115 BROADWAY, NEWBURGH, NY12550

MARCH 17 - APRIL 8, 2017

Opening reception: Friday, March 17, 5-8 PM

NBLS Newburgh Last Saturday: March 25, 4-7PM

Gallery Hours: Friday/Saturday 10am- 1pm and by appointment

SPACE CREATE is pleased to present Judy Thomas’ new painting series MAPPING, in the main gallery at 115 Broadway, Newburgh, NY. In this exhibition, Thomas shows lyrical works that explore the formal elements of color, line and form, revisiting 20th century abstraction through a 21st century lens. Underlying the playful nature of Thomas’ new paintings is an investigation into broader concepts of chaos and chance.

The inspiration for this series comes from the 1983 film Koyaanisqatsi, which in the Hopi language means life out of balance. The film is a juxtaposition of images and music by Phillip Glass, and describes the history ofmans impact on the planet and the end with the ancient prophecies of the end of the world. Thomas begins each painting with her own version of the surrealist technique automatism which has informed her work for decades. As each painting develops, Thomas imparts a formal eye to the original marks and shapes, moving lines and forms to better serve the composition. It's playing with mapping as a construct, framing time, relationships, even identities. It's exploring how we all chart our lives.

Judy Thomas contact info • jkaythomas@yahoo.com • www.judythomas.com

Weathervane Gallery opens its new season with a sculptural installation by artist Judy Thomas. Composed of one curved line, ‘Kaleidoscope’ is a lyrical ‘painting’ in 3-dimensional space. Using simple industrial materials like PEX, vinyl, and hosiery, Thomas has transformed the gallery into a sculptural wonderland that activates the senses. Colorful tendrils unfurl and intertwine in a weird curvilinear space, suggesting a Dr. Seussian world of ribbons or musical notes.

The play of light and shadow, real and implied volume and high key color that Thomas practices in her work evokes a sense of wonder and a feeling of pure joy that speaks to all generations and revisits 20th century abstraction through a 21st century lens. Thomas’ work is informed by scientific theories of chaos and order, particle explosions, string theory and the butterfly effect - in which a small change at one point can result in large differences in a later state.

Underlying the playful nature of Judy Thomas’ work is an investigation into the formal elements of color, line and form, and scientific theories of chaos and order, particle explosions, string theory and the butterfly effect. These 3-dimensional ‘paintings’ revisit 20th century abstraction through a 21st century lens.

The pioneering, renegade spirit of the early 90's helped to shape the direction of Judy Thomas’ art, when she began to create temporary, large scale sculptural works in abandoned warehouse spaces along the waterfront in Brooklyn. Recent installations include work in The Arsenal Center for the Arts, Brandeis University and the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art.

Thomas won a 2015 Individual Artist Commission grant from Arts Mid-Hudson for her community-responsive piece MATRIX:RENEWAL. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Time Out New York, The Detroit News, Huffington Post and the Mid-Hudson Times. Thomas lives and works in Newburgh, NY.

weathervane is a window gallery visible 24/7 and by appointment

Email: info@weathervanebrooklyn.com

'Mapping Series' on View Through April 8, 2017 at Space Create Gallery

UPDATE 16.1