Stella Untalan will be showing six drawings in the seriessoundings from which the exhibition takes it’s name. These were the catalyst for a work she made specifically for the exhibition which measures over fifteen feet. Both Amy Ralston and Lesley Tao Mowat are contributing works that have been made in response to the drawing series.
Sounding refers to a mechanism of probing the environment by sending out some kind of stimulus. The term comes from the ancient practice of determining the depth of water by feeding out a line with a weight at the end — making a sounding.
from her statement about the work in this show
My drawings in this exhibition focus on measurement and probing. A ping. Each series of marks is made by filling a tool then making marks until the ink is gone. How far will the ink go?
I have always been drawn to make marks. The repetition allows me to be caught up in a rhythm; the proximity of the marks create rest and action. This is central to my work. Using tools that ask me to focus on each mark creates a meditative state. Each mark seems to take an eternity. I touch the surface, make the mark, and then move away.
In this work the process defines the outcome. It is minimalist, repetitive, and iterative.
More than any of my other work, there is an absence of thought. Loss of concentration creates the unexpected. The unexpected however, is embraced.