Corrigan Gallery Hosts New Works by Mary Walker in "Dreams and Nightmares"

Written by Richard Ravenscroft Friday, 11 November 2011 22:15

Charleston, SC.- The Corrigan Gallery is pleased to present "Dreams and Nightmares: New Works by Mary Walker", on view through October 31st. There was an opening reception on October 7th. Walker has been a constant figure in the Charleston art scene since the 1980s. Series of thoughts, images and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep and those that turn frightening or unpleasant are “such stuff as dreams are made on.” Nightmares are those dreams that have turned towards disturbing, uncomfortable imagery and sensations. The unconscious mind puts characters together and sets a theater stage where the bits and pieces of one’s life experiences come together in odd ways and bizarre juxtapositions occur. In these new paintings, Walker puts images from her ballad series together with some of her favorite characters – Pinocchio, her dancers, figures from New Mexican petroglyphes and her more recent harpies. Harpies are the winged beast, with the head and breasts of a woman but the body of a bird of Greek mythology.  They are considered to be noisy, filthy and hungry whereas dear Italian Pinocchio was of good intention but always led astray. Nightmares were occurring to the artist and she decided that painting was a way “get them out.”

These paintings are simple, immediate, potent, sometimes with sketchy images all very reminiscent of a dream. Odd pieces, historic bits and pieces stories that build upon stories, some being scary some being humorous are all part of these works. Is it a glimpse into the artist’s psyche?  Is it just snippets of images from her past works coming to her “sleeping” mind? At different times in our lives, during transitions, times of great turmoil around us and even in times of prolific creative production we seem to have increased dream lives. The dreams (or nightmares) provide guidance perhaps or a dumping ground for our worries. Or maybe they only provide fodder for the artist’s studio time. If we study the unsettling times around us, bringing life issues of stability into play, it makes sense that the dream world would address these circumstances using images familiar to the dreamer.

Walker’s images of the stranger returning, the elongated figures like teeth on a stick from the petroglyphes out west, Pinocchio with the lessons learned and taught, although often scary and odd on backgrounds of “danger” yellow with dark shadows and missing limbs are disturbing but not horrifying. The whimsical nature of Walker’s work is still present but with an intensity.  The mixing of nightmares with dreams perhaps indicates that the seesaw of life is seeking to create balance in this crazy, topsy turvy world. Mary Walker settled in Charleston after a time studying in New York at the Art Students League. She was raised in North Carolina but attended high school in Charleston.  She taught math early on but has been focused on her artwork for over 34 years. In 2011Walker had prints in the New York International Print show and the “Reconsidering Regionalism” at the Jule Colins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University. She has received many artists’ residencies and grants for printmaking.

She had an artist’s book in the Italian 2008 Libro (di sé ) 9a Rassegna Internazionale di Libro d’Artista in Rome. She taught workshops at the Redux Art Center and at the Bascom Center in North Carolina. Walker accepted a Margo-Gelb Dune Shack residency in Provincetown, Massachusetts in 2007 and was the 2006 winner of the Griffith Lowcountry Artist's Award. The award resulted in a solo show at City Gallery Waterfront in Charleston which then led to her being chosen as the poster artist for the Piccolo Spoleto program “Opera is for Everyone.” She has received several grants from the South Carolina Arts Commission and the Lowcountry Quarterly Arts Grant Program. In 2004 she organized “The Scrolls,” an anti-war project involving both national and international artists that has been exhibited in Charleston, Cincinnati and Washington, DC. Her work is included in the Medical University of South Carolina new Contemporary Carolina Collection hanging in the Ashley River Tower.


Corrigan Gallery opened its doors September 1, 2005 at 62 Queen Street, Charleston, South Carolina, just off the corner of Meeting and Queen streets in the historic area mistakenly called by some the French Quarter. The gallery exhibits works of art both representational and abstract possessing the charm of old Charleston with a contemporary edge. Representing artists whose work is beyond the traditional approach to the southern landscape of marshes and palmettos, there are new works to see on a regular basis. Artistic vision partnered with an intellectual strength and astute handling of the materials describes the work on display. Bowing to the masters and looking to the future, the gallery began with featured artists Beverly Derrick, Kevin Bruce Parent, Sue Simons Wallace, Karin Olah, Kristi Ryba, John Moore, Manning Williams, Daryl Knox, JD Cummings, Lolly Koon, Candice Flewharty and Lese Corrigan. This list includes three photographers, two abstract painters and a printmaker and a mixture of all three.   Koon, Derrick and Olah have since left the gallery for other projects and artists have been added - they can be found on the news page. The gallery is showing art that is just for that - art! Not following this year's fashions but reaching towards the future and showing respect for the past, the presented artwork fulfills the beholder's need for beauty and the collector's wish for strong investments. This is art for the soul; art that lets the eyes breath fresh air. Past visitors watched paintings in process on location and view works that have been done en plein air as well as in situ studio pieces.  The studio has been moved to a new location to leave more room for paintings! The gallery has featured in The New York Times, The Robb Report May 2006, Charleston City Paper, The Charleston Mercury, Carolina Arts, Southwest Art, Art Business News (November 2005 and May 2006), Where Magazine, The Post and Courier, Insiders' Guide to Charleston 2005 and 2007 editions, The Charleston Review January/ February 2009 and mentions in Southern Accents and Charleston Magazine March 2009 as well as many other publications. Visit the gallery's website at ... http://www.corrigangallery.com

---

Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~