Event
ReilluminatePost an Event »
EN EM Art Space
March 7 - April 5, 2015Info
1714 Broadway (between 17th & 18th)Sacramento, CA 95818 Google Map »
Reception
March 14, 2015 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Allison Watkins. "Reilluminate #19"; 11" x 14".
EN EM Art Space is pleased to present our first exhibition of 2015, Reilluminate, a solo show of works by Napa based artist Allison Watkins.
Allison Watkins’ work explores perceptions of materiality primarily through the forms of photography and mixed media. In Reilluminate, Watkins says, "Most of our relationships with plants are during the day, during the magic of photosynthesis, a time when we can admire the visible beauty of nature lit up brightly by the sunlight. I walk around at night and gather plants and flowers with controlled lighting, illuminating the darkened garden that has receded since the sun has gone down. This process brings attention to the temporal light of the day, having much in common with the temporal existence of plants and flowers- their constantly changing shape and form calls attention to their short- lived life span."
The resultant photographs from Watkins’ explorations in this body of work, is both haunting and beautiful. The illumination of a specific area of a plant, surrounded by the darkness of night makes the viewer feel like a voyeur. We are able to travel along in Watkins’ nighttime sojourns of darkened gardens and forests. The technique, simultaneously allows Watkins to create striking compositions—forms and shapes of flowers and plants are highlighted, absent of the background noise of daylight. Come take a peek for yourself.
Allison Watkins is a MFA graduate of San Francisco State University, and a BFA graduate of San Jose State University. Her works have been shown in the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Francisco Camerawork, and The Textile Art Center (NYC). Recently Allison's work was chosen by SFMOMA curator Janet Bishop to be included in New American Paintings (Issue 109). Allison currently makes her home in Northern California, where she teaches fine art photography at colleges and universities in the Bay Area. She is an Affiliate Artist at the Headlands Center for the Arts.