Everything We Love // Hari Panicker & Deepti Nair presented by GroundSwell Gallery

Tonight, GroundSwell Gallery opens Everything We Love, a show of graphic prints, paper cut shadow boxes, and paintings created by the husband and wife art duo, Harikrishnan Panicker and Deepti Nair. 

Opening 7 - 10pm Feb. 11
(House DJ, House cookies, House coffee - no fakes!)
Show runs through March 6, 2012.  

at GroundSwell Gallery 3121 E. Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80206

Hari and Deepti's work is hugely influenced by the life experience and folklore they grew up with (both from India) and the whimsical ideas that breed within them. They have been collaborating on various artwork and events from being the branding artists for Bordo Bello 2011, creating poster art for Artcrank Denver, and being a regular at the Denver Chalk Art festival and Heart Art Denver.  They did their first collaborative art show in October 2011, titled Cuts and Drips at the Super Ordinary Gallery in Denver, CO.   Everything we Love is a series of painting, prints and mixed media pieces depicting the elements that keep them going and inspire them to create art and be together.

new concepts, learning at Matter, & my art collection

Most recently my artwork focuses on  2 concepts.  Initially, a concept of color theory regarding the juxtaposition of colors and their co-effectual relationships related to the teachings of Josef Albers.  Secondly, a concept described by Sri Sathya Sai Baba and variously found in other religious, spiritual, and social teachings.  I find that the words can seem dogmatic and I resist the urge to share, overtly, what the concept or dogma actually is.  On the other hand, what may be a life-time task, I do wish to take on the concept as a filter for my spoken words and also my own thoughts and I do feel compelled to make art about it.  Here's how I understand it:  Upon speaking, one may consider first passing the words through 4 doorways.  Each is a question of the thought, and if each thought can respond affirmatively, then perhaps one's speech better serves self and others.  It goes like this:  

Is it True?

Is it Kind?

Is it Necessary?

Does it improve upon Silence?

Looks like rainbows, the drawings are a practice of both concepts - color relationships and social clarity. 

click on the image to see it larger.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to do another piece referencing the latter.  I participated in Rick Griffith's printing workshop at Matter Studio, wherein we learned how to use printing presses and typeset and were challenged to create a design for print.  I did a print about the 4 doorways and also a print quoting Haruki Murakami from his book, The Wind Up Bird Chronicle. "All you had to do was sit still for ten minutes, and you could see this amazing variety of grays." the 4 doorways shape and the "cloud" shape I designed to be made into printing blocks set alongside type.  One of my workshop-mates, Michelle, had a set of modular type that she intuited I might like to use, how very thoughtful and true, so the 4 doorways print uses those (outside of the modular purpose - re-imagining the modular elements as letters themselves).  The Murakami print uses lead-type 42pt Helvetica. 

I loved working with Rick at Matter and using his presses this weekend.  I love the work that I did.  

Last comment:  Below, a drawing/paper-cutting by Brittany Gould (Denver artist) that I recently collected entitled, Over Charleston. 

it's worth it to click on this image and look at it larger.