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Exhibit opening: Friday, Jan. 13, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Gallery walk: Saturday, Jan. 14, 11 a.m.
On Friday, Jan. 13, 2012 the new exhibition Considering Flowers opens at the Museum. Considering Flowers displays a collection of watercolor
floral paintings by Swedish-American artist, historian and gardener Karen Vaughn Harding of Rockford. In this exhibit, the artist sets out to tell the stories of her flowers and garden in watercolors—something many artists have done before her and will continue to do. “Equally captivated by floral beauty and its evocative power, painters have always filled their canvases with flowers, using them as decorative or symbolic elements,” she says.
Harding believes flowers, in all shapes and forms, have historically and artistically had a powerful hold on imaginations worldwide—and she is no exception. Multiple floral aspects inspire her work and influence the final product. “I am dedicated to all things floral for their sublimity and beauty, the perfection of form, the wealth of color or the sheer refinement of design,” she explains. “It has been my challenge to translate this very pronounced taste for all that is floral, everything growing, creeping and climbing into a personal interpretation through a painter’s application onto paper.”
While gardens and history play into her artwork, Harding remarks that her “Swedish design genes” may be the reason she paints vibrantly in all her works. Her paternal grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Carlson, was born near Linköping in 1881. The artist also exhibited some of her work at the Vida Museum in Öland, Sweden.
In addition to the Vida Museum in Öland and the Swedish American Museum in Chicago, Harding exhibited at the Rockford Art Museum, Rockford College, Rock Valley College, the Rockford School of Medicine, and Des Moines Museum of Art. She also participated in the Rockford Area Arts Council for many years, and the Greenwich Village Art Fair in 2010 and 2011, winning Best In Show for 2D Medium.
Considering Flowers will be on display at the Swedish American Museum until Sunday, March 11, 2012. Other events scheduled for this exhibit are:
The Harlins bring a unique perspective to their creative work, having spent much of their lives fighting poverty through the Lutheran World Federation/Church of Sweden. Tord Harlin, now bishop emeritus of Uppsala, is a photographer, and his wife, Gunnel, is a painter. More information to come.
Saxell captures images of her adopted homeland with a naive perspective, bringing winding medieval streets and little houses to life in distinctive landscapes. Her work is characterized by bold, rich color and a playful energy that speaks directly to the observer. More information to come.
Traditional Swedish textiles are renowned for their beauty and quality. This exhibit will focus on textile art produced by Illinois and Chicago-based artists of Swedish descent.More information to come.
