Join us on the first day of Spring, as we open the show, “Material Intimacies” by Kris Bespalec at POMKT
“The installation invites viewers to move around and even within the space to connect to the material textures and response to light and space while connecting to their own personal intimacies through being present.”
On Opening night, we will have wine, sparkling water, light bites and good vibes. March 20 (5-7). Guests are encouraged to dress to express themselves and arrive with open minds. This piece is available to walk through, meditate inside of and experience the tactile elements up close.
Material Intimacies, 2022
Rust, Sugar, Fabric
Dimensions variable
NFS
Artist Statement: Material Intimacies explores what we share and what we hold close, using salt, sugar, suspension and weight to reflect on personal acts of preservation, deterioration, memory and the unknown. Featuring the face of myself, my son and a sugar/salt casts of my breast suspended on rust dyed fabric and salt and sugar casts on the floor, I am creating a shrine-like space dedicated to my role as nourishing mother, sexual being, intimacy of what is seen and unseen, and the fragile balance of one to the other. This delicate balance is challenged further by my recent journey to healing from breast cancer, adding to the push and pull, love and fear, hold and release of motherhood, womanhood and personal evolution.
The installation invites viewers to move around and even within the space to connect to the material textures and response to light and space while connecting to their own personal intimacies through being present.
You will learn how to mold your finger and lips, paint it, and take home your radical sculpture. All materials are supplied.
Kris Bespalec is an artist, educator, and mother living in Chattanooga. She serves as the Manager of School and Community Programs at the Hunter Museum of Art and has taught Art History and Sculpture at both the University of Tennessee Chattanooga and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Artistically, her work integrates found and precious objects, encapsulating the fragile life of memory while reflecting on the plural acts of womanhood. She uses materials that create tangible experiences through touch, smell and even taste to expand the visual storytelling in her work. As an educator, she promotes collaborative learning with an emphasis on personal skill building, social justice, and applied history related to contemporary issues. The concept of collective memory and visual conversation is an important part of how she processes information and teaches to the larger definition of what is “true” and uncensored.
