Arts on the Edge Wolfeboro August 10, 2009

Visual art exhibit - paintings by Marcia Christensen and Laurie Olinder
Open through 8/13. Wednesday - Saturday 10am-2pm Sunday 1pm-4pm. Closed 7/24,25 and 7/3-8/2

Marcia Christensen: The Fellowship of Women
In the Fellowship of Women series, a repetition of pattern or color reflects the close relationship that exists among African women. The clothing denotes the groups to which the women belong. This wearing of symbolic clothing is common in both West and East
Africa. The color a woman wears in the Masai culture tells her native tribe. The number of necklaces reflects her wealth. I have used actual African trade beads in the pictures. Wearing matching patterns is very common in Ghanaian culture as well. Everyone, who is related to the deceased, wears the same pattern to a funeral, although the designs of the clothing may be different. Women, who belong to various clubs or church groups, wear the same cloth.

In several of the pictures the faces of the Masai women are in graphite, while the clothing is in watercolor collage, thus emphasizing the importance of the group rather than the individual. The Ghanaian women’s faces are painted, because the unity of the fabric is more pronounced.

In Ghana clothing is often printed using adinkra symbols. These are traditional images which reflect truths. For instance, if one wears the image of the crocodile, one is showing the world that he or she is adaptable (able to live on the land or in the water). Many of the images are more abstract, but their meanings are well known to the Ghanaian people. Sometimes I include these symbols as background for the paintings of women to emphasize a particular theme in the painting. Because I don’t want them to dominate the images of the women, the symbols are usually monochromatic, cutout collages. The red background on the Masai paintings refers to the blood and milk, which make the essential part of their diet. Red is also an indicator in identifying a Masai.

Laurie Olinder: Blue Circles
Laurie’s ink drawings create a space that fluctuates from a flat
surface inspired by decorative art and textiles to a deep patterned curtains, maps, or scientific diagrams. She is exploring mirroring these drawings in a vast repeat that recalls mazes, Islamic decorative art, or a psychedelic vision. Olinder draws her inspiration from calligraphy, nature, botanical drawings, and textile design. She creates drawings that pull you in to an environment that leads your eye to unexpected places.

Official Website: http://www.artsedgewolfeboro.org