Submitted by Joe Higgins
During the month of November, the Watchung Arts Center will present Ann Vollum’s “BeastlyBeasties” in the Lower Gallery. The exhibition will be on display from November 1 to November 28. An opening reception will be held on November 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.
Over the years, Ann Vollum has explored the organic meanderings of the subconscious mind; her work is primal and un-schooled. “I am obsessed with detail, line and pattern. All my pieces start with organic shapes, which are transformed into Beasties. I do not use sketchbooks; I always work directly on my final pieces enjoying the creative process as my works evolves.”
Her pieces tell a story with an unwritten script inviting the viewer to use their own imagination and give the piece their unique interpretation. She has developed a “language” of “characters” that re-appear time and again. Look for bats, snakes and of course Beasties with sharp teeth and long tongues in her work. Often there are Beasties inside Beasties… the question is, are they dinner or offspring… the viewer is left to decide.
During her years as an artist, Vollum has worked with many mediums and techniques, and is now excited to be working with textiles. “I started by cutting lace like pieces from Tyvek, progressed onto cutting painted fabric and using the cut design as a stencil. A need to develop these explorations further, led me to introduce hand stitching and needle felting, which I am now using to do more colorful pieces on un-cut cloth. I am excited by these techniques; the possibilities are endless and fascinating to me.”
Ann Vollum was born in Zimbabwe, Africa in 1963. She has a BA in Architectural Studies and worked for many years as an Art Director and Graphic Designer. Vollum has exhibited her art in the USA and UK. Her work has been shown at many galleries including: The Herb & Milly Iris, SOPAC; The Pierro; Rupert Ravens Contemporary; Riker Hill Art Park; Museum of Early Trades & Crafts; JCC MetroWest: The Gaelen Steiner Court; The Firehouse, The ValleyArts Community; The West Orange Arts Council; and Brooklyn Brewery, USA; Framers and Croft Wingates, UK. Ann’s work has appeared in The NY Times, June 5, 2014; Lark Crafts: 500 Handmade Books; Matters Magazine; The Book Arts Roundtable exhibition catalogs and Mail Me Art: Short & Sweet. Ann lives and works in South Orange, New Jersey.
The Watchung Arts Center, located at 18 Stirling Road in Watchung on the Watchung Circle, is a multi-disciplinary arts facility serving Watchung, the surrounding communities and the Tri-State Area. To obtain more information about upcoming performances, classes and workshops, and monthly art exhibitions, please visit WatchungArts.org or call 908-753-0190.
(above) Artist Ann Vollum’s art exhibit “BeastlyBeasties” will be on display at the Watchung Arts Center for the month of November.
