Recent works of Julie Holt, Susanna Kirk, Fred Nash and Jason Smith exhibit
- Ongoing: until Saturday, March 12, 2011
- Tuesday: 10:00am
- Wednesday: 10:00am
- Thursday: 10:00am
- Friday: 10:00am
- Saturday: 10:00am
- Where: GALLERY 26, Little Rock
- Cost: Not available
- Age limit: Not available
Gallery 26 Presents the Recent works of Julie Holt, Susanna Kirk, Fred Nash and Jason Smith.
Opening reception: Saturday, January 15th, 2011, 7pm to 10 pm
Show runs through March 12th 2011
Receptions are free and open to the public.
Gallery 26 2601 Kavanaugh, Suite #1 Little Rock, AR 72205
Hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tues.- Sat. (501) 664-8996
Artist Statements:
Julie Holt
My career as an artist began in the company of my mother as we spent endless hours in fabric stores and I watched her create through sewing and gardening. Eventually, my own creative process led to my study of ceramics and fabric design at the University of North Texas (BFA, 1994). Today, my appreciation of animals and the spaces/places I’ve lived in (from a New-England apple orchard to the city of Cork, Ireland), most inform my work.
The earthenware pieces, with their bright underglazes, indulge my love of whimsy, color and pattern. Patterns in general (and circles and stripes specifically), along with layered and repeated images are present in most of my work. The intimacy of interior spaces, depicted in bright, vibrant colors is a reflection of both existing spaces in my life and those fabricated from inspiration. The sea, good wine, historic spaces and great company draw me in and tend to show up in my art. While the still observations from the creatures I share my life with and sacred treasures of daily life hold a particular place of honor in my work.
These influences and others have seeped into my watercolor, oil and acrylic paintings in the form of lines, color and lyrical subject. The clay pieces I create are little tools of daily life, reminders of what I love. I hope you enjoy them.
Susanna Kirk
Susanna Kirk is a mixed media artist residing in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Susanna ’s artwork focuses on self expression and the exploration of her artistic abilities. She works in a responsive way, without plan, because of her romantic relationship with the creative process. Her main goals when making art and living life have always been about staying positive and doing what she can to make others feel the same. When you see her work she wants you to be able to see a little part of herself and she hopes it makes you smile.
Her most recent work involves portraits of people she has come in contact with via social networking websites, and her interest in the way people chose to promote themselves with self-portraits on those sites. The series what people look like when you are not looking stemmed from this interest and her adoration of books.
Susanna received her bachelor‘s of fine art in studio art at Henderson State University
George Frederick Nash
"Fragments of Wholeness"
One lovely day, my wife shared with me a statement by Erskine Peters.
“Although I understand that I am a biological and cultural fragment of Africans, Europeans, and Native Americans, I have no problem with wholeness due to being made of fragments. That’s because I perceive the axis of my being to be the human essence, not the ethnic or racial essence. Those first generations of my African ancestors, who experienced fragmentation and dispossession, were self-sacrificing and philosophical enough to frame a legacy for me (us) upon which we could establish and maintain a sense of wholeness and human integrity while under siege. If we’re too foolish to use the sacrifices that they turned into a legacy of wisdom for sustaining our wholeness, a legacy passed on in the spirituals, the folktales, the blues, jazz, gospel and all – then that’s our fault! It’s our fault if we opt for nothingness after all the torment and hell those earlier generations went through.”
This statement speaks to the very essence of my work. It helped me to understand fragments of my wholeness. These fragments provide inspiration to explore expression.
Everyday, I attempt to interpret the fragments of my journey. Always trying to understand the way I draw, paint, print, design, photograph or rip paper. I am, just now, realizing how important my experiences and influences are to my existence.
Struggling with the personal acceptance, my work allows me to discover and explore me. These fragments help me to respect the legacy my ancestors struggled to build for me. Through contemporary expression, I present my interpretation of fragments of wholeness.
Jason A. Smith
I began using oil as my primary medium about three years ago. Until then, I worked only with charcoal. This change was at first unsettling and frustrating but I now find myself comfortable learning to paint with oils. As it is a process that will take a lifetime to master, it is a constant challenge that I find rewarding and fresh every time I step in front of the easel.
Painting connects me with the past. I have built a working relationship with the great masters as I have grown and developed my own aesthetic. I love the masters of the Renaissance, the dark symbolic work of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and the haphazard, creative-play of the Dada movement. My style, therefore, borrows from classical techniques but remains exciting and innovative with carefully chosen and relevant subject matter.
There are so many objects and symbols that have rooted themselves in the human consciousness. I have found that mundane objects that we interact with everyday can be combined together to make a statement that is both powerful and thought provoking. As an artist, I am most interested in revealing insights to the nature of the universe and the business of being human. I consider my paintings to be a success when the mysterious and the ordinary meld to spark revelation and awaken the spirit.
This event was posted Jan. 11, 2011 and last updated Jan. 11, 2011
