On Saturday, December 11, 2010, a group exhibition entitled (W)holon, presented by MamaCita, a mothers’ cooperative in the arts, opened at the Abington Art Center in Philadelphia, PA. Twenty artist/mothers came together to create a collaborative work made up of forty nine 4” x 4” pieces installed as a grid. In addition to the collaborative piece, each artist created a stand alone 20” x 20” piece for the exhibition. The collaborative process represents the idea of (W)holon; strong, independent systems or parts coming together to form a larger, cohesive system.
Upon entering the exhibition, the viewer initially finds the collaborative piece. Made up of forty nine 4” x 4” paintings, mixed media, and collage on canvas and panel, this piece shimmers. Each 4” x 4” work of art, executed with rigor and tenderness, presents an individual point of view. As a whole, the grid presents an exciting diversity of energy and approach. The 20” x 20” pieces are installed in the adjoining gallery. Since all of the works are the same dimensions, a satisfying rhythm is created by the installation. A variety of mediums is employed including photography, acrylic and oil painting, assemblage and collage. Clearly, a dynamic variety of spirits is at work here as lyrical meets surreal; abstraction meets landscape and three dimensional meets photography’s slick surface.
Founded in 2005 by Melissa Borko Tevere, MamaCita is growing and thriving as it encourages mother/artists to reach their potential. To see the (W)holon exhibition, visit the Abington Art Center during the month of December. http://abingtonartcenter.org. To learn more about each artist visit http://www.mamacitaarts.com and http://sistermamacita.com.
