ERIKA RANEE: FEELINGS
Saturday, July 13 - Sunday, August 11, 2024
The Little Gallery
Reception: Saturday, July 13, 5-7 pm
The Arts Center at Duck Creek is thrilled to present Feelings, a solo exhibition by artist Erika Ranee, opening July 13. in the Little Gallery at Duck Creek. All The Things, a group exhibition curated by Ranee, will run concurrent in the John Little Barn.
Feelings comprises 19 small canvases made for this exhibition, executed primarily in ink, crayon, and collage. The works were created in the artist’s home, reflecting the intimate and diaristic approach she took to this series. Using materials to convey meaning is an important part of Ranee’s practice, and it is also what anchors the works she selected for All The Things. “Materials are a way to expand the language of painting,” Ranee says, citing artists Robert Rauschenberg, Suzanne Jackson, and Jean-Michel Basquiat as influences. “It is a way of of talking about things that are important to us, without spelling them out. All the materials and all the marks carry a history.”
Ranee’s paintings are known for reflecting the ebb and flow of stimulus in our daily lives. Each abstract composition offers a kind of interior micro view, the compressed viscera of the painting rendered in poured paint, shellac, and elements of collage. This vibrant matter is delicately balanced within a subtle geometry of borders and cornerstones, with thick lines separating deep space from flat planes, opening the paintings back up again, like the Eames’ Powers of Ten.
“Last summer I drove around (East Hampton) and got lost, and chanced upon a beautiful little ‘hidden’ beach. This is the recall I’m relying on to build this series of work,” she says. “The places/memories appear as I’m painting, not before. No pre-sketch/planning. Just tapping into feeling and memory.“
Erika Ranee received her MFA in painting from UC Berkeley. She has a NYFA Fellowship in Painting, attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and was a resident at AIRSpace Abrons Arts Center. Her work has been exhibited at the Bronx Museum, BRIC Project Room, the Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation, the Southampton Arts Center, Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery, Brigitte Mulholland Galerie/Paris, Hollis Taggart and presently at Venus Over Manhattan. Her solo exhibition, “How Are Things on My End" is currently on view at the Moss Arts Center in Virginia. She was selected by artist Jeffrey Gibson for the upcoming 200th anniversary exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. She lives and works in New York."
Situated on Historic Duck Creek Farm in the Springs hamlet of East Hampton, NY, The Arts Center at Duck Creek operates as a New York State 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. Since 2018, we have been dedicated to showcasing diverse artistic expressions and fostering community engagement. We are sustained solely through grant allocations and donations. Our programming is always free and open to all. Gallery hours are Thursday - Sunday, 2 - 6 pm.