Thursday, January 6th, 2011

Helen Shirk and Brooke Battles at Velvet da Vinci

Tomorrow is the opening reception of two exhibitions at Velvet da Vinci that jointly use color.

Helen Shirk: “Traces.”  A passion for nature is reflected in her jewelry.
Brooke Battles: “Order/disOrder.” The discovery of enamels leads her to a new interpretation of garden and home.
You can visit the exhibition until February 6th.

Demà és la inauguració de dues exposicions a la galeria Velvet da Vinci que tenen en comú l’ús del color.

Helen Shirk: “Traces” . La passió per la natura es reflecteix en les seves joies.
Brooke Battles: “Order/disOrder”. El descobriment dels esmalts la porta a una nova interpretació del jardí i la casa.
L’exposició es pot visitar fins el 6 de Febrer.

Helen Shirk: “Traces”

Statement:
My relationship with nature has strengthened over the years, becoming a spiritual resource for my life and art. Currently I’m working on a body of jewelry for the first time since 1994, still using the natural world as my focus. I worry about the effects of global warming, man-made calamities, diminishing resources and species. I find myself wondering what the earth will look like for my son and grandchildren. It has made me consider the vital role nature plays in my enjoyment of life everyday. This series is called Traces. After years of making pieces that didn’t involve the body, I chose to use the smaller scale and traditional materials of jewelry to evoke a sense of intimacy and preciousness; that seemed appropriate for reflection on pleasure and loss. I’m still involved with color, but there is some violence in it.

Brooke Battles: “Order/disOrder”

Statement
Each of us is pulled by conflicting forces: good and evil, sleeping and waking, vulnerability and strength, speed and accuracy, aging and youth. For me, the pull of order against disorder, of organization against chaos, is the challenge.
I have trouble with concepts of Orderly and Disorderly. “Orderly” can seem demanding, claustrophobic, predictable. But it also can be classic, comforting, mind-clearing. With order, things can be laid to rest. “Disorderly” can be unnerving, confusing, time-consuming., but in disorder is an honest beauty, a randomness that makes perfect sense . A riot of disorder tells a story you may really want to hear.
My subject matter has two focuses always: the garden and the home. Or the larger nature of the irreplaceable nature of the earth and community. But those subjects are always filtered through this struggle between the demand for control and order on one hand, and on the other, the search for discovery and serendipity that disorder allows.
And now, having discovered enamels, I am like a kid getting her first finger paints. I am enthralled with the depth of meaning and nuance that are possible with the riotous colors of the tropics, the rich variety of urban gardens, and the chaos and order of communities. They lend another layer to the organic feel my work has always had.


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