A Romance Of…: Curated by Mallory Ruymann & Leah Triplett Harrington
Romance implies an object of affection through which and alongside we transform ourselves. Artmaking always involves an element of metamorphoses; paint, ceramics, ink, ideas - the materials of art shift in process, becoming something greater than what it was. Perhaps more so than other materials, wood possesses an untouchable formal agency in both its natural and human-altered states. Of nature and with potential to appear artificial; seemingly still and static yet constantly swelling and dispeling moisture; living, even after its death. Brimming with contradictory qualities, wood as a medium is anything but generic. The ineffability of wood offers a seductive proposition to artists concerned with materiality.
A Romance Of... explores the allure of wood in the practices of Cathy Della Lucia (Boston, MA) and Elspeth Schulze (Tulsa, Oklahoma). Approaching the material with care, Della Lucia and Schulze perform a love affair in their studios. In their tender hands, aided by chisels, saws, and progressive carving technologies, wood undergoes a metamorphosis. Suggesting artificial and biological forms, Della Lucia and Schulze's works appear porous and fibrous, allowing expansion and contraction, breathing, as if a body. Wood is romanced into mimetic forms, coming alive to possibility of fleshy feeling, both hard and soft.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Instagram Live Exhibition Tour @abigailogilvy feat. Cathy Della Lucia: Saturday, January 21, 2-3 pm
First Friday Closing Celebration: Friday, February 3, 5-7 pm (In-Person)
In-Person Exhibition Panel moderated by Alison Croney Moses: Saturday, February 4, 2-3 pm
Instagram Live Exhibition Tour @abigailogilvy feat. Elspeth Schulze: Sunday, February 5, 2-3 pm
