Catherine Colangelo: Floaters

November 23 - December 21,2024

From Koelsch Gallery: "koelsch gallery is pleased to present Catherine Colangelo in her latest exhibition Floaters. In her upcoming debut, Colangelo continues to explore the intricate relationship between mother and child. As her daughter grew older, Colangelo became interested in the long tradition of using art to protect and heal a loved one from afar. Across time and civilization, she unifies various cultures through their historical practices of talismans and paper-cutting. By cutting her once-completed pieces, she grants a sense of breath to her powerful compositions. An incorporation of negative space ignites an illusion of movement, as ripples and vibrations pulsate among the patterns. Through an intuitive process, Colangelo summons all-seeing eyes, geometric figures, and eight-point stars to fortify the protective powers of her talismanic paintings. With her use of spiritual imagery and ancient motifs, she draws a junction at the universal desire to protect a loved one. Floaters is on display until December 21st, 2024. With a history of almost two thousand years, the practice of paper-cutting remains an integral part of a multitude of cultures. Papel picado is a traditional Mexican paper-cutting technique used during the celebration of Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). Altars are created in honor of deceased loved ones and decorated with objects that symbolize elements of wind, water, earth, and fire. Elaborate designs are cut into sheets of tissue paper and hung above the altars, meant to represent air and wind. The delicate nature of the paper signifies the fragility of life; while the holes within it provide a passage for souls to travel through. In both Germanic and Jewish culture, paper-cutting is considered a historical folk art practice. Throughout the early 1700s, the tradition of “Scherenschnitte” or “scissor cuts”, gained popularity among the Pennsylvania Dutch regions of America. German immigrants used such mediums to commemorate special occasions, ranging from baptisms to deaths. In the nineteenth century, Jewish communities residing in Eastern Europe used paper cuts for decorative purposes and religious practices. Paper-cut amulets were intended to protect mothers and their newborn children. As her daughter grew older, Colangelo became interested in the long tradition of using art to protect and heal a loved one from afar. Out of this impulse, she began to create paintings she imagined could function as talismans. Similar to amulets, talismans are said to confer protection and good fortune among their possessor. They are believed to be as old as human civilization, with their earliest origins tracing back to Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Upon her journey, Colangelo discovered the practice of Ethiopian magic scrolls. Arising from a synthesis between local pagan beliefs and Christianity, these manuscripts are an intermingling of all Abrahamic faiths with indigenous African roots. Also known as healing scrolls, the highly individualized manuscripts are created to combat sickness and demonic spirits. Within Ethiopian culture, these sacred scrolls are believed to serve as divine amulets to their receiver and are often considered works of art in their display. Due to high levels of illiteracy among the population, iconography and visionary elements became significant for the construction of their compositions. It is believed that a spell depicted in a talisman is more effective than that of a verbal spell, for the magical power is amplified by imagery. The greater the illustration, the greater the fortitude. Through a slow and meditative process, Colangelo taps into the subconscious and demonstrates the ineffable. Employed elements of geometric patterns, dynamic lines, and striking colors direct the audience to all-seeing eyes – a vital point in her composition. Although they are never depicted with other parts of the body, the eyes are never isolated, but usually arranged within geometric motifs; in pairs, symmetrically and obliquely within the composition's axis. Eight-pointed stars refer to the cardinal points, signifying the directions of the talisman's protection. In contrast to her intuitive process, she retains a disciplined and structured work ethic, painting nearly every night for the past 35 years. Although her paintings are created to protect her daughter, Colangelo attributes them to protecting her as well. "The use of symmetrical design is almost universal in my work. Trying to create balance is an eternal goal, in my art as in my life". After earning a BFA in Painting from The Cooper Union in New York, Catherine Colangelo returned to Houston to pursue her art practice. She was one of five finalists for the 2017 Artadia Award – Houston; the recipient of 2011 and 2007 Individual Artist Grant Fellowships from the Houston Arts Alliance; and a Hunting Prize finalist in 2014 and 2010. Catherine’s work has been featured in various group exhibitions and solo showcases. Recent solo exhibitions include Force Field at Front Gallery, Everyday Sorcery and Talismanic at Cindy Lisica Gallery, Ocular Rhythms at McMurtrey Gallery (Houston), and Sea Change at Conduit Gallery (Dallas). Catherine’s work has been selected by Rebecca Matalon, Curator of Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Claire C. Carter, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and Bill Arning, former director of the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, to be included in New American Paintings, West Issue. Her work is also included in corporate collections including Four Seasons Hotel (Abu Dhabi, UAE), Four Seasons Hotel (Houston), Rosewood Abu Dhabi Hotel, (Abu Dhabi, UAE), Fidelity Investments (Boston), and Sidley Austin LLP (Houston)."

Reception: November 23, 2024 | 11-2 am

koelsch gallery 1020 Peden Street
Houston, TX 77006
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