Nostalgic Exhibit

“Mara” by Stephanie Evans.

Door County artists and longtime gallery exhibitors Pamela Murphy and Stephanie Evans will reunite for Fine Line Designs Gallery’s third exhibit of the 2014 season. Exhibit III kicks off with an artist reception on July 10, 4 – 7 pm. In addition, Brooklyn-based artist, writer, and photographer Sarah Trigg will also be on hand to sign copies of her book Studio Life: Rituals, Collections, Tools, and Observations on the Artistic Practice. Murphy is one of the 100 artists featured in Trigg’s book.

Trigg embarked on an ambitious “field expedition” across the United States in 2009, interviewing more than 200 artists in their studios for Studio Life. Trigg set out to investigate contemporary artmaking practices. Through these conversations, Trigg asks her subjects to share the stories behind significant objects and working habits, and by doing so, gives great insights into the nature of the creative life.

Oil painter Murphy is known for using old photographs to form the basis of her nostalgic paintings. The shapes she uses provide a strong visual contrast to Murphy’s distressed and textured backgrounds. All combine to offer a viewer a visually rich and interesting surface with an unlimited amount of potential narrative content.

From the moment a viewer sees one of Evans’ ceramic dresses, there is a feeling of sentimentality and nostalgia. The objects, reliefs, and textures she creates tell stories of an imagined wearer’s deep personal thoughts and desires. All of Evans’ dresses are hand-built without the use of molds, which gives each dress its own individual gesture and form.

Fine Line’s Exhibit III is scheduled to run through Aug. 4. Fore more information visit finelinedesignsgallery.com.