Rachel Selekman announces winter’s arrival with By the Fire, a roaring blaze created from multitudes of colorful, overlapping artificial leaves adorning the fireplace mantel. Evoking opulent textiles worn by generations of European nobility, now ubiquitous staples of winter fashion, layers of lush suede and embroidered velvet leaves exude sensations of comfort and the spreading warmth of a lit fireplace during the coldest months of the year. Through site and substance, By the Fire refers to the tradition of family crests, a codified system equating forms in nature to inherited qualities of human character. Selekman’s meticulous arrangement of flame-like leaves, heraldic symbols of hope, joy, strength and renewal, merge craft with meaning. The tactile surface invites touch even as our instinctual fear of fire’s destructive force is ignited by archetype. Here, fire and nature are domesticated, tamed by Selekman’s hand into exquisite ornamentation indicative of welcome holiday traditions.
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