September 19 - October 27, 2022
From Wright Gallery:
“Wright Gallery in Texas A&M’s new School of Architecture and new School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts (College Station, TX) presents, “The Constructed Self” by Argentine-born Houston artist Karen Navarro from September 19th through October 27th as a participating space in Houston’s Fotofest Biennial 2022. The exhibition features 25 works from the artist’s ongoing series and includes new works. Navarro’s collage and mixed media sculpture extend the boundaries of portrait photography. Transforming photographs of first, second and third-generation American immigrants into abstract portraits by slicing, rearranging and mounting inkjet prints to cut wood with painted edges and epoxy, the artist generates a sense of visual rhythm through line, shape, and color, with gradients of light tints balanced by bright hues. Grids permeate the work, simultaneously pushing toward and withdrawing from the viewer. High chroma edges intensify the tension between picture planes and the Gestalt effect of recognizing parts of portraits as a whole image.
Navarro’s experience as an immigrant to the United States shapes her interest in identity. Exploring identity as both social and cultural construct, the artist emphasizes “multiple layers,” noting that “each individual’s face is often depicted hidden, dissected or blurry.” Hiding and/or sharing certain parts of oneself with the world, IRL and online, deepens this sense of construction. Navarro’s artistic process “reflects [her] efforts in trying to reconstruct and make sense of [her] own identity,” which she compares to a puzzle. The artist will present an artist talk in Wright Gallery on Wednesday, Oct. 5th from 3-4 PM. A reception will follow the artist talk from 4-6 PM. Free and open to the public. Gallery hours: Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 4 PM.”
Reception: October 5, 2022 | 4–6 pm
Wright Gallery, TAMU College Station
College of Architecture, Texas A&M University, 3137 TAMU, Langford Architecture Building A
College Station, 77843 Texas
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