Meditative Surfaces ~ ArtScene ~ Fort Wayne Museum of Art

I spent this past Friday night with Maggie Meiners and Deanna Krueger, at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, speaking about our Meditative Surfaces exhibition currently on display in the museum's Regional Artists Gallery. The exhibition space is pristine yet approachable and the  presentation of the work is beautifully curated. About twenty local art enthusiasts attended the lecture—wanting to learn more about the show's genesis as well as our individual artistic journeys.

Meditative Surfaces continues through January 19th at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. The Museum is located at 311 E. Main Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10-6, Thursday 10-8, and Sunday 12-5. Admission is free to members, $7 for adults, $5 for students and seniors 65 and over. The museum offers free general admission every Thursday from 5-8 and Sunday. Learn more at: fwmoa.org

ArtScene at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art: Meditative Surfaces

Deanna Krueger, "Otekaike", Mixed Media, 54x72"

In just a few weeks, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art will be hosting "Meditative Surfaces"—a three-person exhibition comprised of work by Deanna Krueger, Maggie Meiners and myself. The exhibition will be presented in the Contemporary Regional Gallery from November 9 through January 19. Meditative Surfaces presents work created with both traditional and experimental techniques—yet all of the pieces explore unique personal content. The diversity of inspiration includes: X-Ray and MRI diagnostic imagery, mixed-media, self-analysis through photographic childhood contemplations and the prehistoric megaliths of Great Britain.

 

Maggie Meiners, "Slick" C-Print, 40x40"

On Friday, November 15th, Krueger, Meiners and myself will be in Fort Wayne to take part in the ArtScene lecture series. ArtScene is a dynamic program featuring living artists and curators discussing their work in contemporary life through diverse topics such as motivations, struggles, influences, life experiences, and artistic inspirations.

ArtScene: Meditative Surfaces will be presented on November 15 at 6:30pm. The event is free to FWMoA Members. There is a $5 fee for non-members.

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art is located in downtown Fort Wayne on Main Street next to the Arts United Center at the corner of Main and Lafayette. The Museum offers convenient parking behind the building, and is fully handicap accessible. The museum is open: Sunday, 12-5 pm, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 am - 6pm, and Thursday 10am-8 pm.

 

 Charles Gniech "Wave Watching" acrylic on canvas, 40x60"

 ---

Born and raised in Michigan and currently living in Chicago, Deanna Krueger is an Instructor at Northeastern Illinois University, teaching courses in painting and design. Krueger holds a Master of Fine Art degree from Eastern Michigan University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Michigan. She has been a Visiting Artist at various Colleges and Universities around the mid-west, including The University of Michigan, Portland College in Champaign, Illinois, and Robert Morris College in Chicago. Krueger’s work has been exhibited nationally as well as internationally with exhibits in Berlin and Rome. A Solo exhibition of Krueger’s work will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, during the 2010 exhibition season.


