Usual & Unusual
January 5 - January 27
Usual & Unusual is an extraordinary art gallery exhibition featuring the captivating works of two accomplished artists, Deborah Curtis and Justin King. Through their distinct approaches, Curtis and King explore the beauty and transience of nature, shedding light on the intricate relationships between man, the environment, and the ephemeral nature of life.
Deborah Curtis, a visionary artist, transforms single-use plastics and disposable materials into stunning works of representational art. In her intricate pieces, Curtis masterfully repurposes discarded plastic bottles, breathing new life into them as they evolve into intricate depictions of birds, flowers, and forests. The seamless transformation challenges viewers to reconsider the value and impact of natural resources, while Curtis's commitment to engaging her audiences in artistic discourse amplifies the urgency of environmental conservation.
Justin King, on the other hand, presents a unique perspective on the floral theme by capturing the subtle beauty of flowers in their later stages of life. King's keen observation of aging blooms reveals a nuanced exploration of color, form, and texture as they undergo transformations influenced by time, weather, and life's inevitable adversities. His larger-than-life, shaped panel paintings serve as both a testament to the delicate aesthetics of fading flowers and a commentary on the cyclical nature of life and decay. King's innovative use of shaped panels adds a sculptural dimension to his paintings, allowing them to exist as both two-dimensional artworks and tangible objects.
Together, Deborah Curtis and Justin King present a harmonious dialogue on the interconnectedness of art, nature, and the human experience. "Usual & Unusual" encourages reflection on the delicate balance between preservation and transformation, urging viewers to consider their role in the ever-evolving narrative of our natural world.
Old City Hall is located at 1313 Market Street in Redding, CA. This gallery is open to all ages and free to visit. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday from 10:00-4:00 and Saturday from 10:00-3:00.
Meet the artists.
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A perfect flower bloom is like a 25-year-old in their physical prime, beautiful but not very interesting. During a period of procrastination near the end of my Nurse Practitioner studies, I found myself supine in our backyard, admiring the foliage and my wife’s flowers. It suddenly struck me that there was a sublime element in the anatomy of the flowers as they reached the later stages of their life cycles. The aging blooms were changing color, twisting, and wilting in interesting ways as they passed their prime.
Harsh sunshine, blustery winds, and other scarring life events impact a flower’s vainglory. Brilliance and virility transform into muted tones, variegated petals, curled stamens, and pistils. What was once vibrant and vigorous slowly returns to earth. These observations led to the current body of work: The first flower painting I completed was of a Floribunda rose species called, “Rosie theRiveter.” I constructed a shaped panel out of thin plywood and 2 X lumber as a painting surface. The original photo had such a strong sculptural element that I used the outline of the rose as the shape of the painting’s surface. It was my intention to allow the painted rose to exist on the wall both as a painting and as an object that could be viewed from different angles showing shapes, colors, and other indications of its construction and history.
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After spending decades, working with traditional fine arts media. The art has been evolving through experimentation with different textures and medias. Creating the look and feel heavily textured art pieces by assembling them together, similar to a 3-D puzzle. The use of multiple types of plastic bottles both recyclable and not yet recyclable. Designs for experiments with deli plastic are in process.
As apart of the plastics coalition, a local group of women, committed to help educate students of the dangers of plastic. And are proposing a poster contest in order to encourage students to create posters regarding the dangers of plastics for earth day
Also working with a group of artists each Saturday in our local community, we have the privilege of selling our art and meeting people from all over the world . Sharing our passions as to why we create ,what we create.
