submitted by Deb Alter
Hoosick Falls has always been a part of Donna Maria de Creeft’s life. She grew up here and in New York City. Her parents bought their house on the hill in the 1940s, and her family would come up from the city on May 1 and stay until November 1. The teacher at the one room schoolhouse in West Hoosick, which is now the Volunteer Firehouse, was one of her early artistic supporters.
An accomplished mixed-media artist, her work has been shown nationally and internationally and is in the permanent collections of museums, galleries and universities. Now she is “coming home” with a show in Gallery 90 at The Armory in Hoosick Falls.
Opening Reception
Her show, called “Microbiology,” runs from August 23 to September 20. The opening reception is Friday, August 23, from 6 to 8 pm with music by Billy Gilbert, the popular blues guitarist and vocalist from Stephentown, starting at 7 in The Owl’s Nest. Also opening in The Armory that evening is the Hoosick Artists Guild exhibit, “Gone to Great Lengths,” in the 120 Gallery. De Creeft and many of the Hoosick Artists Guild Artists will be present at the opening reception and available to talk about their work.
De Creeft’s work in this exhibition has been influenced by ideas and images gleaned from literature, mythology and science, especially chaos theory, quantum physics (without the math), philosophy, anthropology and psychology. As she was creating the works in this series, it occurred to de Creeft that her images looked much like specimens under a microscope and that her art process is “Chaos Theory – with a dose of Quantum Physics.” The images she was creating seemed to be ancient symbols, yet they were also images that have been revealed through advanced, modern, micro-photographic technology and contain information about the natural world that we are continually discovering through scientific advances today.
“Microbiology” includes a series of images of “Humanist Prayer Flags” and collages. Based loosely on Tibetan Prayer Flags, they also are book-like: pages strung on linen thread, each one a volume of mixed-media collages incorporating photographs and illustrations of microscopic detail from scientific texts. The created components, which are drawn, painted, burnt and torn, relate visually to the found images.
Hoosick Artists Guild Show
For the “Gone to Great Lengths” exhibit, artists could use any media but were challenged to work in specific dimensions, 6’ x 24’ or vice-versa (or larger, but in the same proportions) to create a work of art. The title of the show could be explored in a concrete way or more interpretively. A wide range of unique visual solutions will be on display in the 120 Gallery.
Gallery hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 pm and Wednesdays from 4 to 7 pm during the Farmers Market. Private and group showings are available by appointment. Please email Deb Alter at debalter.hayc3@gmail.com or call HAYC3 at 518-686-9050.