This exhibition features work by two contemporary printmakers who seamlessly blend deep connections to the history of the medium while pushing its boundaries into the new and experimental. Contrasting the graphic pop aesthetic of Leslie Friedman’s site-specific installation with the simple natural imagery of Rebecca Gilbert’s prints and shadow boxes creates a compelling visual space of stimulation, contemplation, and delight.

Reception
February 6th, 2014
5-7 pm
artist talks at 6 pm 

Rebecca Gilbert lives and works in Philadelphia and earned an MFA in Printmaking/Book Arts from The University of the Arts and a BFA in Printmaking from Marshall University. She studied non-toxic etching at the Grafisk Eksperimentarium in Capeliera, Spain, has been an artist in residence at Jentel Foundation, and is an alumnus of Nexus Foundation for Today’s Art. She received a Surdna Foundation Enrichment Grant to support her exploration of wood engraving at the Augusta Heritage Center in 2013. Gilbert’s work is in many private collections and has been exhibited in numerous exhibitions regionally, nationally, and internationally. She currently teaches printmaking and foundations at The University of the Arts, Tyler School of Art, and Fleisher Art Memorial. Her work draws on symbolism collected from the natural world, superstition, and literature. It is characterized by a methodical technical approach to art making, a deliberately sparing use of color, and a down-to-earth recognition of primal cravings.  For the past several years, she has been using dirt, water, sticks, coins, and gold as imagery in her work to symbolize that which we crave, desire, seek out, and hold valuable. Her interest in representing activities such as building, digging, and exploring the natural world stems from a great interest in people's desires to search the earth for treasure, value, and fulfillment. She works primarily as a printmaker to create layered woodcuts and print installations, which create spaces for audiences to notice and savor small treasures, to rethink what is valuable, to contemplate what is beautiful and what has worth.