Santa Fe, NM– Chiaroscuro is pleased to present Penny Truitt’s solo exhibition, In Spite of Boundaries, on view in the main gallery from September 16 – October 15 with the opening reception with the artist, Friday, September 16, 5-7pm. The new body of work is a direct reaction to, and movement away from, her long running Boundaries series.
Truitt explains:
As a reaction to my last body of work, which was a series of sculptures that attended to walls and the harsh imposition of barriers, I began to explore new forms which disregard these disruptions, and move towards natural movements which secure the future. Seeds travel on currents of wind and water, seemingly random occurrences. They serve to remind us of growth and regeneration. Variations are infinite, unforeseen and unknown. Their pods and husks remain as material evidence – visual reminders – of transition and continuum.
Seed pods and the idea of seeds dispersing then growing in the environment, is what informs this work. Abstract in nature, these pieces integrate clay and steel allowing a broader interaction of surface and color.
A ceramic sculptor for the majority of her career, Truitt started working in steel a few years ago to challenge herself with a new material and methods, seeing where her forms and surfaces would go in the new medium. Inspiration came when she realized working in steel was taking her sculpture in new directions, and redefining her relationship with form and force a shift in perception.
Penny Truitt has enjoyed a long career as a self-taught artist. Graduating from Boston College with a BA in Classical Archaeology, her studies have informed her world view and artistic endeavors. This is Truitt’s third solo exhibition at Chiaroscuro.