Middle Ground
An exhibition of works by Loie Hollowell

November 1, 2011 – February 27, 2012

The paintings presented in Middle Ground are mediations on sleep, created by the artist as a coping mechanism to battle her chronic insomnia. Some pieces are realistic depictions of bed sheets, while others seek to envision the ephemeral state of drifting into REM sleep and the intangible dream world.

The rippling bed sheets depicted in many of the works are idealized as sensual, inviting surfaces—very different from the crumpled disarray in which the artist often finds herself lying sleepless. In the Striptease series, soft folds of fabric are interrupted by a simple line or shape, creating an abyss in a seemingly tangible piece of undulating cloth. These intrusions are reminiscent of the dust particles or eye floaters one might see when looking off into blank space.

To achieve the photo-realistic effect in her paintings, Hollowell folds and creases thick, wet denim and then sprays and paints the fabric with an assortment of inks. As the ink spreads throughout the wet fibers, it accumulates in the valleys of the folds. When the denim is dry she flattens and stretches it and adds stitching, fabric, paint, or ink to complete the work.