COLOR SPEAKS

Group Exhibition

June 9 - August 27, 2023

OPENING EVENT: June 9, 2023 | 5 - 9 PM

Color demands attention–immediately, efficiently, and dramatically. Within human societies, color is worn on the body to communicate certain ideas, and used to adorn public and private spaces to emphasize their purpose and meaning.

Contemporary artists emphasize the power of color to communicate a range of ideas, building on the raw power of color to function visually, symbolically, and emotionally. In Color Speaks, an exhibition featuring art works by Khamari Smith, Nikki Painter, Jenee Mateer, Irwin Freeman, Farida Hughes, and Chris Combs, we present a selection of stunning and delectable objects which hum, buzz and glow with chroma that tickles our retinas.

Beyond visual impact, each artist employs color towards a personal message. For Khamari Smith and Jenee Mateer, color punctuates portraiture that emphasizes the power of art to change hearts and minds. For Irwin Freeman and Nikki Painter, color functions synonymously with form and texture, creating visions that are simple yet complex, familiar and also curious. Farida Hughes associates abstract color relationships with her own personal relationships, representing friends and family in her work. And, Chris Combs harnesses the raw power of color as light to create dramatic installations where glass and light fixtures merge with color to throb and glow.

Although color can be viewed as a playful and intuitive element, the six artists in this exhibition use it with intentionality and purpose, wielding its power delicately, even in cases where color threatens to overwhelm. In Color Speaks, we are given the opportunity to experience a variety of approaches and media where artists place the element of color at the center of their practice in order to make their ideas immediate, accessible, and visually compelling to a wide variety of audiences.

Participating Artists: Chris Combs, Irwin Freeman, Farida Hughes, Jenee Mateer, Nikki Painter, Khamari Smith

Curated by Joshua Hollingsworth and Cara Ober

Beckler Family Gallery