Sea and Soil: Group Exhibition June 6 through July 3, 2015 1109 Royal Street, New Orleans LA 70116
Sea and Soil June 6 – July 3, 2015 Group Exhibition with Aline Cross, Kathy Dumesnil, Faye Earnest, Pippin Frisbie-Calder, Lee Morais, Elizabeth Simon 25% of proceeds to benefit the Gulf Restoration Network The Foundation Gallery is thrilled to present Sea and Soil a group exhibition with Aline Cross, Kathy Dumesnil, Faye Earnest, Pippin Frisbie-Calder, Lee Morais, Elizabeth Simon. The show will be up from June 6 through July 3rd ,2015. An opening reception will be held June 6th from 6 – 10pm. 25% of proceeds from the show, as well as the gallery shop, will be donated to the Gulf Restoration Network. In many forms, art becomes a method of preservation. Preservation of the self, of a culture, of a memory, of a landscape so close to being lost. There is hope in the moment an artist is able to capture an image in which we are reminded of our sense of wonder with the natural world around us. Sea and Soil is a celebration and an exploration of the ways in which artists are inspired by nature and the multitude of forms this reverence takes. Whether directly creating a visual vocabulary to make scientific data approachable or capturing the pure tranquility of the space where the line of sea and soil is blurred, these pieces remind us that we are more one with the dirt between our toes and the sea mist that surrounds us than we even know. From misty wetlands to moonlit seascapes, the imagery is tied together with a sense of searching and an equal sense of awe. The built-up pigments of Kathy Dumesnil’s marshy landscapes mimic the undulating rhythm of the terrain. The soil ebbs and flows as the water does, anchored yet with a slow moving malleability. The hazy line where these things meet is again played with in Elizabeth Simon’s abstract “Earth Meet Sky” series. A true sense of calm is captured in that nebulous line. Where in these works the layers are built up, the layers in Faye Earnest’s works seem to have been carved away as quickly as they are made. The organic movements in her depictions of the earth’s core and aerial views of the coast are
captured with gentle force and the tide seems to be represented both in process and final image. The lush stillness of Lee Morais’ seascapes is held together by the light of the moon in each piece. A golden boat rocks gently in the foreground, inviting the viewer to be part of some great journey to serenity. Aline Cross’s sea creatures, inspired by the Oceanic and Folk art of her native Australia, seem to express that same serenity, but with a hint of mysticism. Both preserving personal memory and cultural identity for the artist, these creatures seem to glide through the work, constantly moving, but sure of their place on a grander scale. Capturing both sea, swamp, and the place in between, the lens is focused more tightly in Pippin Frisbie-Calder’s phytoplankton prints and sculptures. While the approach is scientific (Frisbie-Calder partnered with local aquatic microbiologist Dr. Tim McLean to collect samples to make the images from) the final product appears more in the realm of magical realism. These microscopic organisms produce nearly half of the earth’s oxygen and Frisbie-Calder’s prints seem to revel in how truly wondrous that is. This collection of work is an ode to the idea that preservation, whether that of a sensation or a receding coast, needs to be carefully constructed no matter the path it takes.
Faye Earnest Sea and Soil, 2011(diptych) mixed media on canvas, 20 x 24 inches each
Kathy Dumesnil Blue Horizon Passage, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 9 x 12 inches
Kathy Dumesnil Cloud Dance, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 12 x 9 inches
Kathy Dumesnil Violet Sky Over Green Passage, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 16 x 12 inches
Kathy Dumesnil Sunset Dance, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 12 x 12 inches
Kathy Dumesnil Horizon Meets Big Sky, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 16 x 12 inches
Kathy Dumesnil Blue Horizon/ Lush Sky, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 12 x 9 inches
Kathy Dumesnil Marsh Waltz, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 9 x 12 inches
Pippin Frisbie-Calder Phytoplankton, 2015 pen and ink, silkscreen, watercolor, 34 x 34 inches
Pippin Frisbie-Calder Thalassiosira Sp. 2015 resins, wire, tubing, tissue paper, leds, 13 inches across
Pippin Frisbie-Calder Pyrocystis Sp. 2015 resins, wire, tissue paper, leds (individual ones), 12 x 10 inches
Elizabeth Montgomery Simon Earth Meets Sky Series – Tree, Rock, River, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 24 x 30 inches
Elizabeth Montgomery Simon Earth Meets Sky Series IV, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 40 x 16 inches
Elizabeth Montgomery Simon Earth Meets Sky Series III, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 36 x 24 inches
Elizabeth Montgomery Simon Earth Meets Sky Series VII, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 24 x 12 inches
Faye Earnest Sea and Soil 2, 2013 (diptych) mixed media on canvas, 40 x 30 inches each
Lee Morais Blue Moon, 2015 oil on canvas, 30 x 32 inches
Lee Morais Moon Madness, 2015 oil on canvas, 17 x 42 inches
Lee Morais The Eye of God, 2015 oil on canvas, 27 x 24 inches
Lee Morais Golden Boat by the Light of the Silvery Moon, 2015 oil on canvas, 24 x 27 inches
Lee Morais Star Night, 2015 oil on canvas, 19 x 31 inches
Lee Morais Calmscape, 2015 oil on canvas, 20 x 31.5 inches
Lee Morais Fire by Moon Light, 2015 oil on canvas, 17 x 20 inches
Aline Cross Louisiana Pelican No.3, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 24 x 18 inches
Aline Cross Octopus No.7, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 20 x 24 inches
Aline Cross Whaleshark II, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 24 x 18 inches
Aline Cross Blue Whale, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 24 x 18 inches
Aline Cross Humpback Whale No.4, 2014 acrylic on canvas, 24 x 20 inches
Aline Cross Jellyfish No.5, 2015 acrylic on canvas, 24 x 18 inches
More details regarding this and other exhibitions can be found at www.foundationgallerynola.com