Jasper - The Word on Columbia Arts is always happy to plug, brag on, and otherwise promote the work of up-and-coming talents in the art world. We note therefore with great antici......... pation a new show by a new artist, opening later this week at Vista Studios / Gallery 80808 (located in the heart of the Vista, at 808 Lady Street.) Katie Baehler isn't entirely new; she has lived in Columbia since 2006. A native of Spearman, Texas, she studied Printmaking and Art History at USC, graduating in 2011. Her work was featured in the BFA exhibition Devil in the Details at the McMaster student gallery in 2011, the Ink & Paper exhibition at the Columbia Museum of Art in 2011, the Union County Arts Council Competition in 2011, and received the 1st place undergraduate award at the USC Student Art Exhibition in 2011. While at USC Baehler also received the Ed Yaghjian student award in 2010, and was President of the Ink & Paper club. You may know her from her day job as gallery assistant at if Art Gallery, where she has been a gracious hostess for any number of openings and exhibitions over the last year. Now she gets a chance to show off her latest series of carved acrylic paintings in her new show, "Strata."
Carved, you may ask? Yep - these works are created using 30 or more layers of paint, then carved to show the layers of paint, much like a crosscut of geologic strata. Baehler’s oil paintings will also be featured; these are created using a more traditional technique, but still display the same types of intricate patterning. As she asks in a press release, "Have you ever wondered how the Aztecs might have designed a circuit board, or what crop circles would look like if aliens had a taste for Art Deco?" We can't wait to discover the answer!
Strata will be on display Thursday, June 7th through Tuesday, June 12th at Vista Studios/Gallery 80808 (located at 808 Lady Street in the Congaree Vista.) The exhibition will be open to the public weekdays 11-7, Saturday 11-5, and Sunday 11-3. An opening reception for the artist will be held June 8, 2012, from 5 to 9 PM.
