September 9, 2011

Controlled Burn: Works by Kate Stewart is showing at the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery through September 9th. The show features several periods and mediums of Stewart’s work, from new paintings and drawings to collage, and “smoke drawing” done in collaboration with artist Ward Davenny. Controlled Burn was curated by Arts Administration graduate student and 2010-2011 gallery assistant, Jordan Shue. "Having been given the chance to curate a show in the Pearlstein Gallery, I really wanted to push the limits of the space, as it's a rather unusual one. Stewart's work is extremely striking, and the show is the first to incorporate all of her bodies of work - installation, collage and painting - into one space,” said Jordan. “The large smoke drawing, Controlled Burn, was made specifically for the gallery in collaboration with artist Ward Davenny. I was honored to have the opportunity to bring a local artist with such striking work into the Pearlstein Gallery.”

Kate Stewart’s new body of work is something of a departure from her previous work. Though Stewart maintains a strong curiosity in sublime occurrences, both man-made and in nature, she explores less specific imagery that is descriptive of destruction and regeneration. For this exhibition, she works in a variety of media, as her inquiries manifest themselves through paintings, collage & mixed media, as well as a large collaborative drawing. The work is loosely woven together by its title, Controlled Burn. Stewart uses the definition of this age-old farming practice of slashing and burning overworked fields, as a metaphor for the rejuvenation that comes after destruction. In addition to her own work, Stewart has collaborated with artist Ward Davenny to create a 26-foot long drawing of smoke, using the soot from a flame. This piece riffs on the same themes in Stewart’s own work while addressing the physical and performative aspects of this medium, in which the process is synonymous with the imagery. Click here for more information.