Spacetaker ARC is proud to host Lovie Olivia's new exhibition, Thrice Removed.
Beginning August 27, Spacetaker will host Thrice Removed, a solo exhibition by multi-media artist Lovie Olivia, as a part of its new ARC Exhibition series. A play on the phrase “twice removed” denoting familial relations through a system of “removals,” Olivia re-contextualizes this terminology to imply separation from African traditions and customs, male authority, and heterosexual privilege in this new solo show. Her work explores the multi-dimensionality of women of African Diaspora in light of the challenges and joy associated with a hybridized presence. Part autobiographical-part objective, Olivia zeroes in on the complex histories of racism, sexism, and classism in America, which intersect for ‘thrice’ the barrier to equal opportunity. Her exhibition, influenced by recorded conversations, video footage, folklore, and ancestral documents, redefines these selves outside conventional depictions in a celebration of identity.
The Opening Reception for Thrice Removed is Saturday, August 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. and the exhibition will be up at Spacetaker’s ARC Gallery through September 18, 2010. now extended through Sunday, October 3 and part of Winter Street Studios' annual Open Studios Weekend Oct 2-3.
About the Artist:
Lovie Olivia, a Houston native, has been a working artist since her teenage years. A self-proclaimed, autodidactic, Olivia uses her independent studies of art, cultures, music, literature and history to inspire her works. She has exhibited her works at The Community Artist Collective (CAC), Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH), Arthello Beck Gallery in Dallas, Project Row Houses, and most recently at Lawndale Art Center in a collective show entitled “Dare to go Further.” Learn more about Olivia at www.lovieolivia.com.
Artist Statement:
Like empathy for the subject of a significant song, the characters in my work demand similar attention. I feel compelled to have a non verbal conversation with my audience with intent to connect and draw from our various collected memories. My works are also autobiographical, a blend of self-explorations and observations. An integral part of my work involves providing alternative interpretations to existing stereotypes applied to women of color. What I experience, what I witness and what I desire, is communicated through a collection of figures, symbols, materials and subjects. I am interested in the symbiotic relationships between race and culture / heritage and ancestry. History, anthropology, music, and literature, are constant agents in my quest to address class and race issues.
I use natural pigments on plastered panel, cut and incised paper and encaustic wax to make visual inquiries of identity, not limited to race and gender. The work created using a Sgraffito process on plaster, carving the surface before any painting begins. My chosen materials are very mutable and offer endless ability to layer. I spend time in development with improvisational movement and mark making that is significant to the end result including making molds and using rich pigments and acrylics on wet plaster in a style similar to ancient frescos. The consecution of revealing and concealing said layers is life affirming and allows the work to have an archeological feel. Dialogue between deconstruction and embellishment, the presence of hidden and revealed details are vital and aid in further expressing the complex stratums of individuals. By cross-hatching traditional/timeless techniques with contemporary subjects and materials allows me to arrive at my desired aesthetic.
