Visual Art at Centrum

Cross the Border

The work in Karen Hackenberg's exhibit "Vented Totems" began during a one-month residence at Centrum, where she made bold black and white charcoal drawings of the rooftop structures at Fort Worden. In her artist's statement, she discusses how old Fort vents and chimneys can take on narrative postures. She notes, "By focusing on the abstract visual relationships of these rooftop dwellers, I examine the idea that the objects we design and live with reflect how we see our position in the world."

In addition to her work as a visual artist, Hackenberg is a participant in the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. To view more of her work, click here. (Image on right is Border Crossing, charcoal on paper, 25 x 25.) 

Susie J. Lee's Noli Me Tangere

Noli Me Tangere

Latin for “touch me not,” Susie J. Lee's Noli Me Tangere was inspired by the story of Mary Magdalene, as told by the Gnostics. When Mary discovers the risen Jesus, she reaches out to him as his lover, but he says, “Touch me not” to maintain the emotional distance necessary for him to leave and for her to let him go. Click here to watch the time-based video.

Great Sky Country

Diane Wilkinson's work centers on big skies. The Harris Gallery in Houston notes that "The land or water is an abstract footnote to the paintings, overwhelmed by the size and scope of the skies." The daughter of an oilman, (and now married to one), Wilkinson has lived all over the world, but always under the same sky. "The clouds draw our attention into their dark centers," the Houston Gallery notes, "where raw power and energy is offset by whimsical wisps of sunlit vapor away from the stormy center."

The August, 2007, issue of Experience magazine will feature an article on Wilkinson and her work. (Image pictured is "Coastal Waterway," oil on canvas, 36.5 x 35.)