Mapping the Invisible

The Flinn Gallery in Greenwich Connecticut is pleased to present Mapping the Invisible, featuring artists Laura Battle, Jaq Belcher and Amy Myers. All three artists are inspired by engagement with the wonders and mysteries found in concepts of mathematics and scientific theory. Their use of geometry and repetitive mark-making in divergent mediums result in varied and intriguing explorations of universal energetic patterns, both visible and imagined.

Laura Battle, an artist whose practice ranges from intricate graphite drawings to large scale oil paintings, has been a tenured professor of art at Bard College for the last 3 decades and is an alumna of Yale University. Inspired by the patterns of nature such as the ebb and flow of water or the circling sweep of swallows, as well as ancient diagrams of the universe and ways of measuring time, Battle’s intricate geometries and sensitively rendered colors lead viewers into a world of heightened order and emotive energy. Her art explores the relationship between structured design and spontaneous creation; each piece, some with upwards of 4000 lines, offer exciting optical effects and unexpected compositions that become charged spaces suggesting a visceral and universally relatable visual language.

Jaq Belcher, a New York-based artist originally from Melbourne, Australia, uses pristine white or black paper in her intricately executed dimensional work. Originally a sculptor working in metal, Belcher embraced the qualities of paper’s simplicity and ecology when she moved to New York in 2001. Her work is grounded in a process of reduction and repetition influenced by Eastern and Western contemplative traditions. Using nothing more than an X-acto knife and handmade stencils, Belcher crafts mesmerizing patterns based on the “vesica piscis,” a seed-like petal shape, rich in historic, symbolic and energetic associations. Her meticulous attention to detail and mastery of paper manipulation result in works that shimmer with reflected light and shadow. As part of the exhibit, a temporary installation of excised “seeds” of paper will form a mandala on the floor referencing the continuous cycle and transformation of matter and energy.

Amy Myers is a New York based artist and Texas-native who trained at the Kansas City Art Institute and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Influenced by an interest in the implications of ideas such as quantum mechanics and string theory, and sensitive to the emotive properties of color, her mixed-media drawings and paintings evolve as poetic imaginings and intuitive explorations of theories related to ideas as small as the atom and as big as the birth of galaxies. Through graphite, ink, gouache, conte and oil paint, Myers portrays abstract yet nearly symmetrical figures that blur the boundaries between the organic and the mechanical, inviting viewers to engage with the layered details and the sense of vibration and spinning energy they portray. Myers' works have found homes in prestigious collections including the Guggenheim Museum and the Laguna Art Museum.

The exhibit is co-curated by Francene Langford and Caren Winnall and will run from Thursday May 2, 2024 to Wednesday June 20, 2024 at the Flinn Gallery, located within the Greenwich Library. Join us for an opening reception on May 2nd from 6-8 pm, where guests will have the opportunity to meet the artists and delve deeper into their creative processes.

EVENTS:
Opening reception: Thursday, May 2nd from 6-8pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, June 1, 2 -3pm

The Flinn Gallery, celebrating its 95th season, is sponsored by Friends of Greenwich Library. It is located on the second floor of the library at 101 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT. Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Thursday 10am-8pm, and Sunday 1-5pm.