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    		•
    Whitney Rae Palmer
    Open Doors

    4 – 15 February 2009

    Opening preview: Wednesday 4 February 5.30 –  7.30pm

    Exhibition Statement:

    The title chosen for this exhibition, “Open Doors”, is a metaphorical theme investigating the concepts surrounding one’s relationship to the outside world. It seeks to discuss how we internalise the external, and externalise the internal, through doors seen and unseen, realised and unconscious. Essentially, a door is a place of opening and closing, that which allows us to let something in, or to block something out. The nature of the cafés depicted and referred to in the subject content of these paintings could be referred to as “open doors”; places where an attitude of acceptance, openness, welcoming, humility, community, and foundational aspects of humanity are virtually part of the atmosphere. The viewer is invited to look into the paintings to formulate their own perceptions and concepts, of which may be attached to experiences of their own at these places, or to branch off into other realisations stemming from the general concept of doors. The artist’s story and feelings exposed in some of the paintings are deeply personal, with her own internal reference and meaning. However, the paintings are not limited to her vantage points alone. In this way, they are “open doors” for a viewer to manifest their own interpretations. A lack of strictly literal representation and definition in the works allows opening to occur visually and hold the potential of reaching the viewer through emotive, energetic, playful, and imaginative qualities. This aspect of the artist’s work differs from her previous works, which were more closed expressively and interpretively.

    Artist Statement:

    “The contemporary art world offers many avenues of artistic expression through modern digital media. I choose oil painting – for it’s simplicity, richness, feeling, depth, and challenge. These are not the times of classical painting, and a painter such as myself who wishes to paint traditionally is faced with the challenge of a very slow, process oriented work that requires intense concentration, which is not easy in our modern fast-paced society. For me, painting conjures infinite expressive possibilities that offer the viewer a window into another world, a different way of seeing and experiencing that no advancement in technology can surpass. 

The representational style of my work seeks to portray the essences of the subject matter, whether a streetscape, still life or portrait, by translation through my own perceptions and senses. Though an image may seem indifferent to an ordinary viewer, a painter can open her eyes to the power and magic it holds in light, colour, composition and shapes. One begins to notice how much is going on in a single object and a single image, and become overwhelmed by all the information and detail, reference and metaphor. The world which opens up before them visually grows deeper and it is as if one is in a vivid dream. Such is the obsession of the painter’s eye. 

Painting like this demands a slowing down and a meticulous processing of information through detailed observation, while the application of paint requires intense concentration. Engaged observation enhances the senses and mind, and could be considered a type of meditation. It allows the infinite moment to become clear and present, and the self to shine through. Viewing a painting can open one up to seeing the everyday simple things, perhaps taken for granted, as everlasting impressions of transcendent beauty. Painting can enhance the mundane of the everyday into something that speaks more to the soul: that which is beyond the material and the day-to-day movement through time and space.”

    - Whitney 09

    Biography:

    Whitney was born and raised in the small and quaint town of Sandpoint, Idaho; a scenic and rugged place nestled in the northern Rocky Mountains. Her family is deeply rooted in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. She arrived in New Zealand January 1st 2008, to travel. Her initial draw to the country was the unique and awesome landscape. Her travels throughout the country included visiting galleries and museums. She has been inspired by the work of several New Zealand artists and painters. This influence ultimately inclined her to stay and immerse herself more thoroughly in NZ arts and culture. She settled in Wellington in May, 2008. 
Whitney graduated from the University of Oregon, located in the ‘green’, progressive, alternative, culturally diverse and abundant city of Eugene, in 2007, with a degree in Fine Arts. Her other studies included Art History, Environmental and Indigenous Law, Women’s and Gender’s Studies, and Political Science. Her interests outside of formal education have been organic agriculture, sustainable living, alternative health, healing arts, environmental activism, and yoga; which has been a central focus and practice in her life for six years. Her developed studies and disciplines in yoga and spirituality influence her as an artist.  www.whitneyraepalmer.com