Upon
entering the central gallery, the viewer is surrounded
by walls covered with a dynamic painting that shifts
from hotter-than-hot to cooler-than-cool. Cadence Giersbach's
hand-painted wallpaper melds the unruliness of nature
with the room's elegant, ordered Georgian Revival
features. She was drawn to a commanding red oak "Quercus
rubra", visible through the gallery windows, that
is one of the oldest trees at Wave Hill. To create this
work, she photographed the tree in winter, when it is
the most impressive feature in the vista. She positioned
the image in a computer model of the room and applied
the vibrant colors. This digital image was a guide for
the individually hand-painted rolls of wallpaper. Painted
in the studio, the paper was then adhered in the same
manner as regular wallpaper. The tree is repeated four
times, once on each side of the room; it moves in and
out of focus, appearing to be abstract spattered paint
in some areas. The artist's hand remains present in
this methodical process that begins with the digital
photograph, but is completed through many hours of painting.
The tumult of autumn is captured by the frenzy of fiery
fuchsia, red, yellow and purple on the west side of
the room. The black and white walls recall the starkness
of November and early December when days are short and
shadows long.
Cadence Giersbach transposes real-life situations in
physical settings that often contrast nature and culture.
She exhibited in solo shows in Roebling Hall, Brooklyn,
NY, Deitch Projects, New York, NY, and at Sandroni Rey
in Venice, CA. She completed a public art commission
for Intermediate School 230 in Jackson Heights, NY.
She received her MFA from Rutgers University, New Brunswick,
NJ. Cadence Giersbach is a 2002 Artists' Fellowship
recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).
Her October 27 gallery tour is co-sponsored by Artists
& Audiences Exchange, a NYFA public program.
Turn
to Black, 2002
flashe on wallpaper
dimensions variable
Courtesy of the artist and Roebling Hall, Brooklyn,
NY
Assisted by Marissa Frantz
Printable Version
