Uninterested Europeans / Behind the Rain

Scientists study the remnants of exploding stars, or supernovae, to find clues about our current circumstances in the universe. They have found that new stars are actually made from the gas and dust of old stars. I am similarly interested in retracing a past explosive event and using its remains as a starting point in my paintings.

I create an "explosive event" by either dropping paint-filled balloons onto paper or by making quick gestural paint swoops. I then use a ballpoint pen to meticulously retrace and examine the explosion's results — the spontaneous shapes that were formed, the colors that mixed or swirled and the small nuances of the build-up of materials. These finished works are often cut up and re-used as collage elements in new paintings, much like the stars' cycle of destruction and creation.

The paintings and sculptures of this exhibition were inspired by David Clark's Superstars, which mentions a spectacular new star that even "uninterested" Europeans could not ignore in AD 1006.

Erin Beaver was formerly the creative director and producer at Katie Brown Workshop. She has held artist residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, SWAP(Supporting Women Artists Project) and the Atlantic Center for the Arts. She has exhibited her work in many venues, including Kill Devil Hill in Brooklyn and the Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida. She earned a MFA in sculpture at Cranbrook Academy of Art.

To contact Erin Beaver:
softncrafty@hotmail.com | www.erinbeaver.com

©Erin Beaver

©Erin Beaver
 

I studied calligraphy for years. In doing so, I became more sensitive to the subtleness of color, the power of line, the value of space and the beauty of balance. I found myself more conscious of the fact that creative activities require not only techniques, but also the unity of mind and body as they work together.

All of my works for this exhibition were created with oil on canvases, using a palette knife. I started with a chaos of form and color, and then I continued with successive layers of application and adjustment to reach an utmost essence and an essential beauty.

Takayo Seto has been the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including a fellowship in painting from the New York Foundation for the Arts, a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and an Award of Excellence from Manhattan Arts International. She has exhibited her work in many venues, including the Stamford Art Association in Connecticut, the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in New Jersey and the Maryland Federation of Art Circle Gallery. She earned a MFA in painting from Pratt Institute.

To contact Takayo Seto:
takayoseto@aol.com | www.takayoseto.com

On the Wind, 2007
©Takayo Seto

Guidance, 2008
©Takayo Seto