Catamount Arts is pleased to present Epilogues, an exhibition of sculpture by artists Abbie Read and Jessica Straus in Catamount Arts Main Gallery through October 15. A special artist reception will be held on Saturday, September 16 from 5-7 pm with artist talks beginning at 5:30 pm. All are welcome to attend.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION: Abbie Read and Jessica Straus: Epilogues: Using books and domestic objects as raw material for their art, Abbie Read and Jessica Straus create inventive, sometimes quirky sculpture that goes beyond a consideration of the everyday. Books are their primary fodder, giving new life to traditionally handheld objects. Wall collages by Abbie Read first appear as large quilts until one looks closely to see patterns formed by late 19th and early 20th century book covers that have been beautifully pieced and stitched together. The chunks of an old encyclopedia that Jessica Straus has cut apart are transformed into a non-useable, but intriguing tote bag. Straus also integrates splayed cuts from the Boston Yellow Pages and discarded computer manuals into her carved and painted forms. The familiarity of these discarded, newly obsolescent materials demands that viewers consider society’s changing relationship to print in a digital age, as well as an artistic desire for sustainability. Recycling and repurposing have long been core interests for both Read and Straus. Their work on view in Epilogues tells the story of what comes after for books we no longer read, as well as celebrates the determined invention of artists who hold profound reverence for what has been.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Abbie Read: A passionate collector of old books, Maine artist Abbie Read finds unique ways to incorporate them into her art. Her work has been exhibited widely at various museums and galleries, including the Jewett Art Center at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA; the Maine Center for Contemporary Art, Rockport, ME; the New Art Center, Newton, MA; and the Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME. In 2014 she participated as part of an artists exchange in the Art in the Embassies program and exhibited in the US Ambassador’s residence in Doha, Qatar. Most recently, she collaborated with Jessica Straus on TransAtlantic, a site-specific work installed as part of the 2017 summer exhibition ArtTerritoire in Athis de L’Orne in Normandy, France. Read lives and works from her studio in Appleton, ME.
Jessica Straus: Working primarily in wood and mixed media, sculptor Jessica Straus explores the poetry of unexpected juxtaposition between recognizable and invented form. Her work has been exhibited at various museums and galleries, including the Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA; the Brattleboro Museum of Art, Brattleboro, VT; the Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA; Danforth Art, Framingham, MA; the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln, MA; the Duxbury Art Complex, Duxbury, MA; and the Fuller Museum of Craft, Brockton, MA. Most recently, she created TransAtlantic, a site-specific work installed as part of the 2017 summer exhibition ArtTerritoire in Athis de L’Orne in Normandy, France. Recipient of grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Berkshire Taconic Foundation, Straus is represented by the Boston Sculptor’s Gallery and works from her studio in the Brickbottom Artists Building.