The strangeness will wear off and I think we will discover the
deeper meanings in modern art. - Jackson
Pollack
Lyons Wier Gallery is proud to present
Burial Party by Vadis
Turner.
In
the broadest sense, "Burial Party" is a deluge of ideas woven onto canvases and
sculpture that address mortal concerns of existence and the experiences forged
while contemplating the rites of passage.
Ms. Turner's
work is an intersection where color theory, abstraction, assemblage and feminism
meet head on. The artist's innate color sensibilities and energy pay homage to
the New York School of Abstract Expressionist and Action painters like Joan
Mitchell and Willem De Kooning, by employing broad strokes of color. Through Ms.
Turner's exquisite and unique use of materials such as ribbon, clothing, antique
quilts, lace and yarn, the artist continues to explore and exploit traditional
"feminine" materials and creates a contemporary dialogue as found in the works
of artists such as Petah Coyne and Shinique Smith.
Turner states, "During the
creation of my marital Dowry and Reception (Permanent Collection,
Brooklyn Museum of Art), I became interested in the aesthetic bridges between
diverse rites of passage. Elaborate ceremonies honor, idealize and purify the
subject as they transition from one life chapter to the next. The subject
simultaneously embodies a climax and demise. A new identity is conceived. An old
identity dies. In this body of work, elements of ceremonial adornment are
partnered with various processes of decay. Satin ribbons and flowers are fixed
in a stilled state of destruction and removal inspired by
fire or mold. Through consumption and repurposing, each process re-imagines the
beauty and energy of change and loss."
Turner's
latest installation creates a delicate balance between sustainable and
ephemeral, addressing elements like fire, mold and other forms of decay by
combining elements from a proven path and a path less traveled. Together
with the known and unknown, Vadis Turner crafts a visual kaleidoscope that draws
the viewer into an
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Burial Party (studio
view), 2011, Ribbon, tablecloths, clothing, mixed media,
120 x 72 x 36 in / 304.8 x 182.9
x 91.4
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otherworldly realm of aesthetics
and beauty.
Vadis Turner
earned her MFA and BFA from Boston University. Her
work was recently included in New Acquisitions, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY and
Common Jive,
Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, New York, NY. Her work is in numerous public and
private collections.
Vadis Turner lives and works
in Brooklyn, NY and has been represented by Lyons Wier Gallery since
2008.
For more information and images, please
contact:
Lyons Wier Gallery
542 West 24th
Street
New York, NY
10011
Phone: (212)242-6220
gallery@lyonswiergallery.com
www.lyonswiergallery.com
Currently on View through April 2nd: Fahamu Pecou & Andres
Basurto
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Andres Basurto, Montejo
Tres
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Fahamu Pecou, Nunna My
Heros
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for full press release &
images
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