What’s in a name? For Aimee Beaubien, each is a inviting clue and a gentle nudge. “Twist-Flip-Tremble-Trace”, Beaubien’s solo exhibit of twenty ebullient sculptures constructed from photographs, is at Johalla Projects in the West Town district of Chicago through May 31st, 2015. Woven like stories and flowing like eruptions of joy, Beaubien’s assemblages are as magnetic as they are spirited.
Installation view of “Twist-Flip-Tremble-Trace”, Aimee Beaubien’s solo exhibit at Johalla Projects in Chicago through May 31st, 2015.
Beaubien’s sculptures entreat you to join her curious mind at work. In her daily encounters, Beaubien takes lots of photographs – from multiple angles and a variety of distances – of structures as large as buildings and objects as small as watermelon seeds. Using both content and color as an intuitive guide, she groups and cuts her photographs into all manner of shapes. Some follow their underlying composition, like arms and hands, while others are made into zigzags or thin strips that she weaves into cascading curlicues or rounded shapes, all supported by domestic objects like vases or end tables in eye-popping colors. Beaubien’s sculptures are delightful to behold, but they are much more than that.
Installation view of “Echo-mesh-swing-step, 2015” by Aimee Beaubien (courtesy of the artist)
Because her creations are made from photographs, they offer recognizable representations of familiar places and objects. At the same time, Beaubien’s radical reconstructions also encourage abstract readings of the work. With each encounter, mind’s eye vacillates between the two states of recognition and abstraction, egged on by Beaubien’s purposeful toying with scale and hue. One of my favorites, “Fret-foil-dangle-glow”, features photographs of lakes and rivers entangled with cut-out zigzags of waterfalls that bring the eye on a vertical journey through strips that resemble seaweed or perhaps the trailing tendrils of a jelly fish.
Detail view of “Fret-foil-dangle-glow, 2014” by Aimee Beaubien (courtesy of the artist)
It is no small feat to prevail upon today’s brief attention spans with artwork that both requests sustained engagement and provides the visual and mental perks to satisfy that concentration. Beaubien’s two- and three-dimensional pieces playfully challenge perception while courting the viewer with an array of colorful and crafty constructions, like a satisfying puzzle. Like any worthy art, each viewing brings something new and different and Beaubien succeeds in making you want to come back for more, over and over again.
Detail view of “Beebalm-sunburst-ballet, 2014” by Aimee Beaubien (courtesy of the artist)
It is a special treat to find artwork that raises both awareness and the spirit. Beaubien’s photographic sculptures are enchanting and glorious productions that serenade with delicious revelations and resonate like a song, in three dimensions.
For more information and directions, go to: http://www.johallaprojects.com/
To learn more about Aimee Beaubien, go to: http://www.aimeebeaubien.com/
Feature Image: Detail from “Chitter-burst-tangle-swell, 2015” by Aimee Beaubien (courtesy of the artist)
Installation view of “Ravel-swivel-patter-sway, 2015” by Aimee Beaubien (courtesy of the artist)
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