Translucent Phenomena

Theodora Varnay Jones: Translucent Phenomena
Mixed Media Works

When:  Tues., March 25 – Sun., May 18, 2008
Where:  Hallowell Gallery
Conversation with the Artist: Fri., March 28, 3:30 pm

Jones is an artist whose boundaries are elusive but whose work is not mysterious – it just is. Materials are chosen for their inherent color or the natural structure that exists in a material like fiberglass mesh. There is a juxtaposition of the non-organic (razor blades, metal powders, fiberglass) with the organic (wax, tea bags, a wasp’s nest, paper, clay, incense) and it is this juxtaposition that creates a tension that draws the viewer into a meditative environment. Each work is one of consummate sensitivity enhanced by its translucent quality and subtle layering.

Theodora Varnay Jones’ oeuvre is delineated by deliberate selection and the combination of subtle materials often relying on the tactile, physical properties of translucent materials. The work is one of tension between what is revealed and what is concealed within the layering of chosen materials. Each layer finds its way to the surface through shadow and color creating a presence of stillness similar to the experience of navigating a disappearing road in dense fog. The use of space is purely optical. Its sensory effect results from the complex layers of feeling and thinking residing within the viewer. The space between suggests transition – neither here nor there, but simultaneously connected to both past and future. Jones’ assembled materials are fashioned into compact precise constructions that rely upon the reflection of light for an impact that is metaphoric and elusively beautiful. Through the craftsmanship of this consummate artist we are led to the quiet center of absolute stillness.

Jones is an artist whose boundaries are elusive but whose work is not mysterious – it just is. Materials are chosen for their inherent color or the natural structure that exists in a material like fiberglass mesh. There is a juxtaposition of the non-organic (razor blades, metal powders, fiberglass) with the organic (wax, tea bags, a wasp’s nest, paper, clay, incense) and it is this juxtaposition that creates a tension that draws the viewer into a meditative environment. Each work is one of consummate sensitivity enhanced by its translucent quality and subtle layering. Theodora Varnay Jones earned her BFA and MFA from the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest, Hungary. Her work has been widely shown in Japan and California and is included in public collections such as the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Pratt Graphics Center and many corporate collections throughout the United States and Japan.