Lauren Wilhelm
Out From Down Under and Beyond:Fine Art from Australia and New Zealand
May 4 - May 24, 2007
Reception:
Thursday May 10, 2007 6-8 PM
Press Release
Australian artist Lauren Wilhelm cites her studies in Budapest, courtesy of a scholarship from the Hungarian government, as a major influence in her work. Indeed, her paintings carry a Baroque feel similar to the architecture of the city, though the impression of her work is more reminiscent of Velazquez: she shares the Spanish master's deep, heavy backgrounds and an emphasis on portraiture. Wilhelm juxtaposes this classical influence with a very modern philosophical outlook on the subjectivity of her paintings. She has the courage to trust her audience to interpret her work and develop a unique, personal significance; in this way, her paintings embrace an add a layer of meaning lost in the work of more objective painters. “Thoughts Downloaded” and “Ms Khan Dreaming of Mermaids” present a pastiche of conflicting icons—many of them anthropomorphic—enlivened by the individual viewer's flight of the eye and the invocation of personal memories. The emotive and lively interaction of colors in these works provoke the viewer to further contemplation. Wilhelm's canvases ask questions; the joy of her work is in finding unique and personal answers.
Invitation to the exhibition
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Artists in this exhibition
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