4 Members Selected for Artists of the Upstate Show
Four Anderson Artists Guild members will have six works on display at the 2018 Artisphere Artists of the Upstate Juried Exhibition. These works by Kathy Moore, Evelyn Beck, Hamed Mahmoodi, and Jamie Hansen were among 66 pieces selected from 330 entries for the eleventh annual event.
Splitting Functions and He Rules the Roost, She Rules the Rooster by Kathy Moore are mixed media projects made out of found objects. “Throughout my life, I have been both a collector and an artist,” said Moore. “My assemblage work combines both of these passions. I have an attachment to old, damaged, forgotten and discarded items and, simply, I am compelled to take them home. To most people, these objects may seem mundane or useless. I, however, live for my trips to thrift shops, yard sales, junk stores, estate sales, and even the occasional trash heap to find the perfect curiosity. I call them my ‘treasures.’ The assemblage process is a quest for me to find a way to bring these pieces together in a way that tells a new story. As I imagine each object’s story and history, I pull together these trinkets to give them a new artistic identity. “In my assemblages, these found objects are combined with encaustic and other elements to become a cohesive whole. The objects themselves serve different purposes—sometimes it’s the functionality, the shape, color, or texture that drives the composition. I am drawn to old drawers as substrates; they provide the perfect vignettes for layering elements for my stories. When I start a new piece, I never quite know how each story will begin or end. Intuition plays a role in the process from the beginning to the end—knowing when I’m finished. It’s a method of tinkering until the moment when my story has unfolded.” Dog Walker and Enchantment by Evelyn Beck are fiber pieces based on photographs she took. “I spotted a woman walking her dog on Folly Beach at dawn last December and trailed after her seeking the perfect shot for Dog Walker,” said Beck, who finds endless inspiration in the ocean for her art quilts. “Enchantment was captured on camera when my grandson and my cousin’s daughter were watching a video on the iPad after a day of swimming last summer. While I didn’t think this piece turned out that well, I’ve been surprised that others like it. It’s been in two juried shows and was also selected for inclusion in a calendar.”
Grace by Hamed Mahmoodi is made of acrylic and Masonite. It is part of a series of old American revival in color, he said.
Xander’s Ukelele by Jamie Hansen is watercolor, copper and gold leaf on Aquaboard. "This piece was painted from a photo I took of my son practicing his ukulele in front of our piano.," said Hansen. "Many of my current watercolors explore the mixture of metal and water media. The reflective gold and copper placed beside the matte watercolor paint creates a varied and unpredictable surface. Like the paint changes during the drying process, my watercolors will continually change in response to their environment, depending on lighting and angle."
The Artisphere Artists of the Upstate Exhibition will be on display in the Founder’s Room and open to the public Friday, May 11, from noon to 5 p.m.; Saturday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, May 13, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Founder’s Room is located above the Larkin’s on the River restaurant at 318 South Main Street behind the Peace Center in Greenville.
This exhibition is part of Artisphere, a fine arts festival to be held in downtown Greenville May 11-13. The festival hours are 12-8 on Friday, 10-8 on Saturday, and 11-6 on Sunday, with musical performances on Friday and Saturday from 8-9:45 p.m. For more information about Artisphere, visit https://artisphere.org/.
