TRANSFORMATIONS Art Exhibition Opening Reception on March 23
TRANSFORMATIONS Art Opening Reception
Thursday, March 23 at 7:30 pm
Takoma Park Community Center
7500 Maple Avenue
The origin of paper winds through history and across centuries from papyrus in ancient Egypt to pulp-based paper from the Han dynasty in China to the invention of photographic paper in the early 19th century.
Artists have transformed this common material into new worlds of invention and creativity. Three artists will share their paper-based work in the TRANSFORMATIONS exhibition at the Takoma Park Community Center with an opening reception at 7:30 pm on March 23. The featured artists include Beth Caruso, Landry Dunand, and Randall Williams.
Beth Caruso’s work often depicts aspects of the self and the body in relation to nature. In her Inner Life series, she photographs subjects and scenes and then uses digital tools to transform them into mirrored, kaleidoscopic imagery.
“This series stems from a vivid interplay of intellect and emotion, combined with the workings of my conscious and subconscious,” she said. “In this light, the work can be viewed as a dialogue between the inner life of the artist and her surroundings, reflecting a desire to reorder the elements of the external world.”
Landry Dunand is a photographer who is exploring the image as an experience in which the artist and subject connect through the photographic process. A native of France, he has traveled extensively, living in Thailand and Afghanistan before moving to Takoma Park. He is focusing his work now on tintype portraits and mixed-media interpretations of his photos.
“Ultimately, my hope is that my images will invite viewers to engage with the world in a new way,” he said. “By highlighting the tactile, gritty qualities of my subjects, I aim to create a visceral experience that transcends the boundaries of the photograph and connects the viewer with the world beyond.”
Finding inspiration in nature, literature, and the arts, Randall Williams cuts paper to create highly detailed colorful artwork. He is president of the Guild of American Papercutters, an organization dedicated to preserving and advancing papercutting as an art form.
“I use hand-cut paper combined with acrylic paints and inks to create layered, expressive images that explore form and color,” he said. “I attempt to create pieces with movement and depth. Papercutting is a meditative art form – as it does not pay to move recklessly when wielding a sharp blade – that brings me a sense of calm.”
This exhibition, which will be on view until June 7, was curated by the City of Takoma Park’s Arts and Humanities Coordinator Brendan Smith. The Takoma Park Arts series includes free art exhibitions, poetry readings, film screenings, concerts, and theater at the Takoma Park Community Center. Please go to takomaparkmd.gov/arts for more info and to sign up for our e-newsletter.
