April 26th to May 31st

View the show of Moira Kelly and Christine Owen

View the show of Jonathan Bee

Opening reception: April 26th, 4pm to 7pm

Closing reception followed by a potluck: May 31st, 5pm to 6pm

The Re Institute is pleased to start the 2014 season with the work of Moira Kelly, Christine Owen and Jonathan Bee. Moira Kelly and Christine Owens will show their work on the second floor gallery. Jonathan Bee’s installation will be on the first floor.

Moira Kelly:

“My work is all about my fascination with history, especially the medieval. I love knights, armor and heraldry, illumination, stained glass, embroidery and religious icons. I work as a painting restorer and have a love for materials and techniques; hence the references to fresco, gilding and the archaeology of painting and image creation. I love fabric and patterns, bespoke tailoring and cutting. Mostly I love the stuff of art: the squeeze of paint, the resonance of color, the fabric of surface and the luster of finish.

For my project at the Re Institute I will show some of my experiments with the geology of color and some new heraldic devices. I will work with ceramicist Christine Owen on the containment of space and will undertake three new wall based works, directly painted on the walls of the space, about the relationship between materials in a volumetric context.”

Christine Owen:

“For the Re Institute I am developing a recent series called Garden Grates. When I look at antique domestic and industrial tools I admire the lives they have led and imagine the lives they might lead. The curve, intimacy and potential dangerousness of Antique nutmeg graters inspired this work. The work is referencing decorated metal, the traditions of Tolle ware and painting metal work with flowers. I am interested in creating works that draw attention to the familiarity of function, that are disguised by decoration and evoke a sense of history.”

Jonathan Bee:

“My work is an exploration of nature and spirituality. Growing up in New York City I had little exposure to nature so when I had the opportunity to do an artist residency a few years ago in Norman Rockwell's old studio in Stockbridge, Mass., I found myself in the woods. It was as if a spell had fallen upon me and the work I produced had just come through me, even surprising me with its Biblical themes, since I do not consider myself to be very religious.

As my work progressed I kept exploring religious themes. My first solo show was "The Cloning of the Garden of Eden". The second show was “The Garden of Eden Reclaimed” and my new installation is "Below the Surface", which brings together this trilogy of deep personal exploration and understanding that the ultimate spiritual identity is one without borders. For this installation I spent years traveling the world collecting materials that represent spiritual importance.

The pull of spirituality can be liberating and free but it can also be heavy and restrictive. Through my work with fiber materials I have assembled pieces that evoke this inner struggle and culminate with a massive orb that has magically landed from a galaxy beyond¬ - a reminder of how small we are and how vast our solar system is.”