Perception is as nebulous as it is unique. The dictionary tells us it’s “the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses, or a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something; a mental impression.” Perception also describes the role of the artist in observing and gathering material from the everyday life to create art. The tangible world provides the source material, but it is the interpretation or perception of the artist that engages the viewer.
In its new exhibit, The Associates Gallery at the Torpedo Factory will feature 3-D artist Erika Cleveland, painters Ellen Delaney and Kara Hammond, and street photographer Val Proudkii in the next show entitled Perceptions.
Paintings, photographs, healing dolls will be featured along with a special installation entitled Remember these thingsthat literally extends beyond the gallery’s doors that creator Kara Hammond describes as a paean to the material culture of libraries. Erika Cleveland’s healing dolls represent “the dilemma that humans face in being spiritual beings in a physical form.” This dichotomy creates the transformative narrative inherent in being vulnerable and expressing emotion. Painter Ellen Delaney has been inspired by experimenting with color and texture in her abstract landscapes in acrylics that speak to seeing and capturing the emotion of a place rather than an accurate recreation. And fine art photographer Val Proudkii has cited his love of street photography with his admiration of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Brassai who captured decisive moments in ordinary lives and in ordinary places.
