Clinton Community College will host the exhibit “For All the Voices Tangled with the Silence of our Tongues,” the works of artists Kristin Garnantand v. skip willits at the CCC Library Art Gallery. The exhibit begins Monday, February 26, 2018, and lasts through Friday, March 30. The community is invited to the Artists Reception on Thursday, March 1, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., in the Art Gallery, located at 1000 Lincoln Boulevard, Clinton, IA.
Additionally, the college will host the CCC Student Art Show from Monday, April 2, through Friday, May 4, in the Library Art Gallery.
Garnant is a local artist whose work has been displayed in numerous public exhibits across the Midwest and has been represented by several galleries in Iowa. Her work primarily includes large-scale metal sculptures, small work in mixed media, and jewelry. In the upcoming CCC exhibit, Garnant will concentrate on a collection of assemblages.
In her Artist Statement regarding For All the Voices Tangled with the Silence of our Tongues, Garnant stated, “The assemblages are constructed of old wooden boxes, shallow drawers, tintypes, and mixed media. When the photographic process gave us the tintype, the world of portraiture was given to the common man. The assemblages contain these mysterious images and an assortment of objects, constructing a sort of reliquary. The detailed portrait and small-scale demonstrat[e] the very individual specifics and unique story that each life tells.”
The technique and medium willits uses, mostly welded metal, is a skill he learned at age ten. His father was a shop welder for 40 years at Climax Engine works. In 1983 he completed, and installed Ring of Life, his first large-scale public sculpture in Clinton. Since that time, willits has continued to make art and live happily, on the banks of the Mississippi River.
When asked of the inspiration for the works in this show, v. skip willits stated, “In the objects that I make there are strands of my identity. Making art is an integral part of my life experience.” He added, “Lately, I’ve been baffled by the persistence of cruelty. I look around at what’s happening in this world and find it utterly impossible to not make artwork that reflects my concern and dismay.”
For more information, contact CCC at 563-244-7001.