Dimensional Works

Kathryn Spence: short sharp notes, rolling or churring whistles, clear phrases Â» Mills College Art Museum

KATHRYN SPENCE Untitled (Western Screech Owls), 2009 Coats, pants, stuffed animals, sand, string, thread, wire, pins

The exhibition Kathryn Spence: short sharp notes, rolling or churring whistles, clear phrases will feature new work by the San Francisco Bay Area artist. Spenceâ€™s sculptural objects are inspired by birds and the natural world but are composed from the discarded materials of the human world.

Accumulated bits of fabric, thread, paper, and cardboard take on species-specific characteristics and inhabit space as they might in the wild.

KATHRYN SPENCE Untitled (Coyotes), 2009 Sweaters, shirts, towels, stuffed animals, wood, pins, colored paper

Her work demonstrates an uncanny ability to capture the essence of animals without masking her found materials, applying a naturalistâ€™s methods to urban detritus. Spenceâ€™s objects emulate the living animals and other items and elements she observes in nature, and explore the disparity between the culture of the artificial and the existence of the untamed natural world that surrounds us. Spenceâ€™s works on paper take on sculptural qualities as well, often lying on bases instead of hanging on the wall and incorporating some of the same materials found in her sculpture. Her exhibition at the Mills College Art Museum will include a combination of new two-dimensional and three-dimensional works.

Kathryn Spence received her MFA from Mills College in 1993. She lives and works in San Francisco, California. Kathryn Spence: short sharp notes, rolling or churring whistles, clear phrases is curated by Stephanie Hanor.

via Current Exhibitions Â» Mills College Art Museum.

Featured Artist: Dianna Cohen

as published in the Fall 2009 issue of the CSPA Quarterly

Los Angeles-based multi-media visual artist, painter and curator Dianna Cohen is best known for her two-dimensional and three-dimensional works using recycled plastic bags â€“ sewn together â€“ ranging from small hanging pieces to room-sized installations.Â

Cohenâ€™s work has been applied to surfboards in the acclaimed group show FLOW â€“ fine lines on water, which she also curated. In 2007, Cohen expanded into making wearable art pieces using recycled materials, including stage outfits for alt-rock duo The Ditty Bops and a â€œgreen carpetâ€ dress for actress Rachelle Carson. Her â€œconscious coutureâ€ and art were featured on Ed Begleyâ€™s environmentally themed HGTV series Living With Ed and on the CBS EcoZone Project with Daisy Fuentes.Â

Other projects include:Â The Curse, a book of stories at: www.thecurse.com and Citizenlove, new 2008 textiles based on her plastic work and viewable at: www.citizenlove.com

Solo shows include post, Art Affairs gallery in Amsterdam, the Sutton Gallery in Melbourne, and Frank Pictures in Santa Monica, CA. She has shown in group exhibitions at Affirmation Arts in NYC, the Riverside Art Museum in Riverside, the Bronx Museum in NYC and the Tampa Museum of Art in Florida.

In 2008, she had work in the exhibition Just How Does A Patriot Act at The OCCCA in Orange County and at SPARC in Venice, CA and in the exhibition Recreate in Santa Monica.

In 2009, Cohen had solo exhibitions at Elizabeth Budia Gallery, Barcelona, and Art From Scrap in Santa Barbara. In 2010, her work will be exhibited in BCN: Nights Gallery in Barcelona, Spain.