Elizabeth Bick, “Stages,” 2022 40 x 50 inches, archival inkjet print
Press Release
The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston School of the Arts has announced two new exhibitions, Elizabeth Bick: Contrapposto and Jovencio de la Paz: The Ends of Rainbows, which will be on view at the Halsey Institute beginning January 13th to February 25th, 2023.
Elizabeth Bick is a photographer influenced by her training in classical and modern dance. The Halsey Institute will present four bodies of work by Bick, including both new and ongoing series. Work made in New York City and Rome reflects on the rhythms, performances, and nuances that unfold in public space. Bick's photographic practice includes a prolonged gaze in a specific place—a street corner, the Pantheon—where she can observe dramatic movement and light and shadow as they become a spectacle through her lens. Pedestrians are choreographed dancers and sidewalks are stages in Bick's rumination on the presentation of self. As of fall 2021, Bick is the new Area Head of Photography at the College of Charleston School of the Arts.
“Jovenciode la Paz, The Ends of Rainbows”[in progress], 2022, handwoven, Jacquard textile and cotton (image courtesy of the artist)
Jovencio de la Paz is an artist and weaver based out of Eugene, Oregon. Their work explores the intersecting histories of weaving and modern computers, balancing the traditional processes of weaving, dye and stitch-work with the complexities and contradictions of our present-day digital culture. At the Halsey Institute, de la Paz will present three new bodies of woven and stitched works. de la Paz's work ranges from textiles designed using an algorithmic software based on a 1950s code that visualized Darwin's theory of evolution to weavings made together with their mother and grandmother in a reversal of generations in the exchange of traditional knowledge. Together, these works will contemplate issues of ancestry, genealogy, mortality, and memorial through the construction of cloth.
The Halsey will host an opening reception for the two new exhibitions on Friday, January 13th from 6:30 pm to 8 pm. The event is open to the public and free to members; a $5 donation is suggested for all non-members upon entry. For a more in-depth look into the work, the Halsey will also host free Artist Talk sessions with Elizabeth Bick on January 14th at 2 pm and Jovencio de la Paz on February 25th at 2 pm.
For more information on upcoming events, including tours, and memberships visit halsey.cofc.edu.
