BE THEREBeing and NothingnessPresented by Petra Projects April 17, 2008- May 17, 2008Reception: April 17, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pmEliza StampsPetra Projects is pleased to present new drawings and textiles in a second exhibition by Eliza Stamps at Mehr Gallery. Entitled Being and Nothingness, this body of work features an expansion on Stamps' earlier designs in detailed ink drawings, which mimic complex and elaborately embroidered linen and thread textiles floating in thick walnut frames. Through both mediums, Stamps employs her signature seed form to become one entity among thousands, together making up the cohesive whole. Referencing Jean Paul Sartre's treatise in the exhibition's title, Stamps' ink drawings on paper visually exemplify the writer's viewpoint by using a single outline to counter this 'nothingness' and choosing to hearken a particular allusion, whether it be art historical, scientific, representational, or entirely imagined. Stamps aims to remind the viewer that 'each whole entity, no matter how complex, comprises much smaller entities, whole in themselves, which is the basis of all existence.' Stamps' textiles represent the 'multiplicities of form and definition within both organic structures and the art practice itself.' Akin to the principle of existence preceding essence, these textiles demonstrate a highly developed technical process in which a resulting sculptural element is meticulously created by intricately overlapping and weaving the fabric, forming, and installation. Observing the aim of ens causa sui, or completion, Stamps' drawings and textiles both demonstrate her technique in allowing an image to reveal itself as the first marks move across the paper or linen. 'When working with the sewing machine, the ebb and flow of the needle create the rhythm of the piece. In drawing, both with the sewing machine and with the pen, I am dancing with the mark I make, sometimes leading, sometimes following. Ultimately, I am creating work that has multiple forms and references, while being, at its core, an artistic exercise in shape and composition.' Stamps spent her formative years in Newton, Massachusetts, and pursued a Bachelors Degree in Visual Art and Art History at Bates College. From there, she went on to receive a Masters of Fine Arts Degree from Pratt Institute in 2006. Stamps also works as an art educator in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan middle schools integrating visual arts into curricula ranging from ESL to Social Studies. She most recently exhibited in group shows at Sam Quinn Gallery in Philadelphia, PA, and NurtureArt in Brooklyn, NY.
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