Providence Exhibition Celebrates Craft and Collaboration - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Providence Exhibition Celebrates Craft and Collaboration - Inside Art with Michael Rose

 

The winter season is an ideal time for art that focuses on warmth as well as ideas of home and tradition. On view at World’s Fair Gallery in Providence, a new exhibition highlights artworks that are rich in comfort and ebullience. Opening Thursday, December 8 from 6-8 pm, the exhibition Linea features paintings by Catherine Druken and ceramics by Zoë Wyner as well as numerous collaborative works in clay that display Wyner’s hand with Druken’s illustrative flair.

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The exhibition is the first collaboration between Wyner and Druken, who works under the pen name of Lovici. The pair were brought together by World’s Fair Gallery owner Willa Van Nostrand, who rightly saw the complementary nature of their respective styles. The resulting exhibition highlights both artists while creatively overlapping art forms.

 

 

Wyner is a transplant to Rhode Island from the Boston area and now resides in South County. Active at the South County Art Association, she has become part of the arts community in the Ocean State. Speaking of what becoming a Rhode Islander has meant to her, Wyner says, “The community in RI, both in South County and in Providence, has been exceptionally supportive. The lack of competitive attitude, the encouragement between artists — it has been really refreshing and has created opportunities for me that I was not expecting to find at this point in my career. This support has provided me with a space to push myself creatively and to take risks as an artist. I am eternally grateful to have found this wonderful little state in which to further my practice.”

 

That sense of community and connectedness is on view in Wyner’s show with Druken, where their combined skills created enticing artworks. A number of the ceramics in the show were thrown and built by Wyner before having figures, animals, and textures added by Druken.

 

 

Druken enjoyed this collaborative approach and reflects on the experience, saying “Working with Zoë has been an exciting shift of practice. Once we set out the vision for the collection we were in communication frequently to share our thoughts, sketches and progress. Working with ceramics was full of experimentation and patience. Zoë was able to anticipate and communicate certain methods for the painting process, which was helpful as clay absorbs paint so differently from canvas and paper. After some trial and error we fell into a good flow of work. I especially enjoyed painting the large vases at Zoë’s dining room table, where hot tea and warm conversation were had throughout the work sessions.”

Two of the most impressive works in the show are large vases displayed prominently in the gallery’s windows overlooking Broadway. They show off Wyner’s mastery of clay and act as the canvas for Druken’s painting. Across the two vessels a cascade of figures seem to dance and celebrate. These characters reappear in Druken’s two-dimensional works nearby, tying together art on the wall and in the round.

 

Explaining the iconography used throughout the exhibition, Druken states, “The aesthetic for my work for Linea is largely inspired by Ukranian folk art, with references drawn from other European cultures. This folk imagery, with roots in Slavic paganism, is woven into agrarian dreamscapes. Through repeated images of daily life, connection to the land, animals, and spirit, I hope to inspire a theme of rest, rhythm, and reverence.”

 

Druken’s aims for her work come across nicely. Her images are charming and endearing, but also hint at a recognizable and rich visual language passed down from generation to generation. The combination of this with Wyner’s elegant clay forms is a natural fit and results in a stunning show.

 

 

Speaking of what she hopes viewers take away from the exhibition, ceramist Wyner says, “This show feels like a meaningful opportunity to encourage viewers to critically examine any preconceived notions they may have around ceramics works. In addition to just being a special experience, I see this collaboration as a means to collapse the distinction between craft and fine art. Even just the act of hanging ceramic works on the walls next to 2D fine arts feels crucial in this time, especially as general interest in clay as a means of expression seems to endlessly grow in popularity.”

 

In their richly layered collection of paintings and ceramics, Druken and Wyner have created a well-timed showcase for art and craft. Thought-provoking and deeply enjoyable, Linea is a must-see exhibition.

 

 

 

Linea is on view at World’s Fair Gallery at 268 Broadway in Providence from December 8, 2022 - January 28, 2023. An opening reception will take place Thursday, December 8 from 6 pm to 8 pm. Full details can be found at www.worldsfairgallery.com.

 

Learn more about Catherine Druken at www.lovici.com. Learn more about Zoë Wyner at www.zoewyner.com.