THE WOVEN IMAGE

THE WOVEN IMAGE
Scott Canty, Curator

Each year the Palos Verdes Art Center exhibition committee holds its annual exhibition review for members and non-members to submit their work for future exhibitions at the center. The committee looks for diversity and challenging work that will bring a different view point to the art center’s exhibition program as well as to our audience. As Director of Exhibitions here at the center, I look for artists’ works that work together both intellectually and physically, here in this exhibition The Woven Image brings together three different artists from different backgrounds and different techniques, but all have a common tread of unity in the presentation of their creative masterpieces.

To contrast with our Sixth Biennial International wearable expressions exhibition, The Woven Images in our Norris Gallery examines three artists that explore woven imagery in metal sculpture, painting and quilting.

Susan McGhee is fascinated with the variety of materials and techniques that provide her creative avenues to explore. Weaving metal and using traditional weaving techniques, McGhee creates contemporary wall hangings and sculptural forms some of which are inspired by Japanese Kimonos. McGhee enjoys surprising her audience in discovering the juxtaposition of non-traditional materials with traditional weaving traditions and textures.

Working with oils and canvas, Hiroko Momii creates paintings that are generated from her memories, dreams and experiences. Her abstract forms are also about the synthesis of the opposites: day/ night, mind/body, universal/personal, they also explore the microcosm and macrocosm of this world. In this body of work we see paintings that take a close look to images that could be under a microscope moving into the worlds of textures and energy sources.

“Art is a way of thinking,” says Susan Willen. Working in fiber allows her to look at the world around her and re-interpret it in a graphic form. For the past fifteen years she has worked in fabric. Using color, shape and line give Willen a key to her creative force much like a painter. Using swatches of fabric to make a gesture create a line or to examine textures and different surfaces next to each other these quilts have movement and flowing textures.