Dolmanisth Solo Exhibition: NEW HEARTH WORKS
Gallerie 271, Monterey, Massachusetts
Opening the summer season in the Berkshires, MA, NEW HEARTH WORKS invites viewers to immerse themselves in a gallery experience featuring pottery, painting, and prints. This exhibition showcases a curated selection of Dolmanisth's recent hand-built ceramic sculptures, created during her tenure as a Ceramics Artist In Residence Fellow at The Jamestown Art Center in Jamestown, Rhode Island. Also on display are wood-fired ceramic sculptures made under the guidance of Jason Lee Fong at The South County Art Association in Kingston, Rhode Island.
In visual dialogue with these sculptures are Dolmanisth's large-scale oil paintings on raw linen, produced in her Berkshires studio, alongside a series of monoprints and monotypes created at The Jamestown Art Center Printmaking Studio.
The Memorial Day weekend opening event featured live performances by musicians James Nelsen on saxophone and flute, and David Durst on percussion, adding an auditory dimension to the visual experience.
Photographic documentation of Dolmanisth includes black-and-white portraits by Andrea Burns, capturing her performance work at The University Museum of Contemporary Art at UMass Amherst, MA, during the exhibition PRESENT, In The Moment, from The Miraculous in The Every Day, curated by Loretta Yarlow. Additionally, images by Melinda Katherine Frederick depict Dolmanisth at work during her ceramics residency at Jamestown Art Center.
The NEW HEARTH WORKS exhibition logo cleverly merges typography and spacing to emphasize the ART within "HEARTH," symbolizing Earth, Heart, Art, Hear, and Ear. This visual representation sets the stage for an exploration of the primal essence of existence embodied by the concept of HEARTH, transcending mere physicality to evoke feelings of warmth, comfort, and belonging across cultures and throughout history.
Within the exhibition, ceramics become a medium for exploring transformation and tradition. Clay, molded by Earth and Water, undergoes a profound metamorphosis through fire, echoing age-old practices of cooking and storytelling. These Ceramic Vessels, crafted through various firing methods, symbolize not only the alchemical dance of elements but also the interplay of Women's Work and the domestic landscape, weaving a tapestry of heritage and resilience.
Through the fusion of artistry and tradition, the exhibition offers a glimpse into the deep connections between human experience and creativity. Each vessel on display is more than just an object; it's a vessel of memory, carrying the stories and traditions of generations past while pushing the boundaries of craft and innovation.
