Lesley Dill Shimmers at Whatcom Museum

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LESLEY DILL SHIMMERS AT WHATCOM MUSEUM
Show Opens to the Public October 23 at the Lightcatcher; Artist speaking at 2 PM in the Old City Hall Rotunda Gallery

Bellingham, WA, August 24, 2011 — When the words of poet Emily Dickinson and the life of missionary and folk artist Sister Gertrude Morgan come together with two million feet of fine wire, the Hindu-inspired “tongue of God,” a few mystical meditations and a couple of lavish ball gowns in one light-filled space, it’s worth a look. Better yet, there is no need to visit the Big Apple or even The Henry to experience such critically acclaimed contemporary art this fall. Lesley Dill’s Poetic Visions: From Shimmer to Sister Gertrude Morgan opens Sunday, October 23 in Bellingham at the Whatcom Museum’s Lightcatcher galleries and runs through March 4, 2012.

Nationally known for the unexpected and dramatic ways in which she fuses art and language, New York-based Dill explores the relationships between language and transformational experience through multi-faceted work that appeals to a wide range of interests. View image gallery.

“Poetic Visions invites audiences to delve into art, literature, spirituality, feminism — even fashion,” says Curator of Art Barbara Matilsky, who worked closely with Dill to mount the traveling exhibition.

“Shimmer” and “Hell Hell Hell, Heaven Heaven Heaven: Encountering Sister Gertrude Morgan and Revelation”
Dill’s work is better experienced then described, but here’s a verbal peek at the exhibition’s title works, which comprise the heart of the show: a luminous, 60-foot long, wall-mounted sculptural ocean, integrating the mystical poetry of Salvador Espriu, as well as some two million feet of cascading hair-like threads of wire. Yes, it shimmers, and then some. Also: An epic installation in which style meets spirituality, Emily Dickinson meets Sister Gertrude Morgan, darkness meets light and all get along famously.

Describing language as “the touchstone, the pivot point of all my work,” Lesley Dill reveals the potential of words to stir feelings and convey hidden meanings, explains Matilsky. “Her synthesis of a lyric vocabulary into bronze, foil, wire, paper, fabric, and horsehair informs an innovative style that radiates visual eloquence.”

Matilsky. Dill was drawn to this famous folk artist, who also merged text and image in her work, because of her strength and conviction of belief. Unified by their layers of words, figures, and symbolic imagery, the artworks in Poetic Visions underline Dill’s desire to render transcendental experience into form. Her work represents “a symphony of spiritual traditions,” in which Sister Gertrude Morgan is just one of the players, says Curated by Matilsky, who also authored the catalogue that accompanies the exhibition, Poetic Visions will travel to South Carolina’s Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art in the spring. In its contemporary nature and national prominence, Poetic Visions reinforces the Whatcom Museum’s quest to serve as both a community magnet and regional destination for cultural exploration.“Our vision is to bring a world of culture to Bellingham and bring the culture of Bellingham to the world,” said Executive Director Patricia Leach.

Visitors can expect a wonderful dose of the latter when Delivered Daily: The News Photography of Jack Carveropens November 19.

Programs include Artist’s Talk, Opening Weekend
An array of programs complement Poetic Visions, including a presentation by Lesley Dill, Sunday, October 23, 2 PM in the Old City Hall Rotunda Gallery. Also look for programs featuring WWU Assistant Professor of English Allison Giffin, children’s poetry and art classes, textile workshops and after-hours music.

More about Lesley Dill
Lesley Dill was born in Bronxville, New York and raised in Maine. After graduating from Trinity College with a degree in English, she received her master of arts in teaching from Smith College in 1974, and her master of fine arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1980. The artist soon moved to New York, where she emerged prominently as a sculptor and multi-media artist. Dill has also made significant contributions as a performance artist, and aspects of theater inform the pieces exhibited in this exhibition. Nationally recognized, Dill has shown her work in numerous solo exhibitions across the country. Her artworks are in the collections of over fifty museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The artist lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.