Steamboat Springs — This month at the Steamboat Center for Visual Arts, an appreciation for something out of the box will unfold with two scheduled events.
#First, in conjunction to the First Friday Artwalk, the gallery will exhibit a symbiotic relationship between two artists in their creation of works that are conceptually and visually different, yet conversely compatible. “Squared” will feature local artists Michelle Ideus and Rachel Hirning with their visual ode to nature-inspired
And second, in remembrance of one of America’s great 20th-century abstract artists, the gallery will host “A Tribute to Ellsworth Kelly” artist talk with longtime artist and teacher MB Warner from 5 to 5:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Beneath the surface
#Focusing beyond typical subject matter found in nature, the combined exhibit features Ideus and Hirning's work on squared canvases that expose two vastly different abstract approaches and appeal to both contemporary and abstract inclinations.
#“Their palettes and points of view are beautifully compatible and the square shape of all the canvases served to unify their approaches, reflecting both their contemporary and abstract inclinations,” said Linda Laughlin, executive director for the Center for Visual Arts.
#“For me, abstract art is what lies beneath the surface,” Hirning added. “It’s ephemeral to a point where you can’t label it or put a name on it. You may create a tree in an abstract way, but that abstract part of it speaks to a deeper, more visceral level of perception of what the image is.”
#Hirning comes from a background of art therapy and produces work that is more an experience than a narrative and is inspired by views of the Yampa Valley. Ideus is known for her landscape work acrylic paintings and photography, the latter of which provided the preparation for the pieces in the exhibition.
#“I knew starting out that our points of view would work well,” Hirning said. “But what we didn’t expect, was how well pieces communicate together.”
#Taking a different direction, Ideus said she would use abstracted photos as maps for her paintings, which are layered with textures and vibrant hues.
#“I hope people come away with seeing things differently and looking into the canvas to find something they wouldn’t have expected,” Ideus said. “They offer up a totally energizing ode to nature in all its abstract glory.”
And incredible life
#“I don’t think most people know how important he (Kelly) was in the development of art or the scope of his artwork, and I don’t think they know how incredible his whole life was,” Warner said. “He might bring to light how abstract comes into being and comes to life and that drawing was integral to his development as an abstract artist.”
#According to an article in the New York Times, Kelly — known for his unassuming techniques on monochromatic canvases that captured an emphasis on simplicity within luminous color — died Dec. 27 at the age of 92. After the news was released, Warner, who said she had never spent much time on his history while teaching, dove deeply into the scope of his abstract work.
“He was on the forefront of hard-edged abstraction and had this amazing career that I had no idea about,” Warner said. “I thought this would be a way to share ideas and thoughts that somebody hadn’t really considered before. That’s part of the art appreciation process, taking something someone doesn’t know and opening up their eyes and mind to something different.”
According to Laughlin, the gallery has experimented with a guest artist lecture series in the past, adding that the 45-minute informal talk with Warner is expected to be both insightful and inspiring for artists and art aficionados alike.
Resource: http://www.steamboattoday.com
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