The Personal & the Global: Work by Caryl Gaubatz & Anne Katrosh
Oct 18 - Nov 23
Opening Reception: Oct 19
Rockport Center for the Arts’ second exhibit of the fall season features fabric art by two artists Caryl Gaubatz and Anne Katrosh. Gaubatz, who resides in Garden Ridge, designs wearable art that tells a story. Katrosh, who lives and works in Rockport, has been expanding her skills in surface embroidery for more than a decade.
Caryl Gaubatz has been sewing and making fabric art all her life. A retired Army nurse and a Gulf War veteran, Gaubatz travelled the world for 20 years in service to her county before she established a life in Texas. It was then she took a class in fabric dyeing and began dyeing in addition to sewing fabric art. She enjoys the unpredictability and surprises that come with hand-dyeing fabric. Gaubatz obtained a certificate in Fibers from the Southwest School of Art in San Antonio.
About her work, Gaubatz states, “My intention is to produce exquisitely crafted soft sculpture that includes the body as its animating element. I design narrative garments- wearable art pieces that tell a story. At first sight, the viewer may not readily perceive the subtext, but will immediately feel the authenticity of the work. After a longer interaction, that feeling will become stronger than if the garment were purely decorative. When the garment is worn, the person wearing it becomes an accomplice in telling the story. Invariably, environmental and spiritual issues are expressed in my work.”
Originally trained as a sculptor, Katrosh began incorporating a life-long interest in textiles into object making, resulting in a hybrid genre that reflects an ongoing interest in intimate and everyday events. A transition into the utilization of found objects has strengthened her works’ connection to the cultural environment from which she takes inspiration. Using images imbedded in stitching, challenges conventional notions about hand embroidery.
Taught to sew by her grandmother at the age of 4, Katrosh maintained a close connection to textiles and textile traditions. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from the University of Houston. While attending graduate school, her husband was offered the opportunity to work abroad. Taking a leave of absence from her studies, Katrosh moved to Gabon, where, they thought, they would live for 2 years and then repatriate to Houston. Instead, this move marked the beginning of a life abroad with 10 foreign assignments to 8 different countries over the course of two decades. Traversing the globe awakened her passion for travel and cultural immersion that is evident through her work to date.
While living in France, Katrosh studied embroidery at the École Lesage in Paris and the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace, outside London. Since 2016, Anne has been a regular contributor to the Challenge exhibitions held at the San Francisco School of Needlework and Design. Her work has been shown both nationally and internationally.
About her work for this show, Katrosh states, “I have created works that are based on my memories of the seven years my family and I lived in Libreville Gabon. The materials and techniques employed in these works were chosen to reflect the nature of memory. Photographs were printed on cotton paper and then kneaded by hand with palm oil to create a surface patina that softens the imagery, like a cherished letter folded and refolded from countless readings. The palette is intentionally muted, the focus of the imagery softened from its original sharpness to evoke the passage of time. The surface embroidery applied to the photographs is a quiet process, providing time for contemplation and by its nature enhancing the intimate domesticity of many of these memories that I’ve chosen to share, while the found objects attached to the works function as relics of a life lived on the equator.”
About the exhibit, Curator of Exhibitions, Elena Rodriguez states "Every culture has its own fabrics, patterns, and fashion; it’s a way humans celebrate ethnic unity. At the same time, how we dress is a huge expression of the wearer’s individuality. This duality is what The Personal and the Global is about. Both Gaubatz’s and Katrosh’s art honors the universality and the intimacy of fabric arts.”
The Personal and the Global, is both artists’ maiden exhibit at Rockport Center for the Arts. It opens to the public on Friday, October 18. An opening reception with the artists will take place on Saturday, October 19, from 4 to 7 PM. A gallery talk with Gaubatz and Katrosh will commence at 4:30 PM kicking-off the 8th edition of the Rockport Art Loop. Admission is always free.
The Personal and the Global will be on display through November 23, 2019. For more information, visit www.RockportArtCenter.com or call 361-729-5519.
About The Rockport Art Loop
The Rockport Art Loop is an initiative spearheaded by Rockport Center for the Arts. Beginning in February 2019, ten art galleries located in the Rockport Cultural Arts District host simultaneous openings on the same evening and at the same time, nine times per year. Art talks, artist demonstrations, exhibit openings, and more are held at non-conflicting times to encourage the flow of foot traffic to each venue. The galleries are located within a quarter mile of each other, which makes the Rockport Art Loop an al-fresco, walkable, art experience. Texas Commission on the Arts awarded Rockport Center for the Arts the first cultural district grant in the Rockport Area to create a robust marketing and advertising plan to promote the activity. For a list of the participating galleries and art spaces visit www.RockportArtCenter.com or call 361-729-5519.
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