Kismet

I met an interesting artist at a reception a few weeks back. After discussing the work—which was on the walls—we began to talk a little about our own work. At the end of the conversation, I asked if she had a web site where I could find some of her images. She pulled a business card from her bag, wished me well, and moved on to the next conversation.

When I got home that night, I went through the cards, which were passed on to me. The discussion of the Artist’s work was still in the back of my mind. I found her card, logged on, and spent the next 20 minutes sifting through images of her work, reading her statement and reviewing her resume. I was intrigued. I composed a quick e-mail to request a studio visit. I wanted to see the work in person.

I was invited to visit the Artist’s studio a few days later. We sat and talked, discussing the history and the concept of her work. She was charming. We eventually wandered around the space to look at the recently-hung work. She described the technique for creating these multi-faceted jewels. She explained that the work is created from painted X-Rays and MRI scans which are torn into interesting shapes and reconfigured, then stapled into place. I noticed that the shards of painted film tend not to lay flat. This slight buckle creates the dimensional aspect of the work. Light plays on the surfaces allowing the viewer to get lost in the image. The image becomes a meditative experience.

At the conclusion of our visit, I offered the Artist a solo exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago during the 2010 season. She agreed. The Artist is Deanna Krueger. You can find her work at www.deannakrueger.com …enjoy.