| Hart Witzen G A L L E R Y T H E A T E R S T U D I O S 136 E. 36th Street Charlotte NC 28206 704-334-1177 |
the 5th SOUP show featuring recent works by CLAYTON VENHUIZEN SELENA BEAUDRY BARBARA SCHREIBER DIANA ARVANITES KARMIMA McMILLAN AUSTIN BALLARD MALENA BERGMANN OPENING RECEPTION FRI NOV 7 6 - 10 PM and by appointment |
| Stack" 24" x 24" x 140" mixed media on canvas w/ video installation 2006 |
CLAYTON VENHUIZEN |
SELENA BEAUDRY |
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Artist Statement I recently came across and read “American Negro A Handbook”, this is college textbook from the 1930’ s a friend found in a used book store in Augusta Georgia. After reading this text I realized that I wanted to focus my work more on myself and the experiences I’ve had regarding my ethnicity, culture and way of life as an artist. This mixed media body of work is the start of that exploration, each piece is a representation of experiences, thoughts, comments and conversations that I’ve been documenting over the last ten years. |
| KARMINA McMILLAN |
AUSTIN BALLARD
MALENA BERGMANN
interdisciplinary artist for 20 years, most
recently working with kinetic sculpture
and collaborative
performance/experimental film. After
having studied painting and drawing in
graduate school, she abandoned flat
surfaces in order to expand her
connection to the senses of touch,
sound, and smell (and possibly others).
Conceptually driven, she seeks the
meaning in interactions with unfamiliar
materials, processes, and collaborators
from non-art areas. Her most recent
work has incorporated living plants and
animals, recorded sound, and site
specific performance. She has lived in
Charlotte since 1997.
recently working with kinetic sculpture
and collaborative
performance/experimental film. After
having studied painting and drawing in
graduate school, she abandoned flat
surfaces in order to expand her
connection to the senses of touch,
sound, and smell (and possibly others).
Conceptually driven, she seeks the
meaning in interactions with unfamiliar
materials, processes, and collaborators
from non-art areas. Her most recent
work has incorporated living plants and
animals, recorded sound, and site
specific performance. She has lived in
Charlotte since 1997.
cinematography, sound: Chris Thomas (Chicago)
still photography: Eric Pickersgill (Chicago)
performance: Hayley Farrington (CHarlotte)
sound collection: Greg Lilley (Charlotte) and Chris Thomas
director, producer: Malena Bergmann (Charlotte)
hair extension: Heather Alexander (Charlotte)
made possible by a grant from the NC Arts Council, 2008
still photography: Eric Pickersgill (Chicago)
performance: Hayley Farrington (CHarlotte)
sound collection: Greg Lilley (Charlotte) and Chris Thomas
director, producer: Malena Bergmann (Charlotte)
hair extension: Heather Alexander (Charlotte)
made possible by a grant from the NC Arts Council, 2008
Premature Prosperity
Summer 08’
“Premature Prosperity”: (9’ x 9’ x 9’)
Created using small uprooted onions, straw netting,
broken egg shells, 500 pennies, twigs, woman’s used
stockings, found metal pieces, and string.
I wanted to create something that reflected my feelings
at the time about reaching a sense of comfort, gaining a
certain level of prosperity without taking pleasure from
the experience first and referencing human fertility as a
poor source of wealth.
Currently attending the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte in order to obtain my BFA. I left behind my "flat
work" and decided to pursue more conceptually driven
sculptural work. At the same time I do find myself
working in video and performance pieces. I often
combine aspects of natural fibers with found everyday
objects. As an artist, I find the best way I can start fresh
and give life to a new constructed piece of my own is
after working with these natural and found materials.
Materiality plays a huge role in my work. I tend to feed
off of the viewers pre existing notions of certain objects
and juxtapoze them upon each other. I hope to make a
connection between these familiar objects and the
manner in which they are presented to the viewer's
personal experience.
Summer 08’
“Premature Prosperity”: (9’ x 9’ x 9’)
Created using small uprooted onions, straw netting,
broken egg shells, 500 pennies, twigs, woman’s used
stockings, found metal pieces, and string.
I wanted to create something that reflected my feelings
at the time about reaching a sense of comfort, gaining a
certain level of prosperity without taking pleasure from
the experience first and referencing human fertility as a
poor source of wealth.
Currently attending the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte in order to obtain my BFA. I left behind my "flat
work" and decided to pursue more conceptually driven
sculptural work. At the same time I do find myself
working in video and performance pieces. I often
combine aspects of natural fibers with found everyday
objects. As an artist, I find the best way I can start fresh
and give life to a new constructed piece of my own is
after working with these natural and found materials.
Materiality plays a huge role in my work. I tend to feed
off of the viewers pre existing notions of certain objects
and juxtapoze them upon each other. I hope to make a
connection between these familiar objects and the
manner in which they are presented to the viewer's
personal experience.