ELAINE WEINER-REED
MASKS AND MIRRORS - AN EXPLORATION OF IDENTITY
A Chaney Gallery Solo Exhibition
(May – July 2018)
Self-Guided Gallery Tour Companion Guide
Companion Audio Reflections: https://www.elaineweinerreed.com
Life is messy, unfinished, and beautiful.
This exhibition is experiential, personal,
introspective, and multi-dimensional.
It celebrates life, honoring the human
spirit.
This exhibition is a virtual tour through life. Although the dialogue might have
begun in my studio, I hope you will join in. The journey from one painting
to the next is a progression through space and time. The paintings provide glimpses
into life-changing stages and challenging times when we choose our attitude,
shoulder a new way to keep going, or choose a new path, changing our destiny. Our
world and identity are colored by experiences, feelings, thoughts, and perceptions.
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Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWR) - Masks and Mirrors - An Exploration of Identity Exhibition (First Wall)
© 2018 Elaine Weiner-Reed |
Entering the gallery, the first section or
wall of the show, which I refer to as “Looking Inward,” is organized from the
perspective of our earlier years, when most of the information is processed from
the perspective of how it impacts or
matters to us (the ME years). Our world is contained or limited by many
factors, and we are mainly doing what others tell us to do do…and trying to
figure out what WE want, instead.
From there or before you even start your gallery tour, I invite you to pause and
watch my YouTube video “Masks and Mirrors: Beyond Reality.” This short video provides a quick overview of
elements to consider as reference points, giving insights into why “Masks and Mirrors” has became the overarching theme for my ongoing body
of work, and why I am fascinated with the evolution of one's identity and all that it involves.
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Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWR) - Masks and Mirrors - An Exploration of Identity Exhibition (Second Wall)
"Resurrection" (Sculpture) © 2018 Elaine Weiner-Reed |
As you finish watching the video and compare the first wall with this one, you will notice that this second, longer wall,
is more color-rich, with lots of reds and bolder colors. Many things are going on
in the paintings, and a lot of emotion is conveyed, along with mystery portrayed
in scenes, people, or titles. There is a lot of material, stories within
stories... I refer to this wall as the “Inside/Outside” wall, meaning inside
our heads, homes, and hearts…and within ourselves. And on the flip side, this phase might also takes us outside
of ourselves, our cultures, our homes, and our comfort zones. You might want to think
of it as an extended or multi-faceted “leaving the nest” phase, where we venture outward, expanding social
circles, language, experiences, knowledge, and impressions. In this phase, we
are pushing our boundaries ever wider, opening our minds and our world. Perhaps
we are reinventing ourselves, committing to relationships, traveling, defining
our lives…It could last for decades.
Present with us in the room, are three
sculptures, titled: “Many Faces,” “Awakening,” and “Resurrection.” As you slowly walk
around and between them, see what you can discover and how they relate to the painted artwork.
Consider this: Life
is greater than the sum of its parts and so are we. There are mysteries to explore
and masks to find. Examine the many facets, angles, shadows, and parts and relate it to your own journey. At times, we are vulnerable, unmasked, and our very undercarriage is exposed.
But we walk on. We cast shadows, leave traces… We rise, tired, and sometimes
broken, and by sheer will, right ourselves, even as it feels like our legs are
made of stone and our heart is broken or missing… At such times, only our
spirit keeps us among the living. We are survivors, we are the Phoenix Rising. These sculptures are memorials to all
the everyday heroes I have known, those whom I call friend or colleague or neighbor,
and those I only pass on the road or on the runway of life.
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Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWR) - Masks and Mirrors - An Exploration of Identity Exhibition (Alcove, Social Room)
© 2018 Elaine Weiner-Reed |
Into the alcove, the smaller room, we
enter what I think of as the “Social Room.” Some
Call it Chemistry… In the scenarios, there are groups of people, yet the individuals remain
unique, mysteries in a dynamic scene we try to unravel. Who are they? Why are
they there? What is the gathering about? What happened before and after the
scene captured in the paintings? Did someone just vacate the chairs or is
someone expected any moment? What is the mood or energy captured in the rooms?
Do you think you would join any of the get-togethers? How will the scene play
out? What is the beginning? What is the ending? You tell me…*
And then, on the inside archway wall: The Identity Station or Wall of Mirrors. Gazing back-and-forth from the painted scenes to the mirrors, ask yourself: What – or who – do you see? Do you see yourself? Are you now
within the scenes, as well? They are reflected
with you in the mirrors… What is real? How would you pretend to have a role in those four "painted interiors" behind and around you? How is our identity changed or altered
over time and throughout a lifetime – on the inside and outside? How much
control do we have? Do we “own” who we are? How much can we influence who we
become?
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Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWR) - Masks and Mirrors - An Exploration of Identity Exhibition (Identity Station Wall, Social Room)
© 2018 Elaine Weiner-Reed |
As we re-enter the larger room, turn left.
On a wall by itself, the painting “BraveHeart” joins the sculptures in paying
tribute to courage and surviving what comes our way. Not perfect, not always
fully formed, but alive and moving forward…
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Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWR) - Masks and Mirrors - An Exploration of Identity Exhibition ("BraveHeart")
© 2018 Elaine Weiner-Reed |
Finally, the last wall as we head back
toward the entry door… I refer to this
wall as the “Legacy” or “so what” wall.
We are one person, and throughout our lifetime, we bump up against others, much
as a pinball – sometimes on purpose, and sometimes at random. We search for our
own brand of meaning and style and purpose. Our self-awareness expands as we reflect
on our actions and consequences or what we do or don’t do. Who influenced us
and who do we influence? Time is relative… Everything and everyone is relative,
connected. Our world is vast, yet smaller every day. What positive difference
or contribution have we made? What footprint remains after we exit?
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Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWR) - Masks and Mirrors - An Exploration of Identity Exhibition (Final, Legacy Wall)
© 2018 Elaine Weiner-Reed |
From our
perceptions of reality to our memories… Time is relative. We are a part of
history. We remember, we relate, we teach, and we invent. From Ashes to
Ashes…and dust to dust, our legacy determined and written in the paths we
have taken, lives we have touched, hands we have held. In the Mirror, unmasked
in the end is our legacy – reflected, fragile, temporal – and hopefully beautiful.
Thank you for coming and participating. Our legacies are connected.
*You can also find the video on my YouTube Channel and
watch it on your smart device.
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