Review by Claire Haasl
360SEE Gallery is a small, but inviting space that from the interior appears true to its mission "exhibit(ing) fine art, functional art, furniture, and design objects that address issues of sustainability through concept and material construction." Witkov does just that with Quilted Portraits and Stitched Scenes, an exhibition in fabric. The works of three artists are on display and while each piece is both beautiful and original, a series called The Promise of Pills catches my eye. The artist, Alexandra Walters, uses silk, cotton, and rayon floss to embroider single capsules of behavioral medications, like Zoloft, Lithium and Prozac, onto stretched linen,
cotton or scrubs. These small, but heavily loaded artworks are layered with threads of color as well as meaning, and one can only assume that like many of the people diagnosed with mental health diseases, Walters might also have been prescribed medication after
medication. But although the subject of her work might be dim, the tone of it, from the colors of the thread to the children playing in the background of the fabric she used to sew Zoloft into, is not. While Walters seems to be painting with string, the other female artist in the show, Gillian Bates is drawing with it.
Luke Haynes, Woods
Haynes' work astound the viewer with amazing images that seem to merge the tradition of quilting with modern design concepts, the craftsmanship and detail of each quilt is impressive. While some might think that works in fabric should be considered craft, Haynes, Bates and Walters are definitely creating art. All and all the exhibition at 360SEE is worth a look all the way around.
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Tags: AlexandraWalters, GillianBates, LukeHaynes
