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Curatorial
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Paula Kovarik: Herd
The New Gallery, Aug. 17 - Sept. 16, 2022 |
Exhibition Catalogue
exhibition essay by: Dr. Dixie Webb |
“But the tame do naturally line in flocks and herds” (Golding 1587)
Paula Kovarik's art has an undercurrent of peculiarities and humor. She looks for things that are uncanny— those elements in life that don’t quite make sense. They’re on the edge. Darkness seeps in with the cares of the day and moods of the moment. Scratchy, murky textures appear. Grids dissolve. Patterns stop repeating. There is often a dissolution in the narrative. The lines she stitches with thread are both active and reactive. She processes her thoughts by letting the thread tell her where it wants to go. Characters and patterns emerge through stitching. A sidewalk crack can become a tree branch, a potato shaped circle, a pool of spirals. Through it all, she I sensitive to surprises, allowing the line and images to tell her more than she thinks she knows. The slow and considered act of stitching animates her thoughts. The medium of fabric and thread makes the pieces approachable, tactile and reminiscent of comfort. The malleable cloth is incised with meaning. She likes that contrast, soft but pointed, a strong line against a giving surface. It resists yet adapts. Moving from two-dimensional surfaces to three-dimensional forms, she built a herd this year. The members have no heads. They are diverse and a little disturbing. Where are they going? What has the herd heard to draw them here? Let loose upon my studio floor and tables, they wander aimlessly. They could be me and you. They could be them. They stay together, they move as one, letting someone else or something else dictate their actions. Gallery Guide
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