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Indepth Arts News:
"Darlene Nguyen-Ely: Evolution of Form"
2001-05-31 until 2001-06-30
Diane Farris Gallery
Vancouver, BC,
CA Canada
Diane Farris Gallery is pleased to present Darlene Nguyen-Ely's third
solo
exhibition of her latest work in the Journey Series, an on-going
exploration
of the symbolic as well as spiritual aspects of transportation imagery.
While Nguyen-Ely was mainly inspired by mechanical, aerodynamic forms in
these earlier pieces of the Journey series, her most recent work shows
an
increasing interest in approximating organic-looking shapes and
textures.
The artists lives in Monroe, Washington in a lush area that is
surrounded by
nature. She admits that she is influenced by the animal and plant life
she
encounters on a daily basis. These works, resembling cell-like
structures,
double helixes and other simple organisms, look like they could be
diagrams
in a biochemistry lesson. Yet through her painstaking craftsmanship,
Nguyen-Ely continues to fashion her sculptures with smooth, sleek
surfaces
that embody a sense of dynamism and speed. These works can be seen as
metaphors for movement and traversal, both in regards to the artist‚s
prolific career as well as the continuation of her life journey.
Born in Saigon, Vietnam, Nguyen-Ely's work is informed by her
pilgrimage to America which began in 1975 when she
joined scores of other Vietnamese boat people seeking refuge from the
war.
After spending a year at a refugee camp in Hong Kong, Nguyen-Ely
emigrated
to the United States where she later received a B.F.A. from California
State
University.
Nguyen-Ely has exhibited internationally as part of WOMEN/Beyond
Borders,
which became part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian
Institute
last year. The City of Everett, WA recently purchased Journey #33:
Half Moon
which is on display at the new Everett Train Station. Other
achievements
include a week as a visiting artist at Le Centre Interculteral
Strathearn in
Montreal, a commission for Rockwell International in Los Angeles, and
for
the third time she was awarded the Greenshields Foundation Grant
Recipient.
Currently, Nguyen-Ely is mid-project on a Public Art Commission in
Philadelphia, PA. Invited to participate in the New Land Marks public
art
project, she is working with the Fairmount Park Art Association and the
Vietnamese United National Association to create a public art project
based
on Tet Trung Thu (the Vietnamese Moon Festival). As a contemporary
interpretation of this traditional event, the work is the unique product
of
the confluence of cultures found in the Vietnamese-American community.
IMAGE:
Carraero Journey #69
wood, gold leaf, acrylic
30x28x4 inches
1999-2001
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