printmaking process and his own career as an artist. He brought out the carving tools and gouges he uses to scrape away the negative space on his woodblock. Although he starts out with a basic sketch when carving the block, much of the development of the image happens right on the block with the carving tools.
Stearns had plenty of tips for the younger art enthusiasts in the audience. Using sticky foam shapes on foam core or materials that are easier to carve like soft linoleum blocks, or even potatoes, amateur artists can experiment with creating their own print blocks at home - preferably with washable water-based inks. Stearns finished his demonstration by letting people try to recreate his print with the tools he had brought with him. It was a great afternoon of learning and art appreciation!
After inking his woodblock, Stearns showed us how to make sure the registration is perfect, meaning that all of the image components line up correctly. To do this he uses a form made out of foam core board that holds a woodblock in position as he prints its image onto a sheet of paper.
After checking the registration, Stearns applied pressure to the paper to transfer the ink from the woodblock, first by using a smooth round pad called a baren, and then by going over small details with the back of a kitchen spoon. After transferring the image, he carefully peeled the paper from the block and revealed a finished print.
Stearns revealing his printed image.
Stearns helping some budding artists make their own prints.
Accessory - 13FOREST Jewelry Show - Sun 12/10, 12-4 pm
This year 13FOREST Gallery will be hosting Accessory, our first-ever jewelry trunk show featuring six of our talented jewelers. Join us from 12-4 pm on Sunday 12/10 for refreshments, a chance to meet the artists behind our fantastic jewelry collection, and of course some unique holiday gift shopping! Don't forget, all jewelry is 10% off as part of our Holiday Sale.
