KINDRED - A NEW EXHIBITION OF WORKS ON PAPER BY WATERVILLE NATIVE ELIZABETH A. JABAR
November 11 2011 through December 28 2011
Common Street Gallery is pleased to announce a new exhibition of works on paper by artist Elizabeth Jabar. The exhibition 'Kindred' will be on view from November 11 to December 28, with an artist reception at the gallery on Friday, November 11 from 5-8 pm. The public is invited to attend.
Elizabeth Jabar is the Associate Professor of Printmaking at the Maine College of Art in Portland where she lives with her husband, photographer Sean Alonzo Harris and their daughter Enrica. She is a Waterville native and has fond, vivid memories of roaming through the Colby College Art Museum as a young girl and being completely enchanted by the paintings and prints in the gallery's collections.
Professor Jabar returns to her roots to mount an exhibition of prints, paper cuts, and artist books that reflect on the ideas of kinship, ancestry and cultural heritage. Working from a narrative framework, she uses a lexicon of abstracted and representational forms that come from a diversity of sources including, nature, folk art traditions, textiles, and the human figure. Her densely layered, vividly colored works are made using a combination of print techniques - woodcut, silkscreen, and lithography, as well as the use of dyes, wax, and thread. Jabar’s works also expand the conventions of the print medium, and utilize nontraditional formats including cut paper, book objects, and unframed wall compositions.
Jabar's works have a strong material presence, and her unique approach to both form and format creates a multi-sensory experience for the viewer. She explains that her work conjures multi-layered narratives that lead us away from the ordinary into a contemplative space full of color, potent symbols, and a unique visual language that is not easily categorized.
These formal and material strategies underscore what Jabar states is her goal of “reflecting upon the richness and complexities of cultural identity.” In her exhibition 'Kindred', Elizabeth Jabar poignantly captures diverse narratives and interprets what it means to be in kinship with our cultural ancestors.
Common Street Gallery announces its GRAND OPENING with a collective exhibition and opening night event. Join us in celebrating the launch of Waterville's new gallery for the exhibition of contemporary fine art by recognized and emerging artists. This collective show will feature five artists: Susan Barnes, Sara Crall, Robin Reynolds, Kate Barnes, and Colleen Kinsella. Come for an evening of celebration, meet the artists, and enjoy the work. The Opening Reception will be on April 15th, with the exhibition running through June 11th.
COMMON STREET GALLERY ¦ 20 Common Street ¦ Waterville, ME 04901 ¦ 207.749.4368 info@commonstreetgallery.com