“Illuminate” a Woolworth window exhibit (and also online at www.byjenn.com/illuminate), is curated by Jennifer Preston Chushcoff, and features large scale paper collages by Matthew Baird, along with figurative sculptures and poetry by Tina Lauzon.
Streetside Artscape:
Tina Lauzon and Matthew Baird / Illumination
Curated by Jennifer Preston Chushcoff
11th & Commerce St.
February 2021 – August 2021
More exhibit info at www.byjenn.com/illuminate
Matthew Baird’s and Tina Lauzon’s artwork illuminate, sparking wonder, opening perspectives and offering a new view into someone else’s experience. I hope you enjoy getting lost and wandering for a bit inside Baird’s collages and contemplating Lauzon’s sculptures while they are available to view in person. They are shown together in this Woolworth Window through June 2021. Check back often as the display will change to rotate through all of Baird’s collages.
– exhibit curator Jennifer Preston Chushcoff
Matthew Baird
Matthew Baird’s large-scale paper collages behave like sculptures. Using maps, directories and patterned paper, he must keep in mind that the collage will be seen on two sides and that each piece has a distinct translucency. This element allows him to create patterns of light, which he also builds into the negative spaces he carves. His meticulous collages can take weeks to years to complete. These “stained glass” collages function best when hung in a window where light can pass through them, activating them in multiple dimensions. As they hang in sunlit windows, the light that passes through constantly changes, creating what feels like a living, breathing work of art. It is art that evolves, seen anew in each moment. Baird describes his art-making as play and escape. The designs mesmerize viewers. His kaleidoscopic visions invite you to get lost in shapes, textures and patterns. Though Baird’s work is large (some are 3′ wide by 4′ feet tall) every inch is attended to as viewers explore small hand-drawn and colored details.
Tina Lauzon
Tina Lauzon’s 12 exquisitely sculpted torsos reveal a personal timeline through history. Lauzon shapes her subjective experience and emotion, creating a physical presence. The story they tell is a representation of fear, pain, survival and redemption. Each sculpture acts as a visual guide to internal anguish and ecstasy. One torso reveals butterflies emerging. Another depicts a snarling dog-like beast erupting from the chest. Anonymous hands grasp flesh. A body blossoms into flowers while another sparkles with thousands of hand-set rhinestones. All of her materials are carefully chosen. From melted records to strips of leather to ash, each build upon her message. Lauzon’s work is not just a therapeutic way to explore her life. It lights a way for others to move forward through their own grief and inner turmoil. By creating these works, she offers a voice for other survivors of violence. Perhaps, most importantly, she shows that we can transcend fear or bitterness. Lauzon pairs each of her powerful sculptures with a carefully crafted poem. They work in harmony with each other and help the viewer experience the entire work on a deeper level. Lauzon has also recorded herself reading each poem adding a further dimension to experience. The recordings are available to listen to below.
More exhibit info at www.byjenn.com/illuminate
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