Claire Cusack: Dream Language

January 13 - February 10,2024

From Koelsch Gallery: "koelsch gallery is pleased to announce our latest exhibition, Dream Language, debuting Saturday, January 13th, 2024. Through the exquisite medium of sculpture and assemblage, self-taught artist Claire Cusack translates visions and memories of the dream world into a compelling visual narrative. Inspired by found objects and discarded materials, she reinvents the context of these once-forgotten entities and gives them a second chance at life. By providing these remnants of the past with a new purpose, she tells a tale of hope and new beginnings. For Cusack, these discovered wonders possess individual voices that play a vital role in her story. After the passing of her husband in 2005, she began to have precognitive dreams that foreshadowed her future creations. Dream Language is her great attempt to evocate said visions and transmute them into a tangible experience. The Beat Goes On Nearly 35 years ago, while hiking in the remote hills of Cloudcroft, New Mexico's Lincoln National Forest, Claire Cusack heard a voice she believed to be God. This voice of great divinity called to her and said, "Claire, you are supposed to be making art". It was that Monday she quit her job and began creating. What began as cross sculptures made from rocks slowly evolved into idiosyncratic works crafted from an array of found and discarded materials. For what may exist to others as garbage, serves as inspiration to Cusack. Her materials are often gathered from urban intersections, rural roads, railroad tracks, junkyards, natural attractions, garages, and antique shops. Her miscellanea of finds consists of old leather, plexiglass, tools, fibers, fabrics, metals and more. To her, these worn and weathered materials possess a particular kind of beauty that cannot be imitated. For years, these articles are stored until they present themselves with a narrative to fit into. "I am drawn to pieces with a story to tell. The objects speak to me and to each other. They guide me to where they're supposed to be." Despite the simplicity of her design, Cusack's creative process is nothing short of strenuous. Her furniture-making and fitted techniques require labor-intensive work and often the assistance of another person. From manipulating metal to crafting with wood, her approach requires much self-discipline and control. The juxtaposition of harsh materials yet subtle details speaks to her detail-orientedness and refined wonders. Crosses serve as recurring symbols in Cusack's work, representing hope and perseverance undeterred by life's unpredictable trajectory. Her spirituality and appreciation for life play as fundamental inspirations in her creative pursuit. "I have always thought that the cross should be in one's surroundings. It can give you strength when you need it. It can remind you: that when you come out of your mother's womb, you come out going in one direction, but life doesn't stay that way. There are turns. The cross represents a movement upward, regardless of the different directions life takes, you are right where you need to be.""

Reception: January 13, 2024 | 5-8 pm

Reception: January 27, 2024 | 4-5 pm

koelsch gallery 1020 Peden Street
Houston, TX 77006
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