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- Gretchen Feldman: Love Letter to Earth
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Gretchen Feldman: Love Letter To Earth (1934-2008)
"Bad News" by Gretchen Feldman, Watercolor, gouache, & pastel on paper
Thru June 15, 2013
Third Floor Gallery, Zanvyl A. Krieger Main Building
The American Visionary Art Museum is pleased to present, Gretchen Feldman: Love Letter to Earth (1934-2008). This luminous retrospective of 40+ vivid paintings exalt the exquisite, eternal themes of "Perfect Unions:" where land meets sea, day embraces night, sky kisses earth – opposites inherent to life's sacred cycle of union and touch. Among Feldman's bright, abstract works are vibrant, colorful landscapes and scenes depicting idyllic country life, contrasted with an artful examination of cancer cells which cut short the artist's most loving and happy life.
Born in Philadelphia in 1934 to a family of modest means, Gretchen was raised in Baltimore and attended The Park School on a full scholarship. With husband Sam, she raised her family in Baltimore and worked as a textile conservator, and later moved to an island home on Martha's Vineyard to surround herself with an extraordinary garden sanctuary. Views of sea, sky, and swaying grass flooded Gretchen's home and art studio with inspiration and peace. At age 73, she was diagnosed with lung cancer, and began to study scientific imagery of microscopic cancer cells in her paintings. Quiet, but always possessing a lively sense of humor, Gretchen asked her family to be sure to note in her obituary, à la other dedicated liberals, "In lieu of flowers, please vote Democrat!"
This spring, an intimate collection of Feldman's vibrant watercolor, acrylic and mixed media works light up the third floor gallery walls of AVAM's Zanvyl A. Krieger Main Building for a limited, special engagement exhibit. These radiant works, accompanied by personal photographs, essays, and quotes, celebrate the life and artistry of one unusually loving and sensitive soul.
Exhibition Catalogue
A stunning, full color catalogue featuring installation views, and a selection of the over 40 watercolor paintings included in the exhibition is available for purchase from the Estate of Gretchen Feldman. Visit the link below to purchase your copy:
Gretchen Feldman: Love Letter to Earth Catalogue, $30.00. Available through Blurb.com, sold privately by the Estate of Gretchen Feldman.
For more information on artist Gretchen Feldman, visit GretchenFeldman.com.