Bristol CC's Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery hosts 'A Confluence of Place and Space'

FALL RIVER — The new exhibition at Bristol Community College's Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery will be exploring two overlapping concepts: place and space.

"A Confluence of Place and Space" will feature works by five different artists, each of whom brings their own interpretations and perceptions of the theme, inspired by their lives, personal history, and sensory experiences.

These concepts of place and space span a variety of disciplines.

The exhibit will be on display into March, with an opening reception planned for February.

Before the opening reception, and as you plan your own visit, here's what you need to know about "A Confluence of Place and Space":

Where will the exhibit be on display?

"A Confluence of Place and Space" will be on display at the Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery on the Bristol Community College Fall River campus, 777 Elsbree St.

Which artists will be featured in the exhibit?

This exhibit will feature works by Serge Marchetta, Mara Metcalf, Maria Napolitano, Michele Provost and Masha Ryskin.

How long will the exhibit be on display?

"A Confluence of Place and Space" will be on display from Feb. 1 to March 14.

When will the opening reception be?

There will be an opening reception on Thursday, Feb. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. The snow date is Friday, Feb. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m.

What are gallery hours?

The Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery is open Monday to Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Admission

Admission to the gallery is free; it is open to the public.

About 'A Confluence of Place and Space'

The exhibit asks viewers to consider the shape of space and how we understand place.

"There are many ways to connect with these ideas; they are broad topics and span a variety of disciplines, including philosophy, geography, architecture, urban design, and the many ways that we define identity and self," Director of the Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery Kathleen Hancock wrote in a press release about the exhibit.

"For example," Hancock wrote, "we could conceptualize space as a neutral container and place as more subjective and imbued with experience and memory. By way of illustration, the place where I grew up is geographically defined, but my feelings and associations about it are personal; memory and experience give it shape and nuance that geography cannot. The transformational potential of the concept means that we can think of confluence as a vessel into which ideas freely flow, mingle and ultimately take on a new form."

Hancock wrote that, in essence, this exhibit "invites exploration into the dynamic interplay between the specific characteristics of a location and the broader, more abstract aspects that transcend physical boundaries."

Meet the artists

Get to know the featured artists a little better, through their artist's statements:

Serge Marchetta: "Since 2006, I have been working with thread in space. I produced a series of drawings on paper using embroidery and site-specific installations using the walls, floor and ceiling. In 2009, I started to combine thread with different domestic objects like a meat grinder and furniture, or gallery furniture such as pedestals. This created unusual encounters between them querying the definition linked to the function of the object, the material, and the space. I am particularly interested by the ambiguity of perception, so all my work is characterized by nuance, subtlety, and also humor, in a refined aesthetic. "

Mara Metcalf: "The visceral way I experience the world is at the core of these abstract pieces. My current work is rooted in sensory experiences and often juxtaposes an overhead or shifting points of view with linear webs and layered fragments of perception. Edges don’t always meet, and borders are often crooked. Some pieces emphasize flatness; you can only see the surface and shape. Others open into a cosmic depth, showing the places between and distances apart. The resulting images reconfigure reality and parallel my passage through life: with wrong turns, backtracking, and the willingness to forge ahead."

Maria Napolitano: "My recent work is based on what I have observed, imagined, and remembered from my daily walks in the inner-city park near my home. I began this routine just before COVID-19 and it was my lifesaver during lockdown. It has continued to be an endless source of inspiration. Making note of what I have emotionally and visually interacted with on my chosen trail, I am examining the fragile relationship we have with nature using unexpected color combinations, a diagrammatic mapping of structure, and a personal language of place and space."

Michele Provost: "This series has evolved from my ongoing curiosity about the phenomenon of remembering and forgetting. I use imagery that reflects the convergence of memory and geography; of narratives both handed down or imagined. I began this project in 2016 after spending time in coastal Normandy and Brittany, drawing a landscape that seems, to me, to resonate with a deep sadness. The shapes and marks in my work refer to a combination of landscapes of home and of France, of maps, military diagrams, blockhouses/bunkers, cemeteries, flowers, and a French porcelain funerary wreath. The surface of my paintings is built by layering, embedding, scraping, and excavating color and line. The pieces are meant to provoke thought and act as a stimulus for further observations. We carry memories in our hearts, in our minds, and in our bones, but long after we’ve forgotten the earth remembers."

Masha Ryskin: "A sense of place and belonging is increasingly important to me, especially since my immigration from the Soviet Union. As a result, my work explores landscape and its elements through direct experience of the environment around me. I take bits and pieces of my surroundings and assemble them into imaginary environments. The work investigates the concepts of history, personal memories, and everyday rituals, as well as identity and assimilation."

For more information

For more information about this exhibition, visit https://www.bristolcc.edu/gallery or send an email to [email protected].

Herald News/Taunton Daily Gazette copy editor and digital producer Kristina Fontes can be reached at [email protected]. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Bristol CC Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery: Confluence of Place and Space