‘WORD’
February 27- July 31, 2016
Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art
1701 Main Street
Peekskill NY 10566
914-788-0100 http://www.hvcca.org
Opening reception February 27, 5-7pm
HVCCA has a history of exhibitions that feature artists from the international community, some with established careers and stellar reputations as well as those just emerging onto the art stage. ‘WORD’ is HVCCA’s first open call juried exhibition highlighting talented regional artists who prominently feature ‘a word’ or ‘words’ in their artistic productions. Some 140 artists applied and 45 artists were selected. These works will sit side by side with works of artists such as Beatrice Coron, Dylan Graham (Netherlands), Ann Hamilton (US 1999 Venice Biennale artist), John Mellencamp, Jeffrey Gibson, Laura Kimpton (SLS Miami, Burning Man, California) and Robert Indiana.
‘Word’ as contemporary art form has been popularized by contemporary artists to name a few: Ruche, Wiener, Kruger and Holzer, Anastasi and others. Words have the power to hurt and to heal, to be offered as prayer or diatribe. Some of these aspects of ‘word’ will be explored in the works presented at the HVCCA.
Word Wall/Words of Rage, 2013-16
Stoneware, oxides, monofilament
Dimensions variable
Every wound results in scarring, part of the healing process. Word Wall/Words of Rage is part of the artist’s healing. It was created 3 years ago as part of Scar Tissue at Ceres Gallery NYC. It was cathartic. The piece was expanded for the museum setting; more torsos and words were added almost doubling in size; rage returned!
The words explore issues in Brody’s life; from illness, being “the good daughter,” from divorce. They include musings about life, family, and aging. The female body serves as Brody’s palette. The words include mantras said frequently to allay the clenching in the gut foreshadowing panic. This is the third iteration of the wind chime/mobile—one being about female goddesses, one about being female and this.
Brody merges her clay figures with calligraphy in these pieces. She studied for several years with the master calligrapher Lloyd J. Reynolds.
Top photo by Catherine Poarch, 2016
June 2014, Open Studios
These pieces were at HVCCA for the June 2014 Open Studios Weekend
jo-ann brody 