Details of artwork by (L-R) Scott McCarney, Carol Meese, Margaret Buchanan.

Opening Reception for August/September 2022 Exhibitions

Artspace presents four solo exhibitions which revolve around communication with the viewer. The opening reception, scheduled for Friday, August 26, 2022, 6-9pm, features artwork by Scott McCarney, Margaret Buchanan, Carol Meese and Elisabeth Flynn-Chapman. Exhibition dates are August 26 - September 17, 2022.

Scott McCarney presents photography and artists books in his exhibition, Table to Wall. Artist books have been the main focus of McCarney’s art practice since 1980. He feels the book is the perfect form to combine his academic background in photography and design with his love for the “corporeality of craft and philosophic possibilities of sculpture.” He states, “The interpretive space of the book and the interaction of a reader engage my interest in communication as process and form.” McCarney’s decision to make artists books is for both practical and formal reasons: they are easy to transport, access, and share; their history is socially and culturally saturated; and everyone has some relationship with a book. According to McCarney, “a book’s materiality and proximity to the reader offer a unique experience for expressing ideas quietly and with purpose.”

Margaret Buchanan’s oil paintings will be displayed in her exhibition, The Quiet. For Buchanan, painting is “a place of agitation and excitement mixed with utter calm and joy.”  Buchanan responds to composition, light, color, space, and texture, and how those elements orchestrate our everyday moments. Her paintings suggest the presence of figures that do not appear in the composition, referenced by a space where “someone is about to enter or has just left, the liminal spaces between people, the aftermath of human activity.” The Quiet articulates a dynamic space, one that negotiates many states of being to create a sense of place.

A book artist, painter, and designer, Margaret Buchanan divides her working life between painting and her graphic design business, Buchanan Design. She studied graphic design and painting at Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond, Virginia, where she earned a BFA with honors. 

The mystery of unspoken words, unconscious thoughts, and unheard prayers emerge in Carol Meese’s exhibition of paintings, Prayer Books. Meese’s previous career in psychology provides her with an “understanding of what motivates others,” how to relate on an emotional level, and of the importance of the subconscious and unconscious helping (her) to communicate on a subliminal level. Saying things that have no words.” 

During our pandemic time was spent reading and thinking about solitude. Buried in these paintings are words from Theodore Rilke's poem "Solitude." and personal prayers. A pentimento effect is created with paint, plaster, ink and graphite. Thoughts about solitude are inscribed then obscured as if by smoke or fog or ignored thoughts or speech. The meaning is obscured, left to the viewer to complete.

Photographs by Elisabeth Flynn-Chapman will be on display in her exhibition, Reflections. Flynn-Chapman is a photographer and art historian. She began taking photographs to illustrate her doctoral thesis on architecture while at Northwestern University. She found she had a natural affinity for composition saying, “the buildings told me what to shoot.” These photos communicate each building’s presence and their history with the viewer. Her architectural photos became the cornerstone of Flynn-Chapman’s portfolio which expanded to include locations as well as people from around the world.

A long time member of Artspace, Flynn-Chapman has recently been recognized for her contributions to the gallery with the naming of our multi-purpose space in her honor. The space will be officially inaugurated in her name during the opening reception for this month’s shows at 7pm. The Flynn-Chapman Gallery will feature a variety of exhibitions and events including Spotlight shows for our artist members and exhibitions of work by other area nonprofits and schools. The Flynn-Chapman Gallery will also provide space for art classes and workshops. 

A Spotlight exhibition of three Artspace artist members, Ed Tepper, Susanne K. Arnold, and Joel Moses, will be on view in the Flynn-Chapman Gallery during the August-September exhibition period. 

Exhibition Dates: August 26-September 17, 2022
Opening Reception: Friday, August 26, 6-9pm
Inauguration of the Flynn-Chapman Gallery, 7pm
Artist Talks: Saturday, August 27, 2pm