‘Fjord/Glacier/River’ exhibit presented in Indiana April 2 through April 24, 2015

‘Fjord/Glacier/River’ exhibit opens with reception and gallery talk by artist Rebecca Allan

Artist Rebecca Allan will discuss her most recent paintings in a gallery talk during the opening of an exhibit of Allan’s work entitled “Fjord/Glacier/River” at Herron School of Art and Design, located on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus in Indianapolis.

The exhibit, curated by Jason M. Kelly, director of the IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute, is presented by the IAHI and the Rivers of the Anthropocene Project. It is housed in the Basile Gallery of Eskenazi Hall, 735 W. New York St., and opens on April 2, 2015 with a reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Allan’s talk takes place from 6:30 to 7 p.m.

The “Fjord/Glacier/River” exhibit runs through April 24. The opening reception is free, but registration is requested.

Known for her richly layered and chromatically nuanced abstract paintings, Rebecca Allan has for many years concentrated on rivers and watershed environments as primary sources of investigation.

“Fjord/Glacier/River” presents paintings which have emerged from Allan’s travels in Norway. In Geirangerfjord, Allan made extensive drawings and studies of the waterfalls, rocks, and night skies that distinguish this majestic World Heritage site. These paintings reflect a response to the Norwegian landscape which is both exuberant and joyful but also reminds us of how urgent it is to preserve and protect our Earth’s natural resources, especially its water.

“My paintings are rooted in the dramatic cycles of nature as well as a deep curiosity about science, and the forces underlying what we observe on the surface of things. Even when it is grounded in the visible world, a painting is a sensual invention that conflates real and conjured experiences,” Allan said in her artist’s statement. “Rivers, glaciers, and fjords are central to this dialogue with nature and culture. They are complex arteries of history, culture, commerce, and ecology. ”

Allan has exhibited in the United States and abroad for more than 25 years. She received her master of fine arts degree from Kent State University and her bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College. From 2006 to 2014, Allan was head of education at the Bard Graduate Center (New York) for studies in the decorative arts, design history, and material culture.