Visiting with Kathleen Gerdon Archer in Massachusetts

Sunday, October 09, 2011, posted by Laura Roberts | (12) Comments

We met Kathleen Gerdon Archer  at her White Bird Gallery outside of Boston in an artist’s community this summer.   I was dawdling behind my husband at some other galleries and he cam rushing back to get me exclaiming that he found something that he thought I would really like.   He was absolutely right.

She was showing from  two of her series:  The Mapmaker’s Dream and Choice.  Here is what she has to say about Mapmaker’s Dream:

“Using the element of water, I tell a story that begins with water-filled abstract images which over time become clearer and end with subjects who are clearly visible, but enveloped in a light fog.

My intention is to obscure the line between painting and photography while documenting a change in my recent family history.

The titles are randomly applied sentence fragments from The Mapmaker's Dream by James Cowan.”

These are both large and small scale works.   I particularly love the large ones.

Here is what she has to say about Choice:

“This series of portraits depicts women wearing fabric that has special meaning to them. Some wear clothing from a deceased relative, others show gifts they received and still others used fabrics with a feel or color they loved. I asked them to cover their hair with the material. The images remove the usual signifiers of culture, nationality and and status requiring the viewer to imagine a new history.”

From left to right:  1.  Alison's Boyfriend's Gift from Ghana, 2.  Lucilda's Indian Sari from the Years She Lived There, 3.  Kellogg's Gift from Sara

These are beautifully executed and you can see stories in the womens’ eyes.   Please check out more of these “choices” on her website. 

Thank you for being such a gracious lady Kathleen!

Chihuly at Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Monday, October 03, 2011, posted by Laura Roberts | (37) Comments

Many of you know how much I LOVE textiles! and I was completely overwhelmed upon an impromptu visit to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston this summer when I saw the entrance to a very extensive Chihuly exhibit.   Wow!   The glass vessels were presented with native american baskets and large slabs of wood. 

All of this was framed by the back wall with South American textiles draped on the entire back wall.

The show was extensive and had much of his fanciful, colorful pieces as well.   It's the first time I've been in the museum and was in a que to enter.   When we left, the museum was open late that evening and the line went around a city block to enter.