New Feature Exhibition in September August 24 2017
In the feature gallery:
Rose Thome Casterline
Lazy River
On View: September 2-30, 2017
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 2, 4-7 PM
Artists Talk: Friday, September 22, 11 AM
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Rose Thome Casterline’s body of work titled Lazy River explores contrasting observations and sentiments surrounding the idea of a lazy river, inspired by the lazy river water ride experience. On the surface, a lazy river is often seen as a calm and relaxing activity, however Rose uses this subject as a catalyst for a deeper exploration of themes such as the blurred boundaries between work and play, and to emphasize contrasting concepts such as flow/force, safety/recklessness and leisure/frenzy. She explains that she found inspiration and a kindred voice for these explorations in the writing of David Foster Wallace, stating, “I’ve appropriated his writing structure, contrasting ‘tornadic’ and ‘stable’ compositions – mirroring the collective experience, illustrating vain attempts and an inability to ‘take it easy’ on the ‘lazy river’.”
Utilizing visual and haptic cues, she describes her process as “strategic and impulsive, intentional and experimental, a fugue state dance, building and destroying marks while maintaining the underlying theme of my work, the human gesture.” Her use of color adds additional tension and emotional qualities to these compositions. Rose has delightfully reimagined snippets from daily life, keenly recognizing the funny, absurd and familiar in this body of work, concepts that she describes as being the foundation of her imagery.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Rose Thome Casterline received her BFA (Drawing, Painting, Printmaking) from Kent State University and her MFA (Painting) from Savannah College of Art and Design. She has been exhibiting her drawings, prints and paintings regionally and nationally over the past twenty years. Her figurative work has been featured in several publications including New American Paintings (Vols. 34 and 52), House Beautiful and Coastal Living. Multiple private and public art collections house her drawings and paintings, with nearly 50 works commissioned and purchased by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). One of these projects included the Sea Island Series, a group of paintings commissioned by SCAD and exhibited at the G-8 Summit in 2004. She currently teaches life drawing and painting at Valencia College in Orlando and Rollins College in Winter Park.
