Artist to Discuss Exhibition at Fine Arts Center, Sept. 22
JONESBORO – The Department of Art will host a solo exhibition "Surface," featuring the work of Erin Raedeke, in the Fine Arts Center Art Gallery, Sept. 19 through Oct. 21.
She will present a gallery talk Thursday, Sept. 22, beginning at 3 p.m. Admission is free and the public is welcome, according to John Harlan Norris, associate professor of art at A-State.
Raedeke received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Indiana University in 2000 and her Master of Fine Arts from American University in 2009. She has had solo exhibitions in New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia and has participated in numerous group shows, including the BP Portrait Award exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
She has been a recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award in 2013 and 2016, and has given artist lectures at universities and colleges in California, Illinois and Virginia.
Artist’s Statement:
"I am interested in the unwanted and dismissed. Objects are both stumbled upon and purposefully chosen. Thoughts, memories and past experiences are scavenged through in an effort for deeper meaning and unexpected connections to surface. My paintings document this search. The set-up allows me to object to preconceived ideas and assumptions; challenge an image or impression that is forced upon an object or relationship.
"I am interested in the limits of what an observational painting can be. All my work is done from life, and I attempt to challenge the parameters of what has been handed down to me as a perceptual painter. The formal aspects of painting have always been a driving force in my work, as is a developing narrative. Within the paintings, dichotomies play out. What appears as a study of color or light, upon closer inspection reveals a palpable object. A ripped cloth implies a violent action has taken place, yet the execution of the painting is very controlled and nuanced. First impressions cannot be trusted; appearances are never what they seem.
"Everything has meaning. Seemingly random objects we encounter, no matter how unceremoniously, hold a flood of associations and truths buried in the sub conscience. The only way to tease them out is through sensitive observation and suspension of prejudice."
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