first exhibitions for 2024 are up and starting the year off in color. recent vintage book wall sculpture by conny goelz schmitt and new paintings by north carolina artist charles walker will be up through february. both artists have a linear focus. conny deconstructs vintage books to create her vibrant wall sculptures. her shapes are angled quadrants somehow balanced in their irregular configurations. on the other hand charles walker’s canvases stay fast to his formula of vertical lines and repetition. through his repetitive line work the viewer enters a meditative state that produces zen energy.
conny goelz schmitt is a collage artist and sculptor who spent her youth in germany, moved to taiwan in her twenties, and relocated to the united states in 1996. having been immersed in three very different cultures, she is drawn to hard edge painting influenced by the german “attention to detail”, the retro color palette reminiscent of taiwan in the 80s, and the very often experimental and creative pioneering spirit of americans. her medium of choice is almost without exception the vintage book.
in germany she studied sinology and german literature at eberhard karls university in tuebingen. she was named sculptor of the year by chief curator of boston university, kate mcnamara in caa’s 69th members’ prize show. in 2016, paul c. ha, director of the list visual art center at massachusetts institute of technology, selected her work for the best multi media prize in caa’s national prize show. he work has been featured at galerie biesenbach, cologne (germany), the cultural association of rosa venerini, viterbo (italy), the painting center, new york, site: brooklyn, new york, the danforth art museum, framingham, ma, among others.
“my artistic practice revolves around the transformation of vintage book parts into geometric collages and sculptures. i find inspiration in the idea of story telling through visual elements, omitting the use of text, because the idea of taking a traditionally text medium and give it a non-text life is very appealing to me. through my work, i explore the concepts of deconstruction, reconstruction, and dimensionality, treating each book like a time machine.
in my recent projects, i have delved into the exploration of open spaces within my sculptures.these pieces, in many ways, become like open books themselves, revealing the materials that constitute their very existence. i often accentuate the materials using reflective elements, bringing to life the interplay of deep space, dappled light and shadow. to amplify these effects, i incorporate the use of metal leaf, which not only adds depth and texture, but also serves to underline the significance that books once held as source of illumination and knowledge.
my work draws from my varied cultural experiences. the attention to detail from my time in germany, the nostalgic color palette of 1980’s taiwan, and the experimental bold constructive spirit of america all converge in my work. while my creations seem planned and calculated, they evolve naturally within a rule-based system that allows for organic growth. this process provides a sense of adventure and surprise, granting me the freedom to explore and experiment. ultimately, the pursuit of balance and harmony in my art becomes a form of meditation, an ineffable journey of creativity.”
conny goelz schmitt
charles walker received his ba in art from wake forest university and his mfa in studio arts at university of georgia. "my work is primarily interested in some of the more intangible aspects of the human experience - mood, tone, and the atmospheric nature of how we as humans perceive the world. i don't look to art to tell a story, to take up issues - whether social or political. all i look to art to do is to simply exist and in so existing to express something in the simplest and most direct manner possible. in my case, through a simple application and repetition of line, color, and texture i try to find the mainline into the human soul shaded by my personal perception. as hard as I try to remove my biases and input i still find myself lingering around in the corners of my work."
“about a year ago, while taking a long, hard look at my work, i realized my paintings had grown too dense and uptight. i’d stuffed too much information into too small of a space, squeezing out all the oxygen. the paintings were constricted, and the eye had no room for movement or rest. so, after a few failed experiments – hesitations while working up the courage to do what i knew needed to be done – i made the concerted decision to open up the painting surface and let the art breathe, producing the body of work titled figure/ground.
i’ve always shunned subject matter placed against a backdrop – a person standing in a room, birds flying in a sky, etc. however, for these paintings i embraced the idea that some things might stand out in front of others, that some parts in the play are, in fact, bigger than others. while the work doesn’t fall strictly into the traditional notion of actor on stage, there is more room for the characters in my personal theatre to play around and still remain (hopefully) interesting. sometimes this was accomplished through manipulation of the formal composition, other times through an adjustment of the color palette, all the while leaving enough ambiguity to provide tension between what is ‘figure’ and what is ‘ground.’
change comes slowly and in gradual increments, and i haven’t abandoned my fundamental techniques. i still adhere to a ‘call and response’ method. initially, i do all the talking until the art starts talking back and eventually takes over the conversation. at which point i become more stenographer than composer, and the painting arrives at its conclusion, its life cycle complete.
i had a great deal of fun making these paintings, lightening up and fighting the urge to cram as much as i could into every square inch of canvas. working felt more like a day at the beach than a shift on the assembly line. i hope this breeziness and ease comes through and you enjoy viewing these paintings as much i did creating them.”
all available work by each artist can be viewed on our website under their individual tabs including sizing + pricing. hidell brooks gallery is by appointment. please call the gallery if you have any further questions.