Someone
once told me that in order to be considered an official “townie” in Athens, you
have to
have lived in the area for seven years after you graduate.
And so even though I am back in school, I
officially became a “townie” this school year since I
graduated in 2006 with my BFA. Why do I
mention this? Because one of the perks and pitfalls of being
a townie is that you get to know
everybody in the Athens area if you stay long enough.
Perhaps that is an exaggeration, but I really do
feel this way sometimes.
So it was
no surprise that when I ventured to Nelsonville's Paper Circle to write a
review for
this blog, I discovered that I knew the artist who was showing
in their gallery. I first met Danielle
Wyckoff in 2010 when she volunteered for my annual charity
clothing exchange, and she was one of
the people who encouraged me to return to Ohio University
for graduate school. Paper Circle is a non-
profit paper making studio and gallery space, and Danielle
was their artist in residence in 2012.
Currently she teaches in Michigan, but her work on display
at Paper Circle consists of O-gami papers
she made during her time as artist in residence.
The title of
the show is Wavelengths, and all of the pieces in the gallery are imbued
with a
watery dreaminess, which creates a light and calming effect.
The timing of the show in September
seems very appropriate, because the work all seems like an
ode to a particularly lovely vacation on
a lake or by the sea in a summer that has since past. In
fact, the premise of the show is based upon the
artist's relation to different bodies of water. There also
is a sense of longing in many of the pieces,
two figures are seen brushing against each other, a hand
reaches for another, or is seen giving a
shell in the faintest of pencil lines. Scrawled script, (a
love letter?) appears in many of the pieces.
All of the
work is on paper, and includes lithography, screen print, drawing, and other
techniques. One of my favorite pieces in the show appears on
the left wall from the entrance.
“Twinning” is lithograph on handmade cotton and abaca paper,
and features two figures floating
together through what could be, water, air or time. The
right wall of the gallery features a row of delicately pinned pieces of
the same scale. They were richly rewarding to look at, as they included
subtle luster effects, and even evidence of dissolved salt.
If you are
in Nelsonville for final Friday, please make sure to stop by Paper Circle to
see this
beautiful show. A reception with the artist is scheduled for
Friday, October 4th. The following day,
Saturday, Danielle will offer a paper making workshop at
Paper Circle. This seems like a most
appropriate way to close out the summer months! Emily Beverege
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