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Curious Temptations:
Material ARTistry group show
Opening Reception:
Friday, January 11, 6 – 8 pm
January 11 – February 8, 2013
The Maude Kerns Kerns Art Center is proud to present the 2013 season opener, “Curious Temptations: Material ARTistry Group Show,” opening on Friday, January 11, and on display through Friday, February 8. The exhibit showcases the work of five artists who share a passion for exploring the visual and tactile dimensions of fiber, textiles, and thread: Janet Hiller, Margot Lovinger, Jae McDonald, Sandra McMorris Johnson, and Sally Zehrung.
The public is invited to the Opening Reception, which takes place on Friday, January 11, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Entertaining at the opening is Augmentation, a classical acoustic group with Anita Chari, cello, Scott Jensen, trumpet, and Sean Peterson, bass.
The artists featured in “Curious Temptations” are drawn together by a desire to challenge conventional ideas of textile art by pushing the edge of the genre. Exploring the “tangible worlds of nature and manmade constructs, the human form, and the abstract worlds of human conjecture and emotion, they engage in a dialogue with the viewer that seeks to tempt, illuminate, and question.”
Inspired by contemporary Japanese sashiko, a form of decorative reinforcement stitching, Janet Hiller pursues simplicity of line and complexity of color in her work, reducing ideas to their barest visual form. She has exhibited her quilts nationally and internationally, including at the Carnegie Center for Art and History in Indiana.
Margot Lovinger, a graduate of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is known for her realistic and painterly portraits and figure studies in fabrics and embroidery. She has received numerous commissions and her innovative pieces have been displayed throughout the U.S.
Jae McDonald, who studied at Parsons School of Design in New York, creates quilts as well as hand-painted needlepoint canvases. McDonald has exhibited in venues in Oregon and as far away as New Zealand, and most recently had a solo show at the Springfield Art Museum.
Sandra McMorris Johnson received her MFA from Southern Illinois University. Often using hand-dyed material, she explores “painting” with fabric. Among her works in the exhibit are twelve large “color field” fabric paintings. She will also be displaying her artist jackets, each crafted of hand-dyed fabric, which is cut, sewn, and then hand-quilted. McMorris Johnson has received numerous commissions and awards and her work has been exhibited in Oregon and nationally.
Sally Zehrung, who learned to sew as a young child, was naturally drawn to the medium of fiber art. About her art quilts, she says: “I love designing and creating a piece that expresses a story, a message, or an emotion.” She has exhibited her art quilts in state and national venues, as well as in Europe and Asia.