Parallel Practice features paintings by Stanley Bielen and constructions by Conny Goelz-Schmitt. The two artists have radically different practices – one reanimates old, used material, and the other paints new from life.
Conny Goelz-Schmitt creates abstract geometric wall sculptures from vintage book covers. The faded color and rich patina from her salvaged materials evoke a sense of history, telling the many stories these books have covered.
The interplay of sizes, shapes, and colors leads her to search for the perfect placement of her book parts, and this pursuit becomes both meditation and ritual. “Through my work, I explore the concepts of deconstruction, reconstruction, and dimensionality, treating each book like a time machine,” says Goelz-Schmitt.
Stanley Bielen’s paintings often begin with him planting the flower he intends to capture in paint. He brings clippings from his garden into the studio and combines his intensity of looking with his mastery of paint handling.
The objective is to capture the specific interaction between the object, light, and the enveloping atmosphere on a given day. And to do this with the obdurate physicality of paint, which becomes sensuous and rich in Bielen’s hands. The resulting paintings revel both in the joy of nature and painting.
