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Edelweiss
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KEITH KOVACH
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Edelweiss’s lively, organic sculptures made of wood or plaster make direct connections between humanity and nature. In her art, she searches for a way of expressing both the suffering and the potential for joy that surrounds all people, and often finds it in the female form. Selecting figures such as Gaia (Mother Earth) or The Celtic Lady for her subjects, the artist draws on maternal or origin myths of different cultures around the world to explore these themes.
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Edelweiss stresses that her “sensitivity toward Mother Earth and the great misery she contains,” is of primary importance to her work. At a young age she learned that not all people share the values she would like, and negotiates this realization, and her dreams for the future in her art, even recasting herself as an Edelweiss, or snow-white flower Born in Valencia, Edelweiss is of Castil-ian descent through her mother, with ties to the Basque country through her father—both of these heritages have greatly influenced her art in both form and content.
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D. LOREN CHAMPLIN
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O
n one level, Keith Kovach’s straining human bodies, pulled into confetti-like strips then pieced back together or covered with growths interrogate the physical human form. Each one is an in depth study of the body’s surface, the lines of the face, the surface texture of the skin. At the same time they are careful studies of what is underneath the skin—the movement of the muscles and their affect on the body’s appearance.
Yet Kovach’s work goes beyond a mere physical analysis of the human form; Kovach uses the human body and its skin as a springboard from which to launch an interrogation of social conventions. Kovach’s skins are a “social mask” and with each bend, break, and inch of growth, Kovach challenges society and the viewer to look closely at the mask and its underlying mechanics.
Kovach’s involvement with the desktop publishing revolution, conforming to the burgeoning commercial multimedia and 3D animation business while simultaneously creating computer generated art pieces for himself has influenced this perspective. The prints themselves are thus a manifestation of Kovach’s own challenge to social conventions since digital prints were not considered “art” in the beginning. As well, thanks to his drawing and photography background, they also challenge art practices, bending the boundaries between fine art and commercial. Thus Kovach shows that digital art can be as dynamic and deep as any other medium.
Website: www.keithkovach.com
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In moody, expressionistic drags of paint D. Loren Champlin exposes the brutalities and joys derived from human passion. Deep reds, flesh tones, and azures swirl across the canvas, emphasizing the emotions of the subject matter. The style is highly reminiscent of Edvard Munch, whose work influenced the Pittsburgh-
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born Champlin when he was living in Norway as a teenager.
The nude is a common motif in Champlin’s paintings, but has varied meaning. Some are peaceful and meditative, while others are sensual or even grotesque. Each, however, exposes a truth of the individual’s character. Champlin also paints scenes of musicians and familial outings. These paintings are visual stories of people absorbed by their surroundings and the things that make them happy.
Champlin’s works are wrought with the raw emotion of the human experience. Themes such as romantic ardor, parental love, betrayal, and contemplation show the multiplicity of life. Invoking the untamable spirit of the stallion, his paintings emanate intensity, energy, and movement.
Website: www.champlin-art.com
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