Patterns of Infinity

(r)evolution 12, encaustic on panel, 60x48, 2014

(r)evolution 12, encaustic, collage and oil on panel, 60×48, 2014

 

Written by Karen Crews Hendon, Curator

Tracey Adams’ new (r)evolution series is a collection of encaustic on panel works created from 2013-2014. Composed of organic shapes arranged on a linear matrix, Adams explores the intersection of pattern, color, and space.

With distinct rhythm, circular shapes in soft to bold hues appear in succession. Like colorful tabs that fade in and out, they create systematic yet gestural patterns.

Color inspires the mood of these compositions, like subtle timbres or overtones in music. The movement and energy felt in the work pulsate, depending on the unpredictable, yet calculated, intervals between them.

 

(r)evolution 4, encaustic, collage, and oil on panel, 36x36, 2014

(r)evolution 4, encaustic, collage, and oil on panel, 36×36, 2014

 

(r)evolution 9, encaustic, collage, and oil on panel, 30x30, 2014

(r)evolution 9, encaustic, collage, and oil on panel, 30×30, 2014

 

Adams’ passion for music composition, visual perception, and elements found in nature forms a theme at the core of her work. Begun in 2013, (r)evolution, implies a grander variation in which she has opened up and allowed herself a free-flowing perspective.

The artist has named some of her recent paintings Benthic Revolution, 1-8, tapping into the ocean as her primary muse. Her reference to the benthic zone, the lowest level or bottom layer of the ocean, positions the viewer first at the surface.

 

Benthic Revolution 2, encaustic and collage on Mitsumata, 40x26, 2014

Benthic Revolution 2, encaustic and collage on Mitsumata, 40×26, 2014

 

Benthic Revolution 3, encaustic and collage on Mitsumata, 40x26, 2014

Benthic Revolution 3, encaustic and collage on Mitsumata, 40×26, 2014

 

Benthic Revolution 8, encaustic on Mitsumata, 32x21

Benthic Revolution 8, encaustic and collage on Mitsumata, 32×21

 

Like peering into the ocean, a continuum of endless patterns, the chance of seeing the same image repeated is unlikely. Her work reveals the subtleties of many layers and dimensions that emerge and take shape, simulating the currents and color pools in nature.

For the past decade, Adams has integrated encaustic, oil, acrylic, graphite, ink, and collage, pushing the boundaries of these materials. In (r)evolution, Adams selected only pigmented beeswax and collage as her medium. This has allowed her to retain the purity she seeks while pursuing new variations.

The evolution of Tracey Adams’ work is cathartic. Comparable to the music of experimental composer John Cage, she is “purposefully playing” which is “an affirmation of life – not an attempt to bring order out of chaos nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply a way of waking up to the very life we’re living.”

 

Tracey Adams in her studio

Tracey Adams in her studio

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

Pattern of Infinity
Winfield Gallery
, Carmel, CA
July 15 – August 3

Bryant Street Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
July 15 – August 30

Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival, Atherton, CA
July 18 – August 9

Download Catalogue
Tracey Adams: Patterns of Infinity 

 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

Outside/Inside
K. Imperial Fine Art, San Francisco, CA
July 15 – August 30

The Circle Game
Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ
February 22 – September 7

Swept Away
Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton, NJ
May 18 – September 7

SHIFT: Five Decades of Contemporary California Painting
Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey CA
May 1 – September 22

 

ARTIST TALKS

Music@Menlo
Artist Talk with Cathy Kimball, Executive Director, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art
July 29

SHIFT: Five Decades of Contemporary California Painting
Artist Talk with Karen Crews Hendon, Chief Curator, Monterey Museum of Art
August 7