Press Release “Rebecca Ward: thickly sliced”
By Kate Shafer | July 11, 2011
CAM Raleigh is proud to present the first U.S. Museum show of commissioned works by New York-based artist Rebecca Ward.
Download Ward Press Release pdf
On view at CAM Raleigh from July 29 - October 31, 2011 is the second installment of the Emerging Artists Series featuring Rebecca Ward. Born 1984 in Waco, Texas, Rebecca Ward currently lives and works in Brooklyn. An opening reception will be held on Friday, July 29 from 4 – 6:30 p.m. CAM Raleigh is commissioning Ward to develop a site-specific installation, entitled thickly sliced, to fit uniquely in the Independent Weekly Gallery. CAM Raleigh is a partnership between the community and North Carolina State University’s (NC State) College of Design.
Ward uses materials such as found objects, tape and vinyl adhesives to explore space and create three-dimensional geometrical shapes that become extensions of the built environment. Ward says, “When people walk into the installation, I want them to rethink their surrounding space. A wall is no longer just a wall, and likewise columns, squares and lines are transformed extensions of the existing architecture and have new purpose. All of these things form the framework of our environment and hold limitless possibilities for our potential interaction with space.” Her work was chosen for its combination of site-specific installation art and pattern element, those being the focus of the concurrent main exhibitions upstairs: Dan Steinhilber: Hold On, Loosely, now through August 22 and Deep Surface: Contemporary Ornament and Patten on view September 24, 2011 – January 2, 2012.
For her CAM Raleigh commission Ward will adhere tape to ceilings, walls, and floors, converging with CAM Raleigh’s architecture. Her tape installations are mathematically calculated and thoughtfully planned and at times chaotic and sporadic. Ward’s two-dimensional works explore the illusory and geometrical complexities found by repeating and overlaying simple shapes, patterns, and lines. This perceptual play of color, texture, and light is set into motion by the viewer’s interaction with and experience of the work. “Ideally these patterns are numerically symmetrical or somehow numerically balanced, producing a dialogue between line and space,” remarked Ward.
Ward has exhibited nationally and internationally. Ward completed an installation at Kate Spade in Soho, and held exhibitions at Milk Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey; Charlotte Street Foundation, Kansas City; Finesilver Gallery, Houston, Texas; Lawndale Art Center, Houston, Texas; among others.
Ward will be giving a gallery talk on Friday, October 7, 2011 at 7 p.m. and is free with admission. Ward will be leading a tape and design workshop for high-school students on Saturday October 8, 2011. For more information on the workshop email nicole_welch@camraleigh.ncsu.edu, registration fee is $30 per student.
About the Emerging Artist Series
CAM Raleigh is the only museum in the region with a dedicated gallery for emerging artists and designers. Through exhibiting emerging artists whose work is still in progress and fresh from the studio, CAM Raleigh celebrates the diversity of artistic expression and places the artist at the center of the community. The museum supports early career contemporary artists in an atmosphere where they are encouraged to foster a cross-fertilization of ideas and dynamic interaction with visitors. Visitors from all walks of life will often have a chance to meet and exchange ideas with the artists celebrated in this series. CAM Raleigh’s Independent Weekly Gallery features the Emerging Artist Series.
Download Ward Press Release pdf
