New alt_space Exhibition in September August 20 2020
Inverna Lockpez
Passages
On View: September 5 - October 17, 2020
Opening Reception: Sat., September 5, 4-7 PM
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
For her first solo exhibition at Arts on Douglas, Inverna Lockpez presents a series of new paintings that continue an ongoing exploration of her connection to the sea. Her use of gestural brushwork, thick impasto and rich colors are signifiers of emotional moments depicted in her subject matter ranging from old, highly textured boats to diving birds. In her exhibition statement, she elaborates on her choices of subject matter, explaining, “The vastness of the water and the infinity of the horizon convey the significance of water as one of Earth’s most valuable natural resources. The boats are rendered with dignity to elicit a sense of admiration and care. The austere simplicity and expressionistic techniques used on the birds portray personality-like qualities.”
Lockpez’s characteristic technique unifies the work in her exhibition, while each painting conjures its own moods and mysteries. With respect to her boat paintings, Lockpez finds that they often prompt more questions than answers. She asks herself, “Do they evoke calm or memories of days on foreign shores? Do they speak of waiting to be rescued, or do they display hope and pleasure?” Inverna elaborates that she believes in order for a work of art to be harmonious, every element must have a purpose. She continues, “Behind a simple composition there are dozens of rejections. Art is not about replicating the world, but rather, creating a reality all of its own. By transforming reality into the formal context of a work of art, I aim to fuse the tension inherent in human arts with the beauty of nature.”
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Inverna Lockpez was born in Cuba where she attended medical school at the University of Havana, studied painting and sculpture at the National Academy of San Alejandro and print making at Taller de Gravado. She emigrated to New York in the late sixties and made Manhattan her home where she attended the School of Social Work at Columbia University and the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.
During the 1970s, Lockpez primarily focused on sculptures and won many awards and commissions. Her work was exhibited widely at venues including the Pratt Institute in New York and the Aldrich Museum in Connecticut. She also created graphic design posters that were published by the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and designed sets and costumes for various theaters. She then returned to painting and her work was exhibited at more than 80 venues, among them, C.W. Post; Artist’ Space; 55 Mercer st Gallery; Art in General; El Paso Museum of Fine Arts and Kentler International Drawing Space.
Lockpez received various grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); (two) Creative Artist Public Service; CETA Award; (two) CINTAS Foundation Fellowship; Volgeltein Foundation and (two) Roxbury Arts Groups – NYSCA, Decentralization Grants.
She published two books: “Cuba, My Revolution,” and “The Noble Barn,” both available on Amazon. While working on “Cuba My Revolution,” Lockpez realized she needed the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the heat of Florida afternoons to reconstruct her young adult life in Cuba so she left New York and has been living in Flagler County now for more than ten years.
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