As part of The Delaware Contemporary’s Artist-In-Residence program, Nicholas Callaway was invited to complete a year-long residency that culminated in Mnemosyne. Previously working in ceramics, Callaway utilized this residency to experiment with an entirely new medium and process. The duration of the residency allowed Callaway the time to reflect, examine, and produce a body of work that resonated with this new evolving practice. 

The title Mnemosyne refers to the name of the Greek goddess of memory; a poetic ode to the intimate and iterative nature of Callaway’s practice. Callaway began collaging on the pages of small journals, experimenting with a variety of materials such as Polaroid film, tape, newspaper/magazine text, and handwriting. Upon the completion of one journal, Callaway continued with another, which resulted in three completed collaged journals. These journals are displayed in three sections within the gallery space, each a metaphorical chapter of an evolving practice. 

Evocative of the practice itself, and its experimental nature, each presented work is mounted on a black backdrop in an oversized frame. This minimal presentation alludes to the space necessary for thought and experimentation within an artistic practice. The final work is centralized on this oversized backdrop; a visual distillation of the many ideas and risks taken to create the ultimate product. 

The display additionally illuminates the careful consideration and layering of the various mediums in each collage. Although each work features similar materials, the compositions vary in their format and function, highlighting certain aspects, such as text or image, to convey the overarching significance. The visual quality of each work feels agile and quickly crafted; the concepts springing to life through the layered application of materials. However, this ephemeral nature is based on concrete emotions that form the foundation of each work.

The very thoughtful conception of this presentation showcases Callaway’s individual evolution within a new body of work, but illustrates the larger nature of artistic practice itself. The inherent need for artists to take risks as an avenue for growth; a continuous effort to break their own boundaries for the sake of their art. This exhibition, and Callaway’s residency, is a visual representation of an emerging artist taking risks as a way of self-provocation, examination, and play.

Beckler Family Gallery