IN THE WINDOWS

December 2020-February 2021

Remaking

by

Kathryn D'Elia

This exhibition is a collection of work created through gathered observations: a person, a moment of speech, shapes of a curtain, bodily structures, snow-blanketed objects. They are exaggerated, warped, stacked, built and lit to "remake" them into something new--to create something familiar, but on edge. 

Further discoveries can be made between artworks.  Bridges of color and value marry mold structures, into lung tissue, into the curving forms of an elderly woman's cheek--into a lrager and larger environment of association, one that reaches, leans, sucks, and grows, one that changes dramatically in theme and propensity once rearranged and reassociated.

Kathryn D'Elia was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL.  She attended a high school for the arts before attending Flagler College to earn her BFA in 2011 and the University of Washington for her MFA in 2014.  She moved to Minnesota in 2016 and currently resides in St. Paul.  She enjoys her work teaching drawing and painting at Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley and adult painters at Artistry in Bloomington, MN.

See more of her work at Kdelia.com and Instagram @kathryn_delia_studio.

IN THE WINDOWS: NINA MARTINE ROBINSON

Neurotangle
by
Nina Martine Robinson

Nina Robinson is an emerging St. Paul based contemporary textile artist whose creative process starts wit a sewing machine.  Neurotangle, created in 2019, is an early exploration into utilizing repurposed clothing as a metaphor for neurodiversity.

In 2018, her 23 year old son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, specifically Aspergers Syndrome. Many individuals on the spectrum have self-soothing behaviors called "stims." These repetitive actions help to calm nerves and soothe them during high stress situations.  For her son, it the the deconstruction of his pants.

"I have spent hours mending belt loops, pockets and patching," the artist reports.

Ms. Robinson's recent installation work is a response to this repetitive behavior. The deconstruction of the clothing and the repetitive stitching create new forms of expression of Autism and neurodiversity as it applies to her experiences. The term neurodiversity was coined to describe variations in the human brain regarding mood, learning, attention, sociability and other mental functions in a non-pathological sense. 

"My goal in sharing these installation is about creating awareness of and being a conduit for interaction between neurotypical and neurodiverse people," Nina Martine Robinson.

 

IN THE WINDOWS: SANDRA BRICK

FEBRUARY/MARCH

all?

(white shirts from second-hand stores, hand-dyed thread and clothes pins)

Sandra Brick
2020

The U.S. Declaration of Independence begins with the assertion that all are endowed with “certain unalienable rights.” Specifically, the nation’s founders listed, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

The last three words of the Pledge of Allegiance, an expression of loyalty to country and flag, promise, “justice for all”.

With these shirts, I wonder if the US Government is protecting these “unalienable rights” for ALL. Is our government truly providing justice for all?’

I ask the viewer, “Are you a bystander just waiting to see if the promise of the Declaration of Independence is upheld or a upstander making sure everyone’s unalienable rights are protected?

Bio

Working with my hands has been an integral part of my daily life since childhood. Being a textile artist is, for me, an ongoing activity. I dye and stitch and invent new ways to embellish fabric. By sculpting with fiber, I incorporate space and texture into my designs. Creating art involves solving problems, discovering possibilities, merging ideas, and sharing who I am.

Over the past 20 years I have developed a diverse body of work including a set of 42 embroidered pieces that visually interpret haikus written by a local poet, 24 visual “translations” of memories written by a local Holocaust survivor, ten separate works of art depicting different themes for an interfaith artist circle.

Embracing ambiguity is the start of my process. Knowledge is part of the process. Yet there is room for discovery and confusion. For me, art is really about being open to surprise.

Recently I have started aiming my work toward exploring social justice. Can the needle be used as a call to action?

Learn more at: www.texturedelements.com

IN THE WINDOWS: Kate Vinson

New to the Windows at Susan Hensel Gallery!

OF THE LAND

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My work often comes from a place of mind, body, and spirit. As a sculptor. I use easily accessible materials to create contemporary forms. These forms are grounded in an organic sensibility interpreted with an element of transformation. I enjoy exploring philosophical constructs such as: being/becoming, existence/potential, ways of knowing, universality, and the lived experience.

I seek to create opportunities for the viewer to engage, experience, question, and explore one’s connection to self, the world, and humanity. As a catalyst my art can present ways for the viewer to explore the daily and breadth of life as well as a relationship to universal consciousness.

I grew up two hours south of the Bridge in North Central Michigan. As a high schooler, I was a photographer on the yearbook staff, intending to be the next Margaret Bourke White.

I have worked across the country in non traditional educational settings, everything from Outdoor Adventure Education to Elder hostel. I eventually relocated to Mankato, Minnesota for graduate work. While there, I studied Experiential Education and obtained a teaching license in Art Education. I currently work with high schoolers exploring sculptural art forms.

Website: www.mnartists.org/vinsonke

Please contact the artist for sale of the work vinson.kate@gmail.com