Join us to celebrate the opening of Space & Sequence, featuring more than 20 cases of Philadelphia Center for the Book’s members’ work, selected by guest juror Jae Jennifer Rossman, Assistant Director for Special Collections at the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library (Yale University Library). The exhibition will be on display from September 14 through October 31, 2010. The reception is Wednesday, September 22 from 6-8 pm.
For the past year, artists Nicole Eiland and Sarah Pohlman have been involved in an ongoing collaboration. The rules are simple: create something, send it to the other artist who then alters the piece and sends it back. The process is organic in that there are no predetermined materials, dimensions, or time frames. For the artists, this process has resulted in the unexpected, shaped a new form of creative problem solving, and provided a means for unspoken dialogue. It has also kept the creative process flowing during periods of transition in each of their lives.
Both artists share a love of paper, book arts, and nature; thus these common threads have made their way into the aesthetic of many of the pieces. However, each work varies greatly, from books made of mimosa tree seed pods, to paper quilts, to burned paper mandalas, to sculptural forms.
Check out my newest series - Burning for You - a collection of burned paper mandalas on wood.
There is something beautiful in the burning of paper. Not just the intricate patterns made as the embers travel organically through the fibers, but the inherent change taking place. The paper itself is destroyed, but its remnants layered upon one another are intricate and rhythmic.
The burning process is slow; a meandering of sorts rather than a flashy explosion. It forces me to be patient, thoughtful, and to think deeply about the intention of each mandala. Mandalas, created around the world by varying cultures, are symbolic of wholeness. They can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself - a universal diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite. They are also commonly used for healing and a means for directing positive energy.
Each of my mandalas is created with someone or something in mind. It is an opportunity for me to quietly send positive, healing, or peaceful thoughts into the ether.
Burned paper mandala on wood
Burned paper mandala on wood
I’m featured for Aspire Art’s July artist spotlight! Check it out at aspirearts.org!
Check out my June exhibition at Twenty-Two Gallery in Philadelphia!
Life Soup by Sarah B. Pohlman
Conceptual Glances by Michael Smith
Opening reception Friday June 12 from 6-9 pm
The show runs June 12 - July 3, 2009
Twenty-Two Gallery
236 S. 22nd Street
Philadelphia, PA
twenty-twogallery.com
Gallery Hours Wed - Sun: 12-6 pm
Smile Gallery presents Stray Light and New Dimensions - an exhibition of new work by Sarah B. Pohlman and Ted Warchal May 8 - June 9, 2009. Pohlman explores the intricacies of transparency and silhouette created by collaged light boxes portraying rare and beautiful moments of existence. Warchal includes recent work with wood, focusing on the subtleties of grain, color and special effects.
The opening reception will be held on May 8, 2009 from 6-9 pm.
