IN THE SAME WORLD
Catherine Ramey & Mark LaRiviere
May 7 - June 12, 2022
An exhibition of painting and sculpture
CATHERINE RAMEY STATEMENT:
Through the pandemic time of loss and separation, I started painting a series called, “tending the moment”. This body of work addressed my questions about what is essential to me in relating and responding to the world. I began to reflect on memories and several themes emerged and resonated. Recollections of a shaft of light, a shadow, a tender remembrance of the day, the still and demanding light on the lower garden and the inner complexity of loss and renewal created a convergence of linked perceptions. In my studio, I gathered and returned to these moments of spiritual and emotional impact.
The poetry of Mary Oliver and Rilke sustained me. Words or phrases floated in my mind as I painted and became a guiding force.
I often focus on the transitions at the edges of forms and the metaphorical implications of the choices of color and density. This particular palette created new relational contrasts. The touch of the brush or the painting implement is an essential way of expressing my intention.
I hope this work might encourage a contemplative moment to that which surrounds and connects us.
MARK LaRIVIERE STATEMENT:
I begin with the idea of making a figurative form, either a full figure or a head. My aim is to create a likeness that is truthful to our current state of humanity. I work to find an engagement with the materials and concepts and to discover a spark of truth that resides in all things and allows the piece to come alive. I search for discovered rhythms, forms and movements that become apparent as I work.
The sculptures I am working on are created with a sense of uncertainty. Firing ceramics and glazing creates textures and colors that bring unpredictable elements to the work. I keep reglazing and firing until I achieve what I desire. There is a constant tension between the working and the witness. When my hands and tools find the ineffable essence of the materials, the forms emerge that feel alive today, and yet also feel as if they have always existed.
My first stirrings as an artist were to make convincing people, figures and heads; either singularly or in groups, and give to them a solid, lasting form. These forms have persisted with me throughout my work, the questions I ask as I work are how can I bring forth these figures honestly, reflecting a sense of truth and light that feels of our time.
EXHIBITION WORKS
