JoAnne Artman Gallery is pleased to present Story Loupe, a solo exhibition of new works by St. Louis artist Carrie Gillen. This body of work explores the limitless possibility of fabric as a canvas. The pleating of the fabric and the interplay of light and shadow become integral components of each composition. Each piece is a section of a larger story—the capturing of motion and energy into a single, solidified moment.

By wrapping a beveled armature with fabric, Gillen creates undulating surfaces that bind and hold the painted form. The fabric is the movement, and the armature around which it is wrapped is the vessel. These works embody stilled energy; they invite the viewer to contemplate the relationship between structure and fluidity. The contours also influence our understanding of color and line and their ability to further activate the fabric.

The abstracted compositions draw inspiration from a variety of sources. Anything can happen within these created worlds. Gillen may provide a fragment or a panorama, but each work holds the potential for unfurling and subtle revelations embedded within the form.

I trap color within the form but allow it to breathe and refract light through the pleated surface. The folds and seams of the surface abstract the shapes laid therein. The final works don’t rely on narrative, or easily decipherable imagery, but rather our sense experience.

(Carrie Gillen)

​Carrie Gillen’s work will inspire, provoke, engage, and mesmerize. With visual perceptions always changing, peek behind the stories told and you’re sure to find the right artistic expression.