July 18 - August 15, 2020
A solo exhibition featuring work by Valerie Fowler.
From the gallery:
“Habitats and Pathways is Austin based Valerie Fowler’s second solo exhibition of paintings and mixed media artworks at CAMIBAart Gallery. Developed over an eight month period of time, and partly during our recent pandemic lockdown, Valerie set out to create a series that was inspired by her local nature haunts. The artist’s familiarity, derived from her frequent visits to the locations, enabled her to imagine what was percolating below the surface. The resulting artworks are compelling; they portray the inherent beauty of nature, inviting the viewer to look deeper and experience a more expansive understanding of our earthly habitat.
In her signature style Valerie Fowler pulls almost entirely from her memory to document the nature found in South Central Austin, with a healthy sense of place and a gentle touch of abstraction and surrealism.
As we find our daily lives still severely affected by the ongoing pandemic, we believe that visitors presented with the stunning beauty of these artworks will be inspired to reconnect with the natural world around them. Therefore this exhibit has a bonus element – a sort of “treasure map” that identifies the specific locations that gave rise to each artwork. If you live in Austin or are visiting, take this opportunity to use our map and explore the Pathways and Habitats that Valerie frequents. Maps are available on our website and in print version in the gallery.
About the Artist
Valerie Fowler grew up in Houston as the daughter of noted Houston sculptor, Bob Fowler (1931-2010). After graduating from the University of Texas with a B.A. in Art, she made Austin her home and has been actively creating and exhibiting artwork for over 30 years. Nature is her chosen subject. Her complex and intricate oil paintings and drawings describe a natural world of extreme beauty and vigor while also conveying nature’s sensitive vulnerability. Her past work includes painting murals for Whole Foods Market in Austin, Chicago and Ann Arbor, illustration and layout work for The Texas Observer, illustrations for CD jackets for local musicians, including a fully illustrated, 64 page book that accompanies the CD for “Ivy and the Wicker Suitcase”, a musical project written, recorded and produced by her husband Brian Beattie. In 2016, Fowler held Nature and Other Stories at Austin’s Dougherty Arts Center, a solo exhibit and mid-career retrospective, with artworks spanning 2 decades. Fowler teaches art in her home studio and is also an art instructor at The Contemporary, The Art School at Laguna Gloria. Fowler has exhibited widely in Austin and throughout Texas and is collected nationally.
In her own words:
“My artworks portray settings or scenes illustrating states of nature on earth. Through implied narratives I relay my concern and love for our fragile home as I explore the mark we humans make on it. Stories, taken from my own interactions with nature, are integral. Over time I’ve developed personal touchstones and archetypes sourced from my native Texas environment which hint at allegories. Through the unique intensely of my personal vision, I endeavor to communicate themes examining the qualities of beauty in nature, and also, our common mortality”.
Of course CAMIBAart is committed to everyone’s safety, so the gallery remains open by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, visit our website and follow the link to our Signup Genius calendar online, or you can call 512-937-5921, or email [email protected].”
Artist talk: August 8, 2020 | 2–2:30 pm
Virtual Gallery Talk
6448 Highway 290 East, Suite A102
Austin, 78723 TX
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