Dance Party
Solo Exhibition | Mary Zeran
Exhibit Info & Statement
Dance Party
December 3, 2021 - January 29, 2022
Solo Exhibition
Mary Zeran
Solo Exhibition
Mary Zeran
Dance PartyDancing. I always had a need to do it. It’s a visceral, busting out of my skin- I’ve got energy to burn, get out of my way and/or join me…sort of feeling.
It’s the sort of dancing that happens spontaneously when you hear an amazing song, or around 10:00 pm, in the dark, to a live band; The kind that’s communal and goes on for hours. Often, it’s a sort of pogo action- a stiff jumping in sync to the beat. Making art is like dancing or listening to music. You allow it to totally envelope you. There’s a sense of throwing yourself out into the world…letting go…jumping out…becoming one with the moment. This show marks a turning point in my work- a departure from the abstract narrative, my “really flat sculptures”. For many years, I’d make paintings and cut them up to create new compositions. The brushstrokes in those paintings mirrored the undulating movements of my arms. Lines became paths my feet traveled. Sometimes, I liked the paintings so much it was heartbreaking to cut them- I did it anyway. It helped me break free of the fear of making a mistake …Cutting pushed the work forward. I’d remove the sections that I don’t like or that didn’t work for the composition. Now, after exploring this method, it’s time to ask the question: what happens when the crutch of excessive cutting is removed? As an artist, I’m always looking to learn from the process and evolve. Not cutting the painting is the next step. I’m expanding and focusing the view in pattern. “Dance Party” is my homage to an era- a celebration in the moment for the work that was (and will be). -Mary Zeran Nov. 16, 2021 About the ArtistMary Zeran was raised in a family of women artists whose textiles, embroidery, and woodcarvings, existed as their visual language; enigmatic shapes and forms were their words. Each time she picks up a brush or scissors she immerses herself in the language of her family, which brings her ever closer to their traditions, histories, and stories.
Mary Zeran received her B.F.A and M.F.A from University of Iowa. She was born in Iowa City in 1964 and now lives and works in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is the recipient of several awards and honors and her works are in numerous public and private collections as well as many notable corporate collections. Her collage works have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the United States and abroad including the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art; Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, in Kansas City; SOIL Gallery in Seattle; Higher Art Gallery in Michigan; and Chaing Mai University in Chaing Mai, Thailand. |
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