Born in Chicago, IL, Maggie Meiners had a suburban upbringing, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from University of Colorado-Boulder, and a Master of Education degree from De Paul University in Chicago, Illinois. She now resides outside of Chicago. Although Meiners is primarily a self-taught photographer, she devours books on art and photography, has taken workshops with Diane Kittle, Lauren Henkin, and Norman Mauskopf, and relies on a number of mentors to help her hone her creative and photographic skills. Meiners tends to find interest in objects that most people would overlook… and presents those subjects in her photography. It doesn’t necessarily matter what the subject is, but whether or not it is open for interpretation. Her compositions are direct, to the point of appearing minimal, while her subject matter, conversely discloses significant complexity. Meiner’s work appears in numerous private and public collections, including: The Illinois Institute of Art, Harrison Street Lofts, and Wheaton College. Additionally, she has been the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including the 2009 Ragdale Prize. Among other bodies of work, Meiners continues to produce pieces for her large scale “Childhood Contemplations” imagery. This abstract work—comprised of random color patterns—invites the viewer to enter into a meditative environment. This series was exhibited at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, in September 2008 and is currently touring with the work of Deanna Krueger and Charles Gniech.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Charles Gniech is a Professor of Art at The Illinois Institute of Art- Chicago. He holds a Master of Fine Art degree with an emphasis in painting and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in illustration, both from Northern Illinois University. While teaching, curating, consulting and freelancing, Gniech continues to paint and exhibits at the national level. His paintings focus on the meditative qualities of the stone circles found throughout Great Britain. Having explored many megalithic sites over the past twenty years, Gniech embraces the peaceful serenity of the mystical structures—a serenity that is reflected in his work. Images of his paintings may be seen on the web site: gniech.com The paintings of Charles Gniech have been included into various gallery and museum exhibitions. His work has been exhibited at The Rockford Art Museum, The Fort Wayne Museum of Art, and The Quincy Art Center. Represented by ZIA Gallery [Winnetka, IL] and Gallery H [Three Oaks, MI], Gniech’s paintings have been acquired for numerous public and private collections.

Meditative Surfaces ~ Fort Wayne Museum of Art

Charles Gniech, Watching Waves, acrylic on canvas, 36" x 60"

This fall, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art will be presenting the three-person exhibition titled "Meditative Surfaces". Meditative Surfaces is a powerfully inspirational exhibition focusing on meditative surface patterns. The exhibition brings together the work of Mixed-media Artist; Deanna Krueger, Photographer; Maggie Meiners and my surface paintings. All of the included work was inspired by our own—very different—individual passions, yet the work comes together to present a united statement of introspection.

I've spent more then a two decades exploring the serene qualities of the prehistoric stone circles that are found throughout Great Britain. Most people are familiar with Stonehenge, yet there are areas concentrated with megalithic structures as far to the north as the Scottish Islands, and as far to the south-and west-as Cornwall. The largest complex of circles is just to the north of Stonehenge, at Avebury.

I am inspired by the patterns found on the massive prehistoric megaliths. I reference and manipulate these patterns to create tranquil imagery. My latest body of work is influenced by the meditative qualities of the fluid surface patterns found on these monuments. I have taken some artistic liberties, in the replication, manipulation and abstraction of the surface patterns found on these massive stone slabs, yet the work continues to convey the serene qualities regularly associated with nature and inner peace.

The two other artists presented in this exhibition are Mixed Media Artist, Deanna Krueger and Fine Art Photographer, Maggie Meiners.
 
Deanna Krueger produces powerful mixed media forms created from recycled medical diagnostic film layered with monotypes. The film is torn, repositioned, and then stapled together to create various multi-faceted surfaces. The semi-reflective surfaces create a mesmerizing, gem-like quality. Krueger’s given titles hint at the conceptual nuances, which imply humanity’s collective search for meaning. Krueger explains:

“I am interested in humanity's collective search for meaning in the absurdity that is this life, and in the pleasure to be found in the various manifestations of that search.”

“…Serving as a marker of this time of transition, the materials speak to the recent evolution of information storage. When virtual documents replace paper, the lowly staple will become an artifact of an earlier information age. Modes of diagnostic imagery are shifting as well: X-Rays and MRI scans are increasingly being recorded solely in the digital realm.”

The large-scale abstract photographs of Maggie Meiners come from her “Childhood Contemplations” series. The mere size of these forty-inch square digital c-prints, allows the viewer to become engulfed by the imagery and to explore their inner mind. The various color patterns are meant to trigger memories on which to contemplate. In defining this body of work, Meiners explains:

“Although the use of blurred imagery seems to defy logic, this intentional shift in focus is meant to transfix and then transport the viewer to a mind space where memories run wild. Various spectrums of color are used as a guide to revisit and explore memories of the past.”

"Meditative Surfaces" will be exhibited at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art from November 13 through January 14th with a panel discussion scheduled for Friday, November 15th. More on that in future posts.
.