"Codex Specialis: Works by Rebecca Woodhouse"
2006-06-14 until 2006-07-16
Viveza Gallery
Seattle, WA, USA United States of America

"Codex Specialis," a cache of emotionally-charged works, comes to VIVEZA Gallery in Seatlle, June 14 through July 16. Rebecca Woodhouse will attend the show's opening reception 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 16. Codex Specialis is a collection of personal explorations and writings, in the form of palimpsest resin paintings. The Codex provides a rare glimpse into the mind of this artist and writer who delves into grief, hope and renewal. "Exploration and discovery are key components of my paintings, both for my process, and, I believe for the viewers as well," Woodhouse said.

At age 16, Woodhouse realized her passion to combine art with intriguing writings. Today she masterfully melds the two genres as she paints words that blend and transform into color, line and texture.

A palimpsest is writing material ˜in this case a canvas ˜used one or more times after earlier work has been scraped away. Just as scholars study palimpsests to reveal the secrets of the Middle Ages, viewers can discover letters and words embedded in the layers of Woodhouse's work.

"Keeping with VIVEZA's aesthetic of complexity, each Woodhouse canvas contains a story that seems to be written and unfolding before your eyes," said Michael Rivera-Dirks, director and founder of VIVEZA. "Words and sentences melt, merge and fade away into pools of color and space. Each new glance brings a different reading, providing a mysterious, ethereal story that always changes."

After a history in oil painting, this is Woodhouse's first body of work using epoxy resin. She uses dried pigments and inks to control color and transparency that allows her to reach a new level of complexity.

"I am fascinated by the mystery within the process of working with resin. The fluid nature of the medium appeals to me," she said. "The way it flows, spreads and hardens enhances the abstraction of the words in the work."

Woodhouse earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting/drawing from the California College of Arts and Crafts in 2000. Before that she received a bachelor's degree from Warren Wilson College in North Carolina in 1995 and studied at Oxford University: Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in 1994.

IMAGE
Rebecca Woodhouse
Spitfire
resin on canvas
6 x 8 inches
$275.00

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