NKollectiv is delighted to highlight Carol Till’s nature-inspired “PRAIRIE” exhibition which features gentle silhouettes of native fauna against delicate prints of prairie grasses and flowers. In addition, NKollectiv will introduce new member, Julia Martin. Martin joins NKollectiv’s roster of local artists with her patchwork mixed-media abstracts inspired by traditional fiber art. The public is invited to visit Wednesdays through Sundays, starting February 14 through March 10, during regular business hours and these special events:
Opening Reception: Friday, February 16, 5:30-8:30
Sundays on Santa Fe Art Walk: February 25, 11-3 pm
First Friday Art Walk: March 1- open until 9 pm
Till is a full-time artist whose goal is to make visual connections that are subtle and unexpected to present a fresh view of the natural world. Till says of her Prairie collection, “Last fall I stepped into a field of native tall grasses and discovered a prairie. Swaying wildflowers and grasses, humming and buzzing insects, darting birds—they all drew me deeper into this place. I carefully selected flowers and grasses to take home and print.” She explains, “Inking and printing the grasses on my press captured, in fine detail, all of their graceful lines and textures…I wanted to depict the diversity of prairie life, so I selected animals typical of the Great Plains to go along with my printed grasses. Prairie animals are integrally linked to the grasses, dependent on them for forage, shelter and cover. Creating animal silhouettes with grass prints and then layering these, alludes to the role grasses play in camouflage on these wide, open, treeless plains.”
Till’s show is on display in conjunction with the Month of Printmaking, a biennial celebration that highlights the art of making original, fine art prints to inspire, educate and promote awareness throughout Colorado. For more information visit www.moprint.org.
Largely self-taught, Martin built on the traditions of the women in her family by creating her own technique for patchwork pieces. Her art combines abstract line work (often sewn) and small paper scraps with layers of oil and wax to depict small moments collected and hand-stitched into a larger assemblage of time. Intimacy, grittiness, perseverance, and repair are consistent themes as she scrapes down, covers up, and mends, using thread as a primary tool for her own visual language.
Martin explains her process as it relates to life: “I can often be found stitching my work in moments in between. I sew small scraps together, much like these moments come together to make up a day. The resulting patchworks show how I collate visuals, thoughts, memories, and ideas -- my grist for living a life. Paper's pliable, fragile composition allows it to be sutured like skin being gently pulled back together to heal. With their various stages of tension, the seams represent how we hold together when going through significant events individually and collectively. We are tethered to one another.